Texarkana Gazette...
Daingerfield's Garrett ends college career at Tulsa impressively
December 26th, 2015 by Louie Avery
SHREVEPORT, La.—Tulsa football players were hurting at the end of the 2015 Camping World Independence Bowl, none more than senior Keyarris Garrett.
A Daingerfield graduate, who helped the Tigers win three consecutive UIL state championships, had just played his final game for the University of Tulsa. He caught nine passes for 140 yards, including a two-point PAT catch. That was despite missing the entire third quarter with a cramping muscle.
Garrett (6-4, 221) finished his final campaign with 96 receptions for 1,588 yards and eight touchdowns, second most in school history.
Garrett's career totals read 219 catches for 3,209 yards and 22 TDs.
All of that was momentarily forgotten Saturday at Independence Stadium when the Golden Hurricane's furious rally came up short in the highest scoring bowl game in Shreveport history, 55-52.
"Now I hope to play professionally, but you never know, it's a business," Garrett said. Hopefully I'll get drafted."
Hopefully is overstating it. Barring something unforeseen, Garrett has all the tools to be more than an NFL player. History indicates he'll be a phenomenal pro if he stays healthy.
If you spend five years in Tulsa like Garrett has, odds are you're going to hear some incredible football tales about Howard Twilley and Steve Largent. Garrett's college numbers are right up there with those two.
Growing up in Tulsa during the mid-1960s, you just had to be awed by the statistics piled up by Twilley. He was small (5-10, 180) and slow, but led the nation in receiving his final two seasons.
In 1964 he caught 95 passes for 1,178 yards and 13 TDs. The runner-up that year was NFL Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff.
Twilley rewrote the Tulsa and NCAA record book in 1965. He hauled in 134 passes for 1,779 yards and 16 TDs, five in one game which was another team record. Twilley was runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting that year to USC's Mike Garrett.
Twilley went on to play in three Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins, including the only perfect season in NFL history. He rarely got a start in the pros, but still caught 212 passes for 3,064 yards and 23 TDs.
You might ask how anyone could ever be mentioned in the same breath at one school, but there have been two other Tulsa players compared to Twilley.
A decade after Twilley came another diminutive receiver named Steve Largent (5-11, 185). In 1974 he had 884 yards and 14 TDs receiving. The next season he caught 51 passes for 1,000 yards and 14 TDs.
Outstanding numbers to say the least, but the fact is he was a better pro. On his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Largent played 13 seasons with Seattle, catching 819 passes for 13,089 yards and 100 touchdowns.
"I've heard all those stories about Twilley and Largent; How can you not be impressed," Garrett said. "I do know I'm five or six inches taller than those guys. I'm 35 pounds heavier, and I've been told that I'm a lot faster.
"I've got to stay healthy; I broke my leg during my junior season, and I've had some little nagging injuries in my college career."
The Golden Hurricane were trailing 45-21 in the second quarter when they rallied for 10 points before halftime. Things didn't look so good for Tulsa when the Hokies ran eight minutes off the clock and scored to make it 52-31.
Tulsa fans were vocally down when Garrett didn't come out with the offense after that score. He spent the ensuing 15 minutes on the sideline, arguably the difference in the game.
The Daingerfield standout made a good case for similar status at Tulsa with 36 career starts.
NFL scouts were surely impressed, and odds are good he'll be making a name for himself professionally in 2016.
Daingerfield's Garrett ends college career at Tulsa impressively
December 26th, 2015 by Louie Avery
SHREVEPORT, La.—Tulsa football players were hurting at the end of the 2015 Camping World Independence Bowl, none more than senior Keyarris Garrett.
A Daingerfield graduate, who helped the Tigers win three consecutive UIL state championships, had just played his final game for the University of Tulsa. He caught nine passes for 140 yards, including a two-point PAT catch. That was despite missing the entire third quarter with a cramping muscle.
Garrett (6-4, 221) finished his final campaign with 96 receptions for 1,588 yards and eight touchdowns, second most in school history.
Garrett's career totals read 219 catches for 3,209 yards and 22 TDs.
All of that was momentarily forgotten Saturday at Independence Stadium when the Golden Hurricane's furious rally came up short in the highest scoring bowl game in Shreveport history, 55-52.
"Now I hope to play professionally, but you never know, it's a business," Garrett said. Hopefully I'll get drafted."
Hopefully is overstating it. Barring something unforeseen, Garrett has all the tools to be more than an NFL player. History indicates he'll be a phenomenal pro if he stays healthy.
If you spend five years in Tulsa like Garrett has, odds are you're going to hear some incredible football tales about Howard Twilley and Steve Largent. Garrett's college numbers are right up there with those two.
Growing up in Tulsa during the mid-1960s, you just had to be awed by the statistics piled up by Twilley. He was small (5-10, 180) and slow, but led the nation in receiving his final two seasons.
In 1964 he caught 95 passes for 1,178 yards and 13 TDs. The runner-up that year was NFL Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff.
Twilley rewrote the Tulsa and NCAA record book in 1965. He hauled in 134 passes for 1,779 yards and 16 TDs, five in one game which was another team record. Twilley was runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting that year to USC's Mike Garrett.
Twilley went on to play in three Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins, including the only perfect season in NFL history. He rarely got a start in the pros, but still caught 212 passes for 3,064 yards and 23 TDs.
You might ask how anyone could ever be mentioned in the same breath at one school, but there have been two other Tulsa players compared to Twilley.
A decade after Twilley came another diminutive receiver named Steve Largent (5-11, 185). In 1974 he had 884 yards and 14 TDs receiving. The next season he caught 51 passes for 1,000 yards and 14 TDs.
Outstanding numbers to say the least, but the fact is he was a better pro. On his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Largent played 13 seasons with Seattle, catching 819 passes for 13,089 yards and 100 touchdowns.
"I've heard all those stories about Twilley and Largent; How can you not be impressed," Garrett said. "I do know I'm five or six inches taller than those guys. I'm 35 pounds heavier, and I've been told that I'm a lot faster.
"I've got to stay healthy; I broke my leg during my junior season, and I've had some little nagging injuries in my college career."
The Golden Hurricane were trailing 45-21 in the second quarter when they rallied for 10 points before halftime. Things didn't look so good for Tulsa when the Hokies ran eight minutes off the clock and scored to make it 52-31.
Tulsa fans were vocally down when Garrett didn't come out with the offense after that score. He spent the ensuing 15 minutes on the sideline, arguably the difference in the game.
The Daingerfield standout made a good case for similar status at Tulsa with 36 career starts.
NFL scouts were surely impressed, and odds are good he'll be making a name for himself professionally in 2016.
