Brett Griffis sat on the couch in his home in New Britain, Conn., eagerly awaiting a call from his brother 1,900 miles away Saturday evening.
He had spent countless games backing his brother up at Broad Run High School and watching film together, but Saturday, he was watching his brother relight a dying spark.
Brett Griffis’ older brother, Mitch Griffis, played his first meaningful snaps of football since 2023 for Texas Tech in a 42-0 rout of Oklahoma State on Saturday.
“I was just waiting for my phone to buzz, so I could see the joy on his face,” Brett Griffis said.
Sports Roundup
Mitch Griffis joined Texas Tech in December, knowing he’d be a third-string quarterback for the Red Raiders. He had spent a year in construction after earning a handful of starts over a four-year career with the Wake Forest Deacons, which ended when he graduated in 2024.
He stepped away from football in June of that year and began pouring concrete for HITT Contracting in Ashburn, Va. At the time, Mitch Griffis believed his playing days were over for good.
“I kind of hated football,” Mitch Griffis said. “I had a bad taste in my mouth. Things didn’t really go my way, and I was frustrated. I was hurt, but I really wasn’t sure.”
He received a call from Texas Tech offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich during the 2024-25 winter transfer portal and took his visit soon after. When he arrived in Lubbock, he talked with head coach Joey McGuire about the air raid offense he grew up watching that boasted Graham Harrell behind center.
Mitch Griffis didn’t hesitate to accept the offer as the backup to the backup, and his journey to Saturday’s opportunity began.
“I’ve always been a Tech fan, always been a Mike Leach fan and an Air Raid fan,” Mitch Griffis said. “It was a no-brainer. It was hard to say no to this place. I just wanted to come back and play, and I knew this place was special.”
It took a string of events for his name to be called, starting with an injury to quarterback Behren Morton on Oct. 11. The lower-leg injury only sidelined the Red Raider’s primary starter for the game against Arizona State, but McGuire elected to extend his recovery period into Saturday.
Will Hammond got the nod to start against Oklahoma State, but midway through the second quarter, he left with a non-contact injury, and Mitch Griffis’ name was called.
He finished his Cinderella story afternoon with 172 passing yards and scores through the air and on the ground.
“I try to remind myself every morning when I get up, and we have practice and lifts and stuff, that there was a point in my life and I thought I’d never put on the pads again,“ Mitch Griffis said. ”Being able to score a touchdown, let alone just play the game I love again. It was pretty cool.”
Mitch Griffis was granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA in August, so he can return as a seventh-year senior to compete with Hammond for the starting spot in 2026.
5 takeaways from Texas Tech-OK State: Red Raiders fire out of the gate, never look backTexas Tech quarterback Will Hammond exits game with non-contact injury
Find more college sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Find more Texas Tech coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.