From NewsOK.com...
Keyarris Garrett is admittedly a reserved person. The former Tulsa wide receiver, who is expected to be a mid-round selection in the NFL Draft that begins Thursday, would rather let his play on the field do the talking.
If that is the case, Garrett said plenty during his senior year at Tulsa. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound wideout led the nation in receiving yards with 1,588 and grabbed eight touchdowns.
Garrett's monster 2015 was just two seasons removed from a gruesome compound fracture in his left leg that required the insertion of a titanium rod and screws.
Ahead of the draft, Garrett talked to a handful or reporters about the injury, coming from the small East Texas town of Daingerfield, his record-setting senior year and more.
Q: You had a huge senior year. You put up 268 yards receiving against Memphis and had a 14-catch game against Oklahoma. What clicked for you this season?
A: I was hungry. My junior year, I was banged up a lot because I was coming back from that leg injury I had that year before. So coming into my senior year, I knew I could play with the best of them. I just had to get there. I would say the main thing for me was I got healthy and I was hungry.
It was a great year. But when you're looking at these NFL mock drafts, your name isn't mentioned alongside the Josh Doctons, Laquon Treadwells and Corey Colemans of the world even though you put up similar numbers. Why do you think that is?
I have no idea. I've seen a lot of things … I don't know if it was because we didn't play a lot of big-time schools. But if you go back and look at all my games, the games we played big-time competition, that's when I had my best games. That could be the only knock I can think of why my name isn't alongside the guys (receivers) in the top five.
Is it a little frustrating for you?
Kind of, but not really. I just use it as motivation.
One thing that sticks out is your hands. Is that a quality you've always had or something you've developed?
I would say it's something I've developed. When I was in junior high I kind of struggled with catching the ball. I think it's something I worked at a lot. It's paid off.
How do you improve hand-eye coordination?
Catching JUGS (a machine that whizzes footballs) every day. Catching tennis balls. I used to catch like 300 to 400 tennis balls a day on a machine just so that I could improve my hands.
You were injured the year before last year. Was there ever a time when you almost gave up?
Yes. It was a hard time for me coming back from that injury. That was my first time being hurt. I'd never been hurt. Going through all those surgeries and all that, there were some times when I wanted to say, ‘Man forget this, it's too much.' I thought, ‘I don't wasn't to be another guy who had all that talent and didn't do anything with it.' I didn't want to be that guy.
If you could come back to Daingerfield, regardless of what happens next weekend, what would you tell those players who want to be where you're at right now? What advice or suggestions or piece of wisdom would you pass on?
I would tell those kids coming from Daingerfield that just because we come from a small town, it doesn't mean we can't go out there and have success. Never give up on your dreams and keep grinding.
Keyarris Garrett is admittedly a reserved person. The former Tulsa wide receiver, who is expected to be a mid-round selection in the NFL Draft that begins Thursday, would rather let his play on the field do the talking.
If that is the case, Garrett said plenty during his senior year at Tulsa. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound wideout led the nation in receiving yards with 1,588 and grabbed eight touchdowns.
Garrett's monster 2015 was just two seasons removed from a gruesome compound fracture in his left leg that required the insertion of a titanium rod and screws.
Ahead of the draft, Garrett talked to a handful or reporters about the injury, coming from the small East Texas town of Daingerfield, his record-setting senior year and more.
Q: You had a huge senior year. You put up 268 yards receiving against Memphis and had a 14-catch game against Oklahoma. What clicked for you this season?
A: I was hungry. My junior year, I was banged up a lot because I was coming back from that leg injury I had that year before. So coming into my senior year, I knew I could play with the best of them. I just had to get there. I would say the main thing for me was I got healthy and I was hungry.
It was a great year. But when you're looking at these NFL mock drafts, your name isn't mentioned alongside the Josh Doctons, Laquon Treadwells and Corey Colemans of the world even though you put up similar numbers. Why do you think that is?
I have no idea. I've seen a lot of things … I don't know if it was because we didn't play a lot of big-time schools. But if you go back and look at all my games, the games we played big-time competition, that's when I had my best games. That could be the only knock I can think of why my name isn't alongside the guys (receivers) in the top five.
Is it a little frustrating for you?
Kind of, but not really. I just use it as motivation.
One thing that sticks out is your hands. Is that a quality you've always had or something you've developed?
I would say it's something I've developed. When I was in junior high I kind of struggled with catching the ball. I think it's something I worked at a lot. It's paid off.
How do you improve hand-eye coordination?
Catching JUGS (a machine that whizzes footballs) every day. Catching tennis balls. I used to catch like 300 to 400 tennis balls a day on a machine just so that I could improve my hands.
You were injured the year before last year. Was there ever a time when you almost gave up?
Yes. It was a hard time for me coming back from that injury. That was my first time being hurt. I'd never been hurt. Going through all those surgeries and all that, there were some times when I wanted to say, ‘Man forget this, it's too much.' I thought, ‘I don't wasn't to be another guy who had all that talent and didn't do anything with it.' I didn't want to be that guy.
If you could come back to Daingerfield, regardless of what happens next weekend, what would you tell those players who want to be where you're at right now? What advice or suggestions or piece of wisdom would you pass on?
I would tell those kids coming from Daingerfield that just because we come from a small town, it doesn't mean we can't go out there and have success. Never give up on your dreams and keep grinding.
