Kevin Garrett

Hailing from a small town in Texas, Kevin Garrett had to overcome illness as a child to play the game of football. Luckily, Garrett had his family’s support, and he eventually graduated with a double major from Southern Methodist University.

During college, Garrett played football and also ran track and field. He started playing football as a linebacker and fullback, before switching to cornerback as a redshirt freshman in college. His track and field accolades helped him get recruited to play football at the collegiate level, but Garrett eventually chose football over track to fulfill his goal of playing in the NFL. He was then selected by the St. Louis Rams in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft.

During his rookie year, Garrett got to experience a “winning culture” with the Rams, playing alongside the likes of Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, and other Hall of Famers. He described this experience as “eye-opening,” and the fast pace of the league made him a student of the game as he worked to separate himself from others. He described his time in the league as “life-changing”.

After retiring from the NFL, Garrett contemplated what to do next. His support system consisted of his parents, friends, and family and he spent his free time traveling abroad and decompressing from the game. Thankfully, he was able to engage in programs that allowed him to give back to his community and share his knowledge of the game of football with children. Garrett also decided to write a children’s book that playfully touches on diversity, self-love, self-identity and the love for ice cream.

Garrett mentioned that he has another motivational book that’s in the works and how he’s constantly encouraging people to do better by themselves, to keep pushing, and never give up. He hopes to bring awareness toward diversity and self-love through his children’s book. Garrett also advised former players to reach out to The Trust if they’re facing challenges after retiring.

Garrett also spoke about his experience obtaining his master's degree. He urges former players to take advantage of their earned benefits, mentioning that something good can come out of utilizing the resources that are available.

Today, Garrett works as a senior energy consultant for Sun Power. He also runs a sports performance gym in Texas which helps young athletes work on their strength, conditioning, agility, and quickness.

Garrett described his life journey in one word: “perseverance”. He persevered through sickness to play football, went to college playing a different position than what he was accustomed to, and still made it to the NFL. After his success in the NFL, he became a successful sports performance trainer, author and created a career in the solar industry.