Jim Garrett, father of Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, dead at 87

DALLAS — Jim Garrett, the father of Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and a longtime scout for the club, has died. He was 87.

The team said Jim Garrett died Friday night with his wife, Jane, and his eight children by his side.

The elder Garrett first joined the Cowboys as a scout in 1968 and spent 36 of the next 38 years coaching or scouting in the NFL, including the last 17 of his career with the Cowboys. He wrote the original scouting report on Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, the No. 1 pick in the 1989 draft.

Jim Garrett was part of four Super Bowl teams in Dallas, including the championship teams from the 1992, 1993 and 1995 seasons. He was an assistant with the New York Giants, New Orleans and Cleveland.