Jason Garrett

Jason Calvin Garrett (born March 28, 1966) is an American former football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL).

He played as a quarterback before becoming a coach.

He graduated from University School in 1984.

Garrett was accepted to Princeton University, where he began as the starting quarterback of the freshman team, registering 64 completions on 116 attempts for 996 yards.

Garrett transferred to Columbia University when his father, Jim, became the head coach in 1985.

Following his father's resignation after Columbia's 0–10 1985 season, Garrett and his brothers (Judd and John) transferred to Princeton, although none played varsity in 1986 for different reasons (Jason was an ineligible transfer).

Garrett sat out the 1986 season because of the transfer rules while focusing on running the scout team, which included his brothers.

The next year, as a junior, Garrett was named the starting quarterback.

Although he piloted Princeton to a win against his former team, Columbia (a loss that gave Columbia the Division I record for straight losses, at 35), Garrett was also involved in a losing effort against them as a senior, snapping Columbia's by then 44-game losing streak.

He received the Asa S. Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League Player of the Year.

Garrett continues to hold the Ivy League career record for completion percentage with 66.5% (366/550) and his 1988 percentage of 68.2% (204/299) stood as the league record until 2000, when Gavin Hoffman posted a 70.5% mark.

Garrett earned a degree in history in 1989, with a senior thesis on "The Revolt of the Black Athlete as Initiated by Harry Edwards".

Garrett finished his college career completing 366 of 550 passes (66.5%) for 4,274 yards and 20 touchdowns.

At the time, he was ranked in the categories: lowest pass interception percentage (1.8% – school record), total yards of offense (4,555 – second in school history), total yards of offense in a season (2,485 – third in school history), most passing yards (4,274 – second in school history), most passing yards in a season (2,217 – fourth in school history), most completions (366 – second in school history), most completions in a season (204 – third in school history), most touchdown passes (20 – tied for fourth).

Garrett was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints after the 1989 NFL Draft and was eventually signed to the practice squad.

On September 3, 1990, he was waived by the Saints and spent most of the year working as a coaching assistant for Princeton.

In 1991, Garrett started at quarterback for the San Antonio Riders of the World League of American Football, but he suffered a separated right shoulder in the season opener.

Garrett returned to start the sixth and seventh games but was passed on the depth chart by Mike Johnson.

On June 4, 1991, Garrett was signed by the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League, but was released in August.

In 1992, with the support of his father, at the time a part of the Dallas Cowboys scouting department, Garrett was signed as a free agent.

He was released on August 31 and later signed to the team's practice squad.

In 1993, Garrett's preseason performances allowed him to make the team as the third-string quarterback behind Troy Aikman and Hugh Millen.

Garrett eventually passed Millen on the depth chart.

In the eighth game of the season after Aikman injured his left hamstring against the New York Giants in the third quarter, Garrett came in and led two touchdown drives while completing five of six passes for 34 yards.

He was named the starter for the next game against the Phoenix Cardinals, completing two of six passes for 25 yards and helped the team score on a field goal before being replaced on the third series in favor of Bernie Kosar, who had been signed four days earlier.

Kosar became the backup quarterback for the rest of the season after the game.

The highlight of Garrett's playing career occurred in the 1994 Thanksgiving Day game when he started in place of backup quarterback Rodney Peete, who was out with a sprained thumb he suffered in a win against the Washington Redskins.

Garrett led the Cowboys to a 42–31 comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers by completing 15 of 26 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.

He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.

That game was named the fourth-best moment in the history of Texas Stadium by ESPN in 2008.

Garrett was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys for 9 1⁄2 seasons from 2010 to 2019.

Garrett played college football for the Princeton Tigers.

He played in the NFL for the Cowboys (winning three Super Bowls as the backup quarterback for Troy Aikman), New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Miami Dolphins.

He began his coaching career as the quarterbacks coach for the Dolphins before serving as offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the Cowboys.

In 2022, Garrett became a color commentator for NBC Sports.

He provides regular commentary for NBC Sports' coverage of the USFL and Notre Dame football, and is an alternate color commentator for the NFL on NBC.

Garrett is also a studio analyst for NBC's NFL pregame show Football Night in America.

Garrett attended kindergarten through second grade at Holy Cross school in Rumson, New Jersey.

He went to prep school at University School in Hunting Valley, Ohio, and was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball.

As a senior, Garrett won All-League honors as a quarterback and safety.