Countdown to kickoff is back! USC will kick off its 2026 football season on August 29 when the Trojans host San Jose State at the Coliseum. In this series, we will be counting down the days until the season opener by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number.
With 20 days to go, today we look at USC Heisman Trophy running back Mike Garrett.
Position: Running back
Years played at USC: 1963-1965
Career highlights: An undersized running back at 5 feet 9 inches, Garrett originally wanted to play football for UCLA. However, the Bruins did not offer him because of his size, and Garrett picked the Trojans instead.
Garrett is widely credited with helping establish USC’s legacy as “Tailback U”. As a senior in 1965, he became the first Trojan in nearly
40 years to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. That year, he also became USC’s first Heisman Trophy winner, setting the stage for seven more Trojans (and counting) to win college football’s most prestigious individual honor.
After USC: Garrett was selected by both the Los Angeles Rams in the 1966 NFL Draft and the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1966 AFL Draft (during this era, the NFL and the AFL had to compete for players). He chose the AFL, and went on to play seven years in the league with Kansas City and the San Diego Chargers (the AFL and NFL merged in 1970). Garrett was named first-team all-AFL twice, and won Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs. He is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Honor.
From 1993 through 2010, Garrett served as USC’s athletic director. His tenure as AD featured numerous controversies, including infamously firing legendary head football coach John Robinson over answering machine. However, Garrett is best known for being the athletic director who hired Pete Carroll, who would go on to become a USC legend himself—leading the Trojans to two national championships.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC countdown to kickoff: Recalling Trojans running back Mike Garrett
