Photo: Whitney Garrett, Junior, 6-3/287, Defensive Line, Talladega HS, Talladega, AL By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times
He can bake a cake to sell and play defensive line
Before this season, Whitney Garrett's claim to fame was that he made a tasty red velvet cake.
Garrett, a redshirt junior on Alabama A&M's football team, took up baking his freshman year and has added items ever since.
He started out making chocolate chip cookies. Red velvet cake was next. Now, Garrett has added carrot cake and strawberry whipped cream pie to his dessert list. He sells three cookies for $1, but the three-layer red velvet cakes are $20 apiece.
"It's just a way to put some money in my pocket," Garrett said. "I do it to take some of the pressure off of my mother."
Garrett's mother, Onetha, and his aunts, Diane and Martha Garrett, made lots of desserts. Garrett picked up on it.
"It's something I do in my spare time," he said.
Garrett may not have much spare time this season.
For the first time in his career, Garrett, 6-foot-3 and 287 pounds, will be a full-time starter at defensive tackle for the Bulldogs.
"That was one of my goals," said Garrett, who had been a bit player his first three seasons. "I stayed here this summer to become a starter."
Actually, Garrett made his move last spring when he overtook Justin Harper, last year's starter. Still, he knew the battle would be won during preseason practice and Garrett responded.
"I was going to put a little more pressure on Harper," said Garrett, who was credited with six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one pass breakup last season. "It's still not over. I've got to work hard to maintain that spot."
A&M defensive line coach Ben Blacknall said Garrett has been the Bulldogs' best tackle during preseason practice.
"Whitney had a real good spring and so far nobody has stepped up to change it," Blacknall said. "He's been more consistent than anybody we've had in camp."
Even so, Garrett has big shoes to fill. He's trying to replace former All-American Kevin Lockhart along the Bulldogs' defensive front.
"Whitney has a chance to be very good," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "We've been waiting for that little light to come and it looks like it has come on. I've always thought if that light ever came on he could do some special things for us."
From a football perspective, Garrett is considered to be a late bloomer. He didn't start playing football until the seventh grade.
"My mother wouldn't let me play," he said.
As a result, Whitney's first loves were baseball and basketball.
He started playing baseball when he was 5 years old, was a power-hitting first baseman and idolized former Atlanta Braves star Fred McGriff. He stopped playing when he got to high school because of his coach.
"I didn't like the way he handled things, so I decided not to play," Garrett said.
He played basketball, but at 6-3 was too short to play center. Garrett continued to play football and had scholarship offers from A&M and West Alabama.
Garrett broke his leg as a freshman. He has played sparingly each of the last two years. Now, it's his time to shine.
"The way we play up front will determine the outcome of the game," Garrett said. "We've got to make it happen."
Blacknall believes Garrett will do just that.
"Whitney is a solid player," he said. "He's got a lot of potential. In our scheme, our tackles have to be able to keep the blockers off the 'backers and he's big enough to do that.
"I'm anxious to see him and David (Winston) in the game. Whitney has improved since last fall. He's going to have to be a major contributor for us."
He can bake a cake to sell and play defensive line
Before this season, Whitney Garrett's claim to fame was that he made a tasty red velvet cake.
Garrett, a redshirt junior on Alabama A&M's football team, took up baking his freshman year and has added items ever since.
He started out making chocolate chip cookies. Red velvet cake was next. Now, Garrett has added carrot cake and strawberry whipped cream pie to his dessert list. He sells three cookies for $1, but the three-layer red velvet cakes are $20 apiece.
"It's just a way to put some money in my pocket," Garrett said. "I do it to take some of the pressure off of my mother."
Garrett's mother, Onetha, and his aunts, Diane and Martha Garrett, made lots of desserts. Garrett picked up on it.
"It's something I do in my spare time," he said.
Garrett may not have much spare time this season.
For the first time in his career, Garrett, 6-foot-3 and 287 pounds, will be a full-time starter at defensive tackle for the Bulldogs.
"That was one of my goals," said Garrett, who had been a bit player his first three seasons. "I stayed here this summer to become a starter."
Actually, Garrett made his move last spring when he overtook Justin Harper, last year's starter. Still, he knew the battle would be won during preseason practice and Garrett responded.
"I was going to put a little more pressure on Harper," said Garrett, who was credited with six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one pass breakup last season. "It's still not over. I've got to work hard to maintain that spot."
A&M defensive line coach Ben Blacknall said Garrett has been the Bulldogs' best tackle during preseason practice.
"Whitney had a real good spring and so far nobody has stepped up to change it," Blacknall said. "He's been more consistent than anybody we've had in camp."
Even so, Garrett has big shoes to fill. He's trying to replace former All-American Kevin Lockhart along the Bulldogs' defensive front.
"Whitney has a chance to be very good," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "We've been waiting for that little light to come and it looks like it has come on. I've always thought if that light ever came on he could do some special things for us."
From a football perspective, Garrett is considered to be a late bloomer. He didn't start playing football until the seventh grade.
"My mother wouldn't let me play," he said.
As a result, Whitney's first loves were baseball and basketball.
He started playing baseball when he was 5 years old, was a power-hitting first baseman and idolized former Atlanta Braves star Fred McGriff. He stopped playing when he got to high school because of his coach.
"I didn't like the way he handled things, so I decided not to play," Garrett said.
He played basketball, but at 6-3 was too short to play center. Garrett continued to play football and had scholarship offers from A&M and West Alabama.
Garrett broke his leg as a freshman. He has played sparingly each of the last two years. Now, it's his time to shine.
"The way we play up front will determine the outcome of the game," Garrett said. "We've got to make it happen."
Blacknall believes Garrett will do just that.
"Whitney is a solid player," he said. "He's got a lot of potential. In our scheme, our tackles have to be able to keep the blockers off the 'backers and he's big enough to do that.
"I'm anxious to see him and David (Winston) in the game. Whitney has improved since last fall. He's going to have to be a major contributor for us."
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