Mike Garrett
Running Back
Career: 1966-1970
Induction: 1977
Mike Garrett proved to the Kansas City Chiefs and the AFL that good things come in small packages. The Heisman Trophy-winning running back from USC stood just 5-foot-9 and weighed in at 200 pounds, but when the spotlight shone the brightest, he always seemed to come up with the big play.
When he joined the Chiefs in 1966, he brought the glamour and bright lights of Southern California with him. He was a bonus baby who made a big splash with the Chiefs. In just five seasons, he rushed for 3,246 yards and scored 23 touchdowns.
He scoured touchdowns of one and 18 yards in the Chiefs 31-7 AFL Championship victory over Buffalo in 1966, and against Minnesota in Super Bowl IV his five-yard touchdown run put the game out of reach.
He was an All-AFL selection in 1967, rushing for 1,087 yards with nine touchdowns. He also appeared in the 1967 and 1968 AFL All-Star Games.
He was his best in the open field. It was nothing for Garrett to dart from sideline to sideline, zig zagging his way though the defenders with the speed of a water bug and the cunning of an All-American.
When he touched the football, everyone in the stadium anticipated a big play, and he rarely let the fans down. His place in the annals of Chiefs history will always be remembered. Garrett is now the athletic director at his alma mater, the University of Southern California.
