He is an amateur paleontologist and aspiring poet who wants to be the greatest who ever played. Meet Myles Garrett.
THE PROJECTED NO. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL draft is in a full-throated sing-along to a power ballad that hit the charts back when his parents were of make-out age. Yes, Myles Garrett—the great hope for many an NFL franchise, a 6-foot-4, 272-pound man-eater by both position and on-field disposition—is having a Journey moment.
Restless hearts … sleep alone tonight … sendin’ all my love … along the wire.
“‘Faithfully’ speaks to me,” says the 21-year-old defensive end out of Texas A&M. “It’s about a guy who’s busy with his work, always on the road, but I’m still completely into you. If you just hold on, I’ll completely give myself to you. Just stick along for the ride.”
We’re driving through College Station, Texas, in Garrett’s beloved beat-up Volvo, which is almost as old as the guy behind the wheel. The streets here are familiar to Garrett, but there are few reliable maps of where his career is headed come April 27. He is, after all, a once-in-a-decade pass-rushing prospect with NFL-ready skills and a track record of production. He totaled 32½ sacks, 48½ tackles for loss and 7 forced fumbles in three seasons, despite playing much of 2016 with a high ankle sprain. His freakish natural abilities have drawn comparisons to at least half of the Justice League’s superheroes—and that will likely buy him a one-way ticket to Cleveland, home of the NFL’s worst team last season and seemingly every season.
This story is from the April 24, 2017 edition of ESPN The Magazine.
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This story is from the April 24, 2017 edition of ESPN The Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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