Tune in to Fox Sports Net on Sunday at 8 p.m. when the famed
series Beyond The Glory tells the heartfelt tale of 49ers’ Pro Bowl
quarterback Jeff Garcia.
Tune in to Fox Sports Net on Sunday at 8 p.m. when the famed series Beyond The Glory tells the heartfelt tale of 49ers’ Pro Bowl quarterback Jeff Garcia.
I thought I knew everything about Gilroy’s hometown hero – but there is a lot more I learned by watching his life story.
I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of Fox Sport’s Beyond The Glory so I sat down this week and watched my commercial-free version.
It was tearful. It was thrilling. It was inspirational. I got the chills running up and down my spine. If I didn’t have enough respect for the garlic slinger already, I do now.
We all know the Jeff Garcia against-all-odds story, but I for one did not know all the tragedy him and his family went through. He lost a brother and a sister at a young age and his mother also lost twins that were born prematurely. And he nearly lost his dad, Bobby Garcia, to a heartattack.
No wonder he is such the honorable, hard-working and dedicated player and person he is today.
The film begins with early tragedies, but then follows Jeff through his high school, college, and professional careers. There is footage and photos of him playing for Gilroy High School; Gavilan College with his father; at San Jose State; in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders; and then his ultimate achievement with the San Francisco 49ers.
Garcia endured. Garcia persevered. Garcia grew stronger. Garcia never, ever gave up. And for that, he earned the respect of every single one of his teammates, coaches, friends, fans, and family members.
He was the glue that held the Garcias together through the hardest of times.
The red-haired athlete who was always overlooked because of his lack of size is the perfect role model for any young child. So sit the kids down to watch this. He truly demonstrates what a winner is. Not with victories on the playing field and not with championship trophies, but with a heart of gold and a determination of a lion.
In today’s world, we see athletes take for granted their natural abilities and we see athletes make headlines for a variety of negative actions. Garcia is not one of them.
The documentary goes inside the Garcia home in Gilroy. It flashes footage of Gilroy new and old. It shows the fields that Bobby Garcia and his family picked fruits and berries from. There are also great shots of Bobby’s coaching days at Gavilan College.
Most of all, it illustrates what Jeff Garcia as well as his entire family are all about.
If I were a movie critic, I’d give it four stars or two thumbs up.
Niners fans may doubt Garcia’s athletic ability, but they can never doubt his character.
One interview that stands out is when Niners’ running back Garrison Hearst says that if the Niners are going to win a Super Bowl, Jeff Garcia is the quarterback who is going to lead them there.
Believe that.
