Mike Garrett Biography

Michael Lockett Garrett, born on April 12, 1944, was an American professional football player who played as a running back in the NFL and AFL for eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers. He earned the Heisman Trophy in 1965 while playing college football for the USC Trojans. From 1993 to 2010, Garrett served as the athletic director at the University of Southern California. He attended Theodore Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles, where he played both defensive back and running back on the football team. Garrett had originally intended to play college football at UCLA, but the opportunity did not materialize. He was a two-time All-American, including a unanimous selection in 1965, and set multiple NCAA, Pac-8, and USC records with 3,221 career rushing yards and 30 touchdowns. In 1965, he led the nation in rushing with 267 carries for 1,440 yards.