Dallas Cowboys great, professional rodeo Cowboy Walt Garrison dies at 79

Garrison was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 1966 NFL Draft (79th overall), following his time in college. The Cowboys said that Garrison played in 119 games during the regular season and an additional 13 post-season games during his nine-year NFL career as a fullback.

The team reports that Garrison is still ninth in career rushing yards (3,491) and fourth on the club’s all-time list for average yards per rush (4.32).

In a team interview, Garrison stated that although he loved playing football, his actual passion was rodeo, and he would have pursued it full-time if it could have paid more.

Garrison cited Dallas’s victory over Miami in Super Bowl VI in 1971 as the pinnacle of his NFL career, but remarked

In 2012, Garrison was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame following his retirement from professional football and rodeo. In addition, he was selected for the Dallas Cowboys 25th anniversary team and is a member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. He received inductions into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Oklahoma State Athletics Hall of Honour in 2000.

In 2012, Garrison was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame following his retirement from professional football and rodeo. In addition, he was selected for the Dallas Cowboys 25th anniversary team and is a member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. He received inductions into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Oklahoma State Athletics Hall of Honour in 2000.