Former teammates, friends, coaches react to release,
reminisce
GILROY – For the past five football seasons, Gilroyans have been spoiled, watching hometown hero Jeff Garcia quarterback the San Francisco 49ers.
Every Sunday, hundreds of local supporters would hop in their cars, pick up their friends and head north to Candlestick Park, where they’d tailgate outside for hours before entering the stadium to cheer on the pride and joy of the garlic capital of the world. Others would sit down in front of their television set, invite some friends over and root for their hometown team and its hometown quarterback.
That all changed two short days ago when the 49ers put Garcia, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, on waivers after the two parties could not agree on a contract restructuring.
“I’m a season ticketholder, and I won’t be renewing them,” said long-time friend Chris Ordaz, who coached Garcia at Gilroy High School and has followed his career ever since. “I like the 49ers still, but a lot of what’s been fun about it is going and socializing with all the Gilroy people and watching Jeff. It has just been really fun for everybody.”
Those days may be over, but they’ll never be forgotten.
Ordaz was Jeff’s quarterback coach his junior season of high school in 1986, and even back then the red-haired, undersized slinger was not the projected starter. According to Ordaz, the incumbent starter did not make grades that year, and Garcia slid into the starting role.
“We ended up with Jeff. The coaches were like, ‘He’ll have to do,’ and he ended up doing real well,” said Ordaz, who played for Jeff’s father, Bobby Garcia, at Gavilan College when Jeff was the ball boy. “I remember going out there (to practice), and I hadn’t seen Jeff in a while. I saw him throw the ball and said, ‘I don’t think we have anything to worry about.’ ”
Ordaz recalled Garcia throwing about 17 touchdowns that season despite missing the last few games due to injury.
“He did good and continued to do good,” Ordaz said. “He’s going to land on his feet somewhere, and I think he’ll surprise a lot of people – but not the people who know him.
“I think he’s just a great story. You can’t help, but pull for the guy. He just has something special, and he’s going to do it again. I have no doubt.”
Mustang baseball skipper Clint Wheeler grew up with the Garcia family in Gilroy, playing street football with the future NFL quarterback when they were little kids. Wheeler played with Jeff on the Gilroy High football team in the winter of 1987.
“I grew up with him. I’ve been playing with him since we were 7 and 8. All of our buddies would play in the street,” said Wheeler, who was Jeff’s wide receiver in high school. “That guy’s always worked hard and always been a guy who people were never confident in. … He always proved everybody wrong.”
The two Gilroyans also played together under Bobby Garcia on the Gavilan College football team in the winter of 1989.
“He was always confident in himself. He was never the fastest guy, never had the strongest arm, but he was a late bloomer. He kept getting stronger and stronger,” said Wheeler, who wasn’t surprised with the news of Garcia’s release. “I think his big dream was being in the NFL. I’m not sure if it was to be a Niner or not. He’s still in the NFL and he’s still one of the best in the NFL.”
At Gavilan College, the Garcia-quarterbacked-and-coached Rams won a bowl game in Gilroy, upsetting the state’s No. 3-ranked team Solano College, 54-10. Wheeler, a defensive back on the team, remembered Jeff passing for at least four touchdowns and receiving Most Valuable Player honors.
“Bobby was one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. It was awesome to see them work together,” Wheeler said. “I wasn’t surprsied that he did as well as he did in college.”
John Garcia was the defensive line coach for Gavilan when Jeff played there, and Bobby was the head coach.
“I’m the one he gave the headaches to in practice because he can run, throw and everything. He was hard to tie down,” said Garcia, who works with Gilroy Community Services. “He is very self-motivated and very dedicated. He has a knack and a nose for the game, and he knows how to perform under pressure.”
Like other Gilroyans who were well versed about the Niners’ salary cap problems, John Garcia was not surprised by Tuesday’s decision to release Jeff, but he’s sure there are still more years left in the tank.
“I really think that it’s best for Jeff. Jeff is going to be happy. He’s going to make things happen. It’s going to turn out good for him,” John Garcia said. “He’s accomplished things that nobody would have ever thought he would, other than himself, the people close to him, and Bill Walsh was the biggest of all who knew and knows he we still do it again.”
Jeff Garcia’s story still has more chapters left, but even if he never throws another pass in the NFL, he will always be a role model and hero to the youth of Gilroy, proving that anyone can accomplish anything as long as they work hard and always believe in themselves.
Once he made it to the big time, Garcia never forgot about his garlic roots, returning to the community for book readings to grade school kids, heading up the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and establishing an annual golf tournament in his name to benefit the football programs at Gilroy High School and Gavilan College.
“He never forgot where he came from,” Ordaz said.
After breaking his leg in his senior year of high school, Jeff Garcia did not get any offers from major college football programs. Instead he went the junior college route and got a chance to play for his dad and with friends he grew up around. He then went on to play at San Jose State University, where, despite being named MVP of the Shrine Bowl his senior season, he went undrafted.
Still believing in himself and his abililties, Garcia spent five seasons in the Canadian Football League, where he capped of his brilliant career with a Grey Cup Championship and MVP award in 1998.
Garcia finally got his shot in the National Football League after impressing the 49ers in a workout and signing as a free agent in February of 1999. He took over the starting role the following season for the Niners at the twilight of Steve Young’s career and played the position with passion – just like his predecessors.
However, no matter how well he performed on the field, Garcia was always unfairly compared to the likes of Steve Young and Joe Montana. Even with that, Garcia persevered and set several team records.
In his first full season as the starter, Garcia broke the single-season passing record, throwing for 4,278 yards. He was second in the NFL with 31 touchdowns, which was the fifth 30-touchdown season in team history with John Brodie (30 in 1965), Joe Montana (31 in 1987) and Steve Young (35 in 1994 and 36 in 1998).
Garcia was named to the Pro Bowl the following year and became the first quarterback in team history to throw for more than 30 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons.
After losing to the Green Bay Packers in the division playoffs, doubts still remained about Garcia being able to win the big game. So the next season, Garcia stepped it up even more, earning another Pro Bowl selection, but, more importantly, winning a playoff game. Garcia orchestrated a 24-point, second-half comeback to lead the 49ers to a thrilling 39-38 victory over the New York Giants.
His unbelievable comeback quickly was forgotten, as well as his three Pro Bowl seasons, with the Niners finishing 7-9 overall last season. Questions arose about whether the 34-year-old quarterback still had what it takes. Then the 49ers made the decision to release him and end his tenure in San Francisco.
“He’s got a few good years left. I just personally think he will get with a team and make some people think why did we every get rid of the guy,” Ordaz said. “All I know is I’ll definitely make a couple of road trips.”
Nobody knows where Garcia will end up next, but the same Gilroyans that made their way to the park every fall to cheer on their hero knows he will rise again.
“I do believe he’s certainly going to come back and perform at a high level again,” John Garcia said. “Changing uniforms and logos, those things happen.”
“I think he’d look good in black,” said Wheeler of the possibility of Garcia going to the Oakland Raiders, who have their own questions at quarterback. “I just want him to go somewhere where he has the best opportunity to end his career.”*
