Time to respect the little man
By Corey Ryan, Sports Editor
March 31, 2007 | 4:49 p.m.
After the game in which he scored his first collegiate touchdown, Ohio freshman Chris Garrett handled himself with an un-paralleled, youthful enthusiasm and unanticipated animation.
If one would happen to walk past Garrett on the way to class, he or she would never guess that he could be no. 1 in the nation. However, Garrett, at only 5’8, was the leading punt returner in all of NCAA Division-1A football at an average of 25.9 yards per punt return for much of last season.
“It’s kind of hard,” said Garrett on being a short football player. “Some people want the typical 6’2, 200 lbs. wide-receiver.”
Born and raised in Utica, New York, Garrett moved to Bristow, Virginia to attend Stonewall Jackson High School. Since high school, Garrett has had special teams in his blood. Along with being a very successful running-back, he finished as the schools all-time leading rusher with over 4,000 career yards, he was also a cornerback and the teams leading punt and kick returner.
After his senior season at Stonewall where he was district player-of-the year, Garrett committed to Ohio University. Even though he was originally apart of the 2005 Ohio signing class, Garrett did not make it to Athens until 2006.
“I didn’t qualify coming straight out of high school,” Garrett said. “I had to go to prep school to get my test scores up.”
With limited options and a desire to come to Ohio and play for coach Frank Solich, Garrett decided to enroll into the post-graduate program at Fork Union Military Academy.
Military school was the answer
Fork Union Military Academy, also known as FUMA, is an all-boys military school where students are cadets and teachers are lieutenant-coronals.
“This is the type of environment that definitely slows you down,” said LTC John Shuman, coach of the FUMA post-graduate football team. “They know when they [FUMA alumni] are doing something wrong and they can step back and do the right thing.”
The lifestyle provided by FUMA, where cadets are required wear uniforms and to attend church on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, helps to fine tune players. Being fine-tuned and disciplined is key to a football player’s success at Ohio, where 17 different players have experience legal problems over a nine-month span. If Garrett had been one of the 17, Shuman said he would have been shocked.
“These guys don’t want to do anything that embarrasses this school,” Shuman said. “If they do mess up, they usually call me and apologize. I’ll help them out.”
Most recently, FUMA graduate and Virginia Tech football player Josh Morgan called Shuman after being suspended. Shuman said Morgan apologized for embarrassing the school he came from as the name FUMA is closely associated with all of its alumni.
Another fact that does not surprise Shuman is the success Garrett has had at Ohio.
“Chris was an explosive running back, punt and kick returner,” Shuman said. “He got good grades and never had any demerits.”
While playing for Shuman, Garrett accumulated over 500 rushing yards and six receiving touchdowns. Of course he also returned two punt returns and three kickoffs for touchdowns.
“We feel kick returning is quite important,” Shuman said. “I actually handled the department. It is a status position here. You have to be able to make big plays and be able to take it to the house.”
A football powerhouse
For those unfamiliar the football program at FUMA, it is a powerhouse, annually producing dozens of Division-1 collegiate football players with National Football League talent.
According to the FUMA Web site, there are currently 14 FUMA alumni in or retired from the NFL. Notable names include New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Ernest Wilford and Cincinnati Bengals running back Chris Perry.
In 2004, all 14 players were in the league at the same time. The next closest single school had six from a school in Long Beach, California. There are two former Heisman Trophy winners in the mix of 14, Vinny Testaverde and Eddie George.
At FUMA, there are four football teams: the Post Graduate All-Stars, the Undergraduate team, the Thirds team and the Fourths team. Like Garrett, Testaverde, who is currently retired, played on the post graduate team.
“When I found out [about all the alumni in the NFL] I was like ‘Wow, these guys came here?’” Garrett said. “Then I got the mind set of ‘Well, if these guys can go to FUMA then the NFL then I can.’”
Play big, dream big
There in lies Garrett’s ultimate goal, the NFL.
He knows the journey is going to be tough, especially at 5’8. He studies guys NFL players who are similar in size to him. Regularly he searches YouTube for videos with players like Kansas City Chief return man Dante Hall (5’8) and Washington Redskin wide-receiver Santana Moss (5’10).
Before the NFL, Garrett feels he needs to accomplish a few objectives. The number one objectives of his can be found tattooed on his right bicep, where the word “Respect” is displayed.
“Since I am a small guy, people typically just think ‘yea, he’s nothing.’ So the reason I got [the tattoo] is to remind me that respect isn’t given. It’s earned. I have to gain respect.”
Garrett’s other two objectives are what can help him gain respect. One of his goals is to win a MAC championship and the other is simply to just be the best player and person he can be.
The Bobcats came up short of a MAC championship, losing to Central Michigan 31-10 on Nov. 30. After finishing his freshman campaign No. 7 in the nation for punt return average, Garrett is sure to become a more important role on next year’s squad.
As for the big dreams, if he continues to play like he’s 6’8 plus the added touches he’ll be getting, and then perhaps his big dreams will come true.