Miner Athletic Club Feature - Justin Garrett

By Anna Claire Thomas

Creating Champions: This is a series about UTEP student-athletes who share their unique stories and how athletic scholarships have made a difference in their lives. Each of these students reflects on the value of their UTEP experiences and the opportunities they create for the future.

Justin Garrett is no stranger to adversity. Even more so, he is accustomed to overcoming any obstacles that stand in his way. From redshirting his first season to becoming one of the Miners’ most respected leaders on and off the gridiron, Garrett is a wily veteran who can appreciate the hardships he experienced earlier in his life and turned them into positives.

“My motivation and work ethic is always credited back to my mom,” Garrett said. “I had a rough upbringing and I grew up homeless at one point. Watching my mom struggle and work two jobs and do all she did to provide for not just me but my sister as well, it helped me see that things are bigger than myself. I am forever grateful for that. I just put it into my game and my own work ethic.”

Garrett joined the UTEP Football program in 2018 after playing two seasons at Cerritos College, just a short drive from where he grew up in Compton, California.

Garrett was able to redshirt his first season at UTEP after seeing action in just four games, but he made a big splash for the Miners the following two seasons. In 2019 and 2020, Garrett combined for 78 catches, 956 receiving yards and six touchdowns, making him one of the team’s leading receivers over that span.

He has garnered All-Conference USA Honorable Mention accolades in back-to-back seasons, but despite his on-field success, Garrett is focused more on how he is perceived as a leader by his teammates.

“To my teammates, I want to be remembered as a guy who came in ready to work every single day,” he said. “No matter the circumstances or conditions, I always gave it my all and always put the team before myself. No matter what, they knew that JG was going to have their back and that I was going to do whatever it takes.” Garrett, who sports the late Luke Laufenberg’s No. 2 jersey on game days in honor of his teammate, is intent on making his time at UTEP mean more than just wins and losses.

“I am a kid from Compton, California, and the odds were stacked against me,” Garrett said. “I’m wasn’t supposed to make it this far. I’m not supposed to be earning a master’s degree. Because of all the contributions, donations and help provided to student-athletes, I have an opportunity to be a better man and go a step further in life. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here on scholarship and to play football, to learn and to become a better man and to get a college degree. Every dollar donated is changing a life.

“This is just my story. There are many other people who have completely different stories. Everyone comes from a different situation, but we are always grateful for the scholarships and to be here. It is just always bigger than yourself. I take pride in letting people know that the game is much bigger than football. Every dollar counts and is going to a good cause, and thank you personally for changing my life.”