Football Royalty: The Family That Dominates Every Field They Step On
Nussmeiers Family of Football Quarterbacks Nearly Matches Other Famous Area Crew
Football fans likely know all about the Manning family of quarterbacks — patriarch and Hall of Famer Archie, sons Hall of Famer Peyton and future Hall of Famer Eli, and great nephew/nephew Arch at the University of Texas.
What some people may not know is a Flower Mound can claim a similar clan in the Nussmeiers – Doug and sons Garrett and Colton.
“Obviously, we’re not at that level yet but it would be real cool to have that opportunity and people saying that,” said Garrett, a fifth-year senior at Louisiana State University and among the nation’s best players. “It’s really cool.”
The elder Nussmeier was a backup quarterback with the New Orleans Saints, a team he currently serves as offensive coordinator. Last year he won the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles after a year with the Los Angeles Chargers and five as an assistant coach for the Dallas Cowboys, positions that brought him here.
He met wife Christi, then a Saints cheerleader, after their first game with the team in 1994. They dated for six years before marrying. Besides the boys, they have a daughter Ashlynn, a Liberty Christian School graduate and current junior at LSU.
“Colton and Garrett always had a football in their hands. They were always playing football,” said Christi, who has moved 13 times for Doug’s jobs. “That’s all they did. They wanted to live it. As they got older, they dabbled in other things, but their main thing was football.”
Garrett graduated from Flower Mound Marcus in 2021 and could have turned pro last year but came back to try to help LSU win a national championship.
“We haven’t had this much talent in a while,” said Garrett, among the candidates for the Heisman Trophy and possible No. 1 selection in the National Football League draft in April. “We have talent on offense and defense are the big thing. We went out in the portal and made some big additions.”
Born in his mother’s hometown of Lake Charles, Louisiana, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Garrett led LSU to victories in its first games this year before losing to the University of Mississippi. Through September, the 23-year-old had completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 1,159 yards and seven touchdowns with only three interceptions.
His time at Marcus was memorable including district titles each of his last two years.
“It was definitely the most fun time of my life-high school football. There’s nothing like it, especially in Texas,” he said. “I just remember the different moments from the different games and different teammates. We were so good my junior and senior years. We just felt like we couldn’t be beaten. We just went out there and had fun.”
A left-hander like his father, Colton is a junior at Marcus having moved to Flower Mound in fourth grade. Born in St. Louis, he led the team to two wins in its first three official games (another was called by rain). The 6-foot, 3-inch, 185-pounder is one of the most sought-after players in the Class of 2027. Besides LSU, he has scholarship offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Arizona according to 247 Sports.
“It’s always been football my whole life with my dad being a coach,” said Colton, also a member of the Marcus basketball team and a ballboy when Garrett played. “I was always at the practices. Watching my brother play and working hard, I would go with him. I played receiver a little bit and quarterback. Then my dad and brother and I started working out at quarterback.”
Even after Doug left the Cowboys, the family felt it important to stay here. However, his being in New Orleans does make it easier to join his family at occasional games.
“Texas is one of the highest levels of football and my mom and I decided to stay here to finish my high school,” Colton said.
Christi spends her weekends traveling to and attending games. She will be part of the Friday Night Lights for Colton’s games, wakes up early to drive to Baton Rouge for LSU home games, and on to New Orleans if the Saints are there. Then it’s back to Texas for the new week.
No matter where football takes them, the Nussmeiers always plan to have a place in North Texas because they love it.
