A Letterman in Texas

Born on December 29, 1995, Myles Garrett showed incredible athletic potential from a very early age. He was a letterman in football, basketball, and track when he attended Martin High School in Arlington, Texas, and his athletic prowess was championed throughout his early years. In track, he was a state qualifier with top throws of 16.01 meters in the shot put and 50.84 meters in discus. Garrett - like many other talented athletes - comes from a sporting family. His half-brother, Sean Williams, was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft. His older sister, Brea, was a track and field athlete at Texas A&M and became the first weight throw champion in the school's history.

Given the achievements of his siblings, Myles wanted to show what he was capable of in the sporting arena, and if he wasn't such a talent in football, a career in track and field undoubtedly awaited him. But in recognition of his performances on the football field during high school, he was named the 2013 Landry Award Winner - an award recognizing the top high school football player in North Texas.

The Landry Award is highly coveted and is selected by a voting panel of former coaches, players, and media members. As a core member of his team's defense, Garrett had 81 tackles, 19.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and four blocked kicks during Martin's regular season. He also helped his team to the Class 5A Division I Region I semifinals and was their standout player. Due to his athletic credentials, he was ranked as a five-star recruit by the Rivals.com recruiting network and was honored as the second-best overall player in his class.

In other words, Myles Garrett was going places, and it surprised nobody that he committed to Texas A&M University to play college football. He would go on to achieve great things in college football, as we explore below.

Tumbling Records at A&M

When Myles Garrett committed to play football at Texas A&M, he did so as the number two prospect in the nation, and he became the first five-star defender to sign with the Aggies. He followed the likes of Ricky-Seals Jones, Christine Michael, and Mike Goodson, all five-star recruits committed to A&M and went on to achieve big things in the NFL.

Garrett’s first season with the Aggies certainly lived up to his hype. As a freshman in 2014, he broke the school's sack record of 5.5 in just six games. When he joined college, Garrett was 6ft 5" and 255 pounds, and coach Kevin Sumlin had no hesitation in putting him straight into the Aggies’ defensive lineup. Even though the Aggies had a solid defensive line, coaches Terry Price and Mark Snyder knew that Garrett was something extra-special when they monitored his progress during pre-season.

As a result, Garrett was given the license to star alongside Daeshon Hall, Julien Obioha, and Jarrett Johnson in his first year at Texas A&M. After just nine games of his freshman season, Garrett broke Jadeveon Clowney's SEC freshman sack record of eight. He finished the season with some impressive stats - 11.5 sacks, 53 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 10 QB hurries, and a blocked kick. Garrett was unsurprisingly named as a consensus freshman All-American and All-SEC selection. Incredibly, he played half of his freshman year with torn ligaments in his hand, and he underwent surgery at the end of the season to prepare for his sophomore year.

Garrett's Award-winning College Contributions

Following a record-breaking freshman year, the pressure was firmly on Garrett to continue his high standards. After successful surgery on his hand ligaments, Garrett led the SEC with 12 sacks as a sophomore in his second season at college. His numbers eclipsed those he recorded in his freshman season - ending the campaign with 57 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 7 QB hurries, five forced fumbles, and a blocked punt against Alabama. He also carded his first-ever interception in a game against Ole Miss, rounding off an exceptional second season.

In recognition of his progress in his sophomore year, Garrett earned a first-team All-American selection by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and ended the season as the Bill Willis Award winner as the top college defensive lineman. While the Aggies couldn’t secure team honors, Garrett shone individually throughout his college career. His junior season was hampered by injury, but he still ended the season with national recognition, again being voted to the All-American first-team by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and various media outlets.

It was little surprise, then, that Garrett announced his intention to forego his remaining eligibility to enter the 2017 NFL Draft in an attempt to kickstart his professional career as early as possible.

Joining the Browns

Following his declaration that he would be joining the 2017 Draft, it was anticipated that Garrett would be a top-ten selection. He completed drills at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and cemented his place as a top pick with some impressive numbers. By the end of the pre-draft visits, scouts and analysts had Garrett as their projected first-overall pick, and he was ranked the top defensive prospect by ESPN and Sports Illustrated.

When the Draft came around, Garrett was selected first overall by the Cleveland Browns, becoming the highest draft pick from Texas A&M in the school's history. In May 2017, Garrett put pen to paper and signed a four-year deal worth a guaranteed $30.41 million, featuring a $20.25 million signing bonus. The Browns named Garrett as a starting defensive end, alongside Emmanuel Ogbah, in his first season in the NFL.

Although an ankle injury caused Garrett to miss the opening four games of the 2017 season, it wasn't long before Browns' fans caught a glimpse of their new man in action. His debut came against the New York Jets, during which he sacked QB Josh McCown twice. He recorded a sack in his first-ever NFL play, and he recorded four sacks in his first three games. But Garrett missed out on the Browns' London fixture with a concussion that he sustained against the Tennessee Titans, a big disappointment for the rookie.

Despite an injury-hampered first NFL season, the excitement about what Garrett could bring to the Browns' defense continued to grow throughout the season. In just 11 games, Garrett recorded 31 combined tackles, seven sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumbled recovery. He finished the season leading the team's sacks, and all eyes were on Garrett and his potential as his second season in the NFL beckoned.

Fulfilling his Promise as Defensive Captain

Garrett was one of five captains selected by the Cleveland Browns at the start of the 2018 season. Hue Jackson asked his players to choose their own captains at the beginning of the year, and they picked Garrett alongside Tyrod Taylor, Christian Kirksey, Joel Bitonio, and Britton Colquitt. Jackson recognized that Garrett was selected by his teammates due to the example he set out on the training field, and his fearless commitment to the team during gamedays set the standard for the rest of the defense.

Inspired by his new role, Garrett had a solid 2018 season with the Browns, memorably sacking Ben Roethlisberger twice in their opening fixture against the Steelers, leading to two fumbles. He repeated the feat of two sacks in game week three against the Jets and game week seven against the Buccaneers. By the end of the regular season, Garrett recorded 13.5 sacks, 44 combined tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 29 quarterback hits. He was recognized as one of the top 50 players in the NFL by his fellow professionals at the end of his second season in the league.

Garrett started the 2019 season strongly but found himself on the wrong side of several suspensions that ultimately curtailed his season. In Cleveland's week 11 match against the Steelers, Garrett pulled QB Mason Rudolph to the ground following a late hit, and a brawl occurred in which Garrett was heavily involved. As a result of his actions, Garrett was suspended for the remainder of the 2019 season and given a hefty fine. It wasn't the end to the season that Garrett was hoping for, but he would bounce back during the off-season and be cleared to return to the Browns' defense when the 2020 season got underway.

A New Contract with the Browns

In July 2020, Garrett signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension, highlighting his value to the Browns' defense. In the second-week Battle of Ohio, Garrett strip-sacked Joe Burrow in a memorable 35-30 win, and he continued his early season form with two sacks of Washington's Dwayne Haskins in game week three. Garrett was once again out to get Burrow in the second meeting of the season between the Bengals and the Browns, and he sacked him twice in the Browns' 37-34 win in game week seven. Helping the Browns to a third-placed AFC finish, Garrett was selected for the 2020 NFL All-Pro Team, again highlighting his importance to the Browns.

In the third game of the 2021 season, Garrett made Browns' history, sacking rookie QB Justin Fields 4.5 times, inspiring his team to a 26-6 victory. In week 14, Garrett broke Reggie Camp's record for the most sacks in a season, recording his fourteenth sack when he took down Tyler Huntley of the Baltimore Ravens. Garrett continued his exceptional defensive prowess for the Browns and more than justified his bumper contract renewal. He remains one of the NFL's most productive defensive players, and the future is undoubtedly bright for the Browns with Garrett on the roster.

Recap: Myles Garrett

Myles Garrett is a firm favorite with the Cleveland Browns faithful, thanks to his all-action defensive displays and incredible on-field prowess. His displays have cemented his position as one of the most feared defensive players in the NFL, and his sack record is nothing short of remarkable. The Browns have been inconsistent in recent times in the AFC, but in Myles Garrett, they have an all-star NFL player they can build their entire team around. Whether Garrett can lead the Browns to their first ever SuperBowl in the near future remains to be seen.

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