Former NFL Play-By-Play Broadcaster Returns To Oklahoma To Teach

MORRIS, Okla. – 

It’s the start of September and fall football season is kicking off.

Morris High School’s season opener was at home Friday night against Kellyville, and a new voice provided the play by play, former NFL play-by-play broadcaster David Garrett.

This is David Garrett’s first season doing play by play with Morris’ football team but it’s not his first time calling a game under the Friday nightlights.

Garrett said he went from rookie to football royalty and back to his roots.

“I’m an older guy now. And there’s newer, younger, faster, smarter, more available up-and-comers, and I honor that because I was one of them once,” Garrett said.

It was humble beginnings for a kid from Henryetta.

“16-year-old play-by-play sitting in an elementary school, tabletop attached to the top of the stands. Called Fighting Hens ballgames for the ’77 and ’78 academic years,” Garrett said.

Garrett went on to Stillwater and worked at KSBI before making appearances on the Oklahoma News Network.

“Got the Saints job in ’92. Called play by play. New Orleans about killed me, so I got out of there midway through the ’93 season and landed on my feet in Dallas. Called the Cowboys with Coach Switzer through ’98,” Garrett said.

Garrett worked at Oral Roberts before he retired, moved back to Henryetta, and looked for jobs as a substitute teacher.

“I have a higher power that I follow and I’m just connecting the dots. And it’s his gifts and his skills and his talents, and I happen to be the vessel,” said Garrett.

The 62-year-old graduated from UCO in May with a teaching degree and now teaches sophomore English, where he also developed a broadcast class and will be doing play by play, again, under the Friday night lights.

Garrett said the goal is to streamcast worldwide and broadcast live on FM signal, among other things.

“It really is the same game, but it just comes at you a little slower on the high school level. But it’s still all the same pieces, the same spotter boards, the same spotter, the same philosophy, same approach,” said Garrett.

He still remembers the Dallas Cowboys winning the ’95 season NFC Championship.

“I’ve had way better broadcasts than the Super Bowl or even that NFC Championship. At that level though, those were my favorite, but there were other games through the years that were way better that nobody knows about and some of them will be right here,” said Garrett.

Garrett also works for the University of Texas as a producer and engineer doing men’s basketball road games.