University of Missouri Athletics

He was the consummate student-athlete out of Rockhurst High School in Kansas City who starred both on the field and in the classroom. Garlich was a three-year starter at middle linebacker on Tiger teams that became known as giant killers, upsetting the likes of national powerhouses Alabama, USC, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Nebraska. He led MU in tackles (108) and interceptions (4) as a senior, and twice won the Big Eight Conference Defensive Player of the Week award when he made a game-saving fourth down goal line tackle to preserve a 3-0 win at Notre Dame, and later had 21 tackles and an interception to beat 2nd-ranked Nebraska in Lincoln. He was also named Sports Illustrated National Defensive Player of the Week in 1977 after helping lead MU to an upset win at Ohio State. Garlich was a three-time academic all-Big Eight pick (1976-77-78) and an academic all-American in 1976 and a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete in 1978. He earned the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in 1979. He played one year in the NFL with the St. Louis Cardinals.