Archive for January 6, 2008
Garrard’s temperament comes from his faith
At 29, David Garrard is much the same as he was at 15, his old coach says.
“He was really eager and bright-eyed. He had all the qualities,” Garrard’s Coach at East Carolina, Steve Logan says. “David has a very sweet spirit, he’s fun to be around. He’s a very consistent personality, which I value, especially at the quarterback position – I can’t stand to have some bipolar goofball back there. We went through some tough times, but he was a steady, steady presence.”
Garrard admits that, through quarterback controversies and physical setbacks, it hasn’t always been easy to stay positive – to remain, as he calls it, a “good teammate.”
One test came in 2004, when he had surgery for Crohn’s disease, a painful inflammation of the intestines. He takes medication every eight weeks, a 3?-hour procedure; his next appointment is Tuesday, three days after playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the playoffs tonight.
“It’s a horrible disease, something that a lot of people are affected by,” he says. “But I think the Lord blessed me with it, so I could talk about it.”
To Mary Garrard, her husband’s Christian faith is a key to both his personality and his playing style. “About 95 percent of his temperament comes from his faith,” she says. “We’re both Christians: There’s a higher power, God is in charge of everything, there’s no reason to worry about anything.”
