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Jason Garrett: He might have been a Giant; 'We tried to keep him,' ex-NY GM says
02:12 AM CST on Sunday, November 14, 2010
Gerry Fraley
That Jason Garrett will be at New Meadowlands Stadium this afternoon in a position of importance comes as no surprise.
The wrinkle is he will be in the role of interim head coach for the Cowboys. A different decision here, a changed priority there, and Garrett would be on the other side of this game in a major role with the New York Giants.
Head coach? Maybe.
General manager? Possibly.
Key figure? Undoubtedly.Cowboys owner-general manager Jerry Jones is not alone, as he often is on draft choices, in his long-standing affection for Garrett. The football-savvy Giants had that opinion for a decade and would have liked to have Garrett in their management group.
"We tried to keep him," former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi said. "We really wanted to keep him, but we couldn't work things out.
"I don't gush much, but I'll gush about Jason Garrett. He's one of my all-time favorites. There is no limit to what Jason can achieve in life."
Garrett's professional identity is that of a dyed-in-the-wool Cowboy. He spent seven seasons with the club as a backup quarterback and was in his fourth season as offensive coordinator before being promoted to interim head coach Monday.
His pedigree involves more than the Cowboys. The Giants figured in Garrett's formative years, too. Garrett was with the Giants for four seasons (2000-03) as a backup quarterback. He had an up-close view of a model organization.
At their current pace, the Giants will qualify for the playoffs for the seventh time since 2000. They have been to the Super Bowl twice in that span, winning in the 2007 season. The Giants have also had two coaches during that span – Jim Fassel and Tom Coughlin.
During the same period, the Cowboys have reached the playoffs four times with one postseason win, in a wild-card game last season. Garrett is the Cowboys' fourth coach since 2000.
If the Garrett era brings a bit of Giant-like atmosphere to the Cowboys, it will not be by coincidence.
"I had a great experience over the course of my four years," Garrett said. "It's an outstanding organization. I think everyone who has ever been around it can understand it starts at the top and it works all the way down through.
"They have done an outstanding job there for 75-plus years. I feel fortunate to have been a part of that organization for four of those."
A capable backup
Garrett the player had a minimal role with the Giants. He appeared in only two regular-season games, mopping up during the 2000 season. His last appearance came during the fourth quarter of the 2000 NFC title game, a 41-0 rout of Minnesota.
Despite limited playing time, Garrett had a calming effect upon the Giants, Accorsi said. The entire organization knew that if starting quarterback Kerry Collins was injured, the Giants had a capable backup.
It is not coincidence that Collins flourished with the Giants. Accorsi said he "put my neck on the line," by obtaining Collins, who had a troubled stay with Carolina. With Garrett's help, Collins took the Giants to the Super Bowl in 2000.
"To have a guy like Jason as your backup, a guy as intelligent with the love of the game that he has, made a big difference," Collins said. "He was there for me all the time. He understands how to handle the ups and downs of this game. Even back then, I thought he'd make a great coach."
Garrett made his team-wide presence felt in practices, meetings and the locker room.
"In every meeting, he'd ask sharp questions," said Fassel, the Giants coach from 1995 to 2003. "He was always prepared. Extremely intelligent. As a coach, he's really well beyond his years. He was really operating as a coach even then."
Fassel wanted to make it official after the 2002 season. Sean Payton, who had lost his play-calling duties, left the Giants to join the staff of new Cowboys coach Bill Parcells. Fassel wanted Garrett to replace Payton as quarterbacks coach.
'A great achiever'
Fassel made his best sales pitch, impressing upon Garrett how this position could be the steppingstone to bigger things in the area of coaching. Garrett decided he wanted to continue as a player. Turk Schonert took the job, and the Giants were left to wonder what could have been with Garrett.
"He would have been very good," Fassel said.
Accorsi saw a different future for Garrett.
Through their many impromptu conversations in the lunch room at Giants headquarters, Accorsi gained an increasing appreciation for Garrett's football acumen. Garrett showed everything it would take to become an NFL general manager, Accorsi said.
Accorsi tried to drop hints that Garrett should consider a spot in the Giants' front office after his career. However, being on the field held more appeal to Garrett.
"I'd say to him, 'You can go anywhere you want to be,' " Accorsi said. "He's got it all.
"I would have liked to have seen him go into the front office. It's hard to find good rising management guys like Jason. But coaching, with his background and arsenal of skills, he's a natural for that, too."
One Garrett memory resonates with Accorsi more than the others. And it has nothing to do with football.
Early on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, the Giants' charter flight from Denver pulled into a gate at Newark Liberty International Airport . The plane parked next to United Flight 93, headed to San Francisco.
It became one of four planes hijacked on that infamous day. Passengers forced United Flight 93 to crash in Somerset County, Pa., preventing the hijackers from reaching a target in Washington, D.C.
A week later, the Giants sent a delegation to the destroyed World Trade Center towers to offer emotional support. Garrett asked to go along with his wife, Brill.
At the site, Garrett interacted with rescue workers, police, firemen and volunteers as they went through the grisly task of unearthing the dead.
Accorsi watched how Garrett made an impact on each person that day. From that day on, Garrett did whatever he could to help in the post- 9-11 healing process.
"A great achiever," Accorsi said. "A natural."
He could've been a Giant. Today, he's the No. 1 Cowboy.
02:12 AM CST on Sunday, November 14, 2010
Gerry Fraley
That Jason Garrett will be at New Meadowlands Stadium this afternoon in a position of importance comes as no surprise.
The wrinkle is he will be in the role of interim head coach for the Cowboys. A different decision here, a changed priority there, and Garrett would be on the other side of this game in a major role with the New York Giants.
Head coach? Maybe.
General manager? Possibly.
Key figure? Undoubtedly.Cowboys owner-general manager Jerry Jones is not alone, as he often is on draft choices, in his long-standing affection for Garrett. The football-savvy Giants had that opinion for a decade and would have liked to have Garrett in their management group.
"We tried to keep him," former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi said. "We really wanted to keep him, but we couldn't work things out.
"I don't gush much, but I'll gush about Jason Garrett. He's one of my all-time favorites. There is no limit to what Jason can achieve in life."
Garrett's professional identity is that of a dyed-in-the-wool Cowboy. He spent seven seasons with the club as a backup quarterback and was in his fourth season as offensive coordinator before being promoted to interim head coach Monday.
His pedigree involves more than the Cowboys. The Giants figured in Garrett's formative years, too. Garrett was with the Giants for four seasons (2000-03) as a backup quarterback. He had an up-close view of a model organization.
At their current pace, the Giants will qualify for the playoffs for the seventh time since 2000. They have been to the Super Bowl twice in that span, winning in the 2007 season. The Giants have also had two coaches during that span – Jim Fassel and Tom Coughlin.
During the same period, the Cowboys have reached the playoffs four times with one postseason win, in a wild-card game last season. Garrett is the Cowboys' fourth coach since 2000.
If the Garrett era brings a bit of Giant-like atmosphere to the Cowboys, it will not be by coincidence.
"I had a great experience over the course of my four years," Garrett said. "It's an outstanding organization. I think everyone who has ever been around it can understand it starts at the top and it works all the way down through.
"They have done an outstanding job there for 75-plus years. I feel fortunate to have been a part of that organization for four of those."
A capable backup
Garrett the player had a minimal role with the Giants. He appeared in only two regular-season games, mopping up during the 2000 season. His last appearance came during the fourth quarter of the 2000 NFC title game, a 41-0 rout of Minnesota.
Despite limited playing time, Garrett had a calming effect upon the Giants, Accorsi said. The entire organization knew that if starting quarterback Kerry Collins was injured, the Giants had a capable backup.
It is not coincidence that Collins flourished with the Giants. Accorsi said he "put my neck on the line," by obtaining Collins, who had a troubled stay with Carolina. With Garrett's help, Collins took the Giants to the Super Bowl in 2000.
"To have a guy like Jason as your backup, a guy as intelligent with the love of the game that he has, made a big difference," Collins said. "He was there for me all the time. He understands how to handle the ups and downs of this game. Even back then, I thought he'd make a great coach."
Garrett made his team-wide presence felt in practices, meetings and the locker room.
"In every meeting, he'd ask sharp questions," said Fassel, the Giants coach from 1995 to 2003. "He was always prepared. Extremely intelligent. As a coach, he's really well beyond his years. He was really operating as a coach even then."
Fassel wanted to make it official after the 2002 season. Sean Payton, who had lost his play-calling duties, left the Giants to join the staff of new Cowboys coach Bill Parcells. Fassel wanted Garrett to replace Payton as quarterbacks coach.
'A great achiever'
Fassel made his best sales pitch, impressing upon Garrett how this position could be the steppingstone to bigger things in the area of coaching. Garrett decided he wanted to continue as a player. Turk Schonert took the job, and the Giants were left to wonder what could have been with Garrett.
"He would have been very good," Fassel said.
Accorsi saw a different future for Garrett.
Through their many impromptu conversations in the lunch room at Giants headquarters, Accorsi gained an increasing appreciation for Garrett's football acumen. Garrett showed everything it would take to become an NFL general manager, Accorsi said.
Accorsi tried to drop hints that Garrett should consider a spot in the Giants' front office after his career. However, being on the field held more appeal to Garrett.
"I'd say to him, 'You can go anywhere you want to be,' " Accorsi said. "He's got it all.
"I would have liked to have seen him go into the front office. It's hard to find good rising management guys like Jason. But coaching, with his background and arsenal of skills, he's a natural for that, too."
One Garrett memory resonates with Accorsi more than the others. And it has nothing to do with football.
Early on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, the Giants' charter flight from Denver pulled into a gate at Newark Liberty International Airport . The plane parked next to United Flight 93, headed to San Francisco.
It became one of four planes hijacked on that infamous day. Passengers forced United Flight 93 to crash in Somerset County, Pa., preventing the hijackers from reaching a target in Washington, D.C.
A week later, the Giants sent a delegation to the destroyed World Trade Center towers to offer emotional support. Garrett asked to go along with his wife, Brill.
At the site, Garrett interacted with rescue workers, police, firemen and volunteers as they went through the grisly task of unearthing the dead.
Accorsi watched how Garrett made an impact on each person that day. From that day on, Garrett did whatever he could to help in the post- 9-11 healing process.
"A great achiever," Accorsi said. "A natural."
He could've been a Giant. Today, he's the No. 1 Cowboy.
