Jason Garrett '89 Hosts Annual Play it Smart Football Camp At Princeton

Jason Garrett '89 Accepts Class of 1967 PVC Citizen-Athlete Award

Only nine days after being honored with the Class of 1967 PVC Citizen-Athlete Award, former Bushnell Cup winner and current Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett '89 showed why he was the ideal recipient for the prestigious honor.

For the 13th consecutive year, Garrett hosted the Play it Smart Football Camp and Leadership Forum in conjunction with Jason Garrett Starfish Charities. The one-day non-contact football camp took place June 6 at Princeton University, and it included on-field practices for high school students, games and life-skills elements that emphasize the importance of making good choices both on and off the field.

On Friday evening, June 5, there was also a Leadership Forum for the coaches and volunteers at the historic Nassau Inn in Princeton, NJ. The Nassau Inn serves as one of the primary sponsors for the 2015 camp.

Student-athletes from schools in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania were coached by Garrett, current and former NFL players and coaches as well as area high school coaches. Among the NFL players who assisted Garrett last weekend were current Dallas Cowboys Jason Witten, Joseph Randle, Barry Church and JJ Wilcox.

The coaches and volunteers primary goal is to help the participants with both football and life skills that will prepare them for the next season and beyond. The purpose of the day is to inspire the participants to excel and to focus on having college as part of their future plans.

Jason Garrett Starfish Charities is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable foundation whose mission is to strive to make our community a better place by enriching the lives of its youths. The inspiration for the foundation is the following story:

Starfish Story

While walking on the beach, an older man noticed a young girl ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Finally, catching up with the youth, he asked her why she was doing so. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left to the morning sun. “But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of starfish,” countered the man. “How can your effort make any difference?” The young girl looked at the starfish in her hands and threw it to safety in the waves. She said, “It makes a difference to this one.”

Author Unknown

Most of this release is courtesy of DallasCowboys.com.

PHOTOS BELOW (all courtesy of Jerry Pinkus):

• Jason Garrett speaks to the campers on Powers Field inside Princeton Stadium.

• The campers listen to players and coaches speak about life skills off the football field inside of McCosh 50, a 446-seat classroom that has been used by prominent speaking figures on campus for more than 100 years.

• Jason Garrett signs his photo at the Tap Room in the Nassau Inn — a primary sponsor for the camp — during Friday's Leadership Forum (pictured: General Manager Lori Rabon, Jason Garrett, Director of Guest Relations and Room Division Manager Nick Ballas, and Marketing and Promotions Manager Jamie Volkert).

• Cowboys defensive back Barry Church gets his team ready for a Saturday drill.

• Nine-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten directs some of the students at the camp.