Garrett '89 ready to resurrect Romo

With just over a minute to go in their NFC divisional-round game against the Seattle Seahawks, the Dallas Cowboys were in position to win their first playoff game in years. A pointblank field goal would have put them on top. It was an automatic play, until first-year quarterback Tony Romo bobbled the snap, crushing the Cowboys' hopes as well as Romo's own psyche.

Now that head coach Bill Parcells has retired, who will step in as young Romo's new mentor?

A quarterback of Princeton's own: Jason Garrett '89, who will serve as the Cowboy's offensive coordinator next season. It's a prospect he absolutely relishes.

"I'm excited about the opportunity," Garrett said. "The staff we've put together is top notch. We're really excited about this opportunity to work with these players and try to make this offense as good as we can be. I feel like my career as a player has helped me prepare for this opportunity. There are some new things I have to figure out, but I'm excited about the challenges."

Princetonians generally have a wealth of options upon graduation. Law school, medical school, graduate school and investment banking are all typical pursuits for Princeton graduates. A select few have the chance to follow their athletic dreams professionally. Only Garrett, however, has had the opportunity to be the offensive coordinator of the Cowboys.

Garrett, an 11-year NFL veteran who won three Super Bowls as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, spent the past several years as quarterback coach for the Miami Dolphins. But this past off-season — and in the NFL, even the off-season is a season within itself — Garrett was courted by the Cowboys to be the offensive coordinator and potentially even the head coach. After weeks of speculation, Garrett was pronounced offensive coordinator after Wade Phillips was hired for the lead coaching job.

Garrett walks into a Dallas locker room chock full of offensive talent, but it also comes chock full of questions, with the largest one of all being Romo. Having followed Romo throughout his career, Garrett believes he can be a great cog in the Cowboys' offensive scheme.

"I've been following Tony for a few years now — his progress and his development," Garrett said. "It didn't completely surprise me, his success. He has a real desire to be a heck of a good football player. He really seems to like playing football, guys respond to him and hopefully we'll get a chance to help him grow as a player. He's shown some good things in a short period of time."

The same could be said of Garrett. Over time, he's transformed from young Princeton quarterback to championship pro backup to quarterbacks coach and now to offensive coordinator. But his run had to have started somewhere, and his roots definitely lie in Old Nassau.

"My experience at Princeton was as invaluable an experience as any I've had in my life," Garrett said. "You make a decision when you're 17 years old — it really changed my life in a lot of positive ways. The experience here [at Princeton], the experience afterwards, it's amazing how being a Princeton graduate has such an impact on your life even when you're done with school."

And not just athletically either. Princeton shaped Garrett in a myriad of ways, as it does every student.

"I met my wife [Brill Aldridge Garrett '88] there," Garret said. "I've told people this: Princeton was fabulous for me because it challenged me in so many ways. Academically it was a great challenge, athletically it was — people you meet there challenge you to be the best you can be. That experience has continued long after I've graduated — one of the great decisions I've made in my life."

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Garrett had plenty of success at Princeton, quarterbacking the Tigers in the 1987 and 1988 seasons. Garrett threw himself right into the record books his senior year, setting a Princeton record with his 64 percent completion rate. In his senior year, he eclipsed his own mark, completing over 68 percent of his passes. For his efforts, Garrett won the prestigious Bushnell Award, which is handed out to the Ivy League Player of the year.

"So many great memories — it goes back to what I was saying, the people I went to school with, the people I played football with, they've had an impact on my life," Garrett said. "The friends you make up there are friends for life."

Garrett used his collegiate experience as a springboard for his NFL career, where he continued to excel. Many fans know Garrett as the backup quarterback to Troy Aikman during Dallas' glory years, when the team won three championships — in 1992, 1993 and 1995 — over four years.

Now, Garrett has the opportunity to return to where he spent his greatest days in the NFL. Who knows, one day maybe he'll even become a head coach there. But for now, Garrett will focus on the present — and that's his advice for all Princetonians.

"Savor it," Garrett said. "Savor every minute of it."