Dolphins’ Garrard continues to shine through rough storms
DAVIE, Fla. — David Garrard dismissed the threat in his mind as nothing worse than some stiff gusts of wind.
What the Miami Dolphins’ quarterback quickly learned was that no Florida storms are minor when your home is planted less than two football fields from the ocean.
Garrard, his wife and two children — a newborn and a 4-yearold — slept restlessly as Tropical Storm Beryl made landfall early May 27, battering his Atlantic Beach home.
Storms? Sure,
Garrard
has weathered plenty in his 34 years. But this was different, after just a few months in his new beachfront property.
The only buffers between the Garrards and the groaning waves were some sand dunes enduring the storm’s relentless punch.
“I didn’t think it was going to be too bad a storm, just a tropical storm,” Garrard said. “But it almost turned into a hurricane that night. We weren’t getting much sleep. The power was out, and it blew some stuff around.”
The damage was enough to force Garrard to miss one day of voluntary organized team activi- ties. Each absence is costly during a three-way quarterback battle.
Garrard smiled while recalling some reports that said he missed the remainder of the OTAs, which ended last week.
In reality, Garrard is something of a success story in the early part of 2012, entering a mandatory threeday minicamp Tuesday.
After a Pro Bowl season in 2010, he was cut in 2011 by the Jacksonville Jaguars just days before the season opener. Garrard, who played his first nine seasons in Jacksonville, had missed the first preseason
game with a sore back. He played the final three, but was not performing at the level former Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio had come to expect. From 2007 to 2010, Garrard started all 58 games he played, averaging 3,115 yards and 17.7 touchdowns a year during that span.
After his release, Garrard explored other options. He had interest from the Dolphins, but ultimately opted for surgery in late October to repair a herniated disc.
During recovery, he was severely limited in his activities until a few days after the new year.
“I was bad,” Garrard said. “I could barely get in and out of the chair for 21/ 3 months . . . Finally, around halfway through January, I was looking like an athlete again.”
At Dolphins’ organized team activities this spring, Garrard appeared crisp. In addition to his typical workout, Garrard said he does extra work to help strengthen the muscles in his back.
Throughout Dolphins OTAs, he said he has had no pain and no setbacks after signing a free-agent deal in March.
The closest thing to a tackle? Drills in which quarterbacks wrap up one another.
“I could feel my body kind of get jarred around a little bit, but I was fine,” Garrard said of the drill. “I’m not worried about any recurrences, because the surgery is healed. My problem was just back spasm. I haven’t had any issues with that since.”
Garrard has earned high praise this spring from teammates and Dolphins coach Joe Philbin as he battles to win Miami’s starting quarterback competition. He’s challenged by incumbent Matt Moore, who guided the Dolphins to a 6-3 finish in 2011. He’s also battling rookie Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins’ highly touted first-round draft pick.
“The guy can still throw the football very well,” Philbin said of Garrard. “I think his command of the offense is good.”
Garrard is not a long-term solution at quarterback. Now entering his 10th NFL season, he very well could win the job if he proves to be durable.
Attributes such as making quick decisions, his strong arm, an encouraging smile and a true leadership quality have helped.
“He’s a great leader,” Dolphins tight end Anthony Fasano said. “He’s a Pro Bowl quarterback, and he’s great for our competition. However it plays itself out at the quarterback position, I think he’s going to be a real asset for our team.”