David Garrard is a former NFL quarterback who played nine seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2002–2010), wearing No. 9. He started 76 games for Jacksonville, made the 2009 Pro Bowl, and still holds the Jaguars records for career passer rating (85.8), single-season passer rating (102.2 in 2007) and single-game passer rating (157.8). He led the Jaguars to the 2007 AFC Wild Card win in Pittsburgh, one of the most famous playoff games in franchise history.

Early life and East Carolina

Garrard was born February 14, 1978, in East Orange, New Jersey, and grew up in Durham, North Carolina, where he was rated the top high school quarterback in the state at Southern High School. His mother died of breast cancer when he was 14, and he later started the David Garrard Foundation to raise breast cancer awareness and fund research.

At East Carolina University he set 28 school passing and offense records, threw for 9,029 yards and ran for 1,209 more, and was a three-time second-team All-Conference USA pick. He graduated in 2001 with a degree in construction management.

Jaguars quarterback

Jacksonville drafted Garrard in the fourth round, 108th overall, of the 2002 NFL Draft. In 2004 he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and had surgery to remove nearly 12 inches of his intestine, then came back to win the starting job. In 2007, his first full season as the starter, he threw 18 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions for a 102.2 rating. On January 5, 2008, with Jacksonville down 29–28 at Pittsburgh, his 32-yard scramble on 4th-and-2 set up the winning field goal in a 31–29 Wild Card victory. A week later at New England he set franchise playoff records with 22 completions and 278 yards.

He was named to the Pro Bowl for the 2009 season, replacing Peyton Manning on the AFC roster, and threw for 183 yards and a touchdown in the AFC's win. In 2010 he posted 23 touchdown passes and the franchise's best single-game rating, 157.8, in a 35–17 win at Dallas. His Jaguars totals: 16,003 passing yards, 89 passing touchdowns, 1,746 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns.

After the Jaguars

Garrard signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2012 and the New York Jets in 2013 before knee injuries ended his playing career. On May 8, 2015, he signed a ceremonial contract to retire as a Jacksonville Jaguar. He has spoken widely about living with Crohn's disease, including to kids at the Painted Turtle Camp, and remains a familiar face around Jacksonville, which is how the Signature Series ended up at Sports Mania.