cover image Once a Cowboy

Once a Cowboy

Walt Garrison. Random House (NY), $16.95 (212pp) ISBN 978-0-394-57685-5

Garrison is an archetypal Texan: he grew up in a small town there, became a rodeo rider at the age of 12, played for the Dallas Cowboys in the late '60s and early '70s, when the team had eight straight playoff years. And, with his delightful sense of anecdote, this memoir, coauthored with Tullius ( I'd Rather Be a Yankee ), is less the autobiography of a football player than a series of entertaining stories. We read wonderful reminiscences of Garrison's fellow players Don Meredith, Craig Morton, Dan Reeves, Mike Ditka and Bob Lilly, most of them involving wine, women, song and cards. The authors also present cogent arguments as to why Tom Landry is a coaching genius. With this touchdown book Garrison proves himself one of football's prime raconteurs. Photos not seen by PW. (Nov.)