Jeff Garcia was competing for more than a chance to take the
Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl, although he was unaware of
it.
Gilroy – Jeff Garcia was competing for more than a chance to take the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl, although he was unaware of it.
For every touchdown by the Gilroy native, Stubby’s Bar & Grill was going to donate $50 to the Gilroy Browns Pop Warner football team. Stubby’s invited donations from patrons.
John Stieber, who co-owns Stubby’s with his fiance, Janice An, put his money where his mouth was.
“Thanks to Garcia’s exemplary play, the donation has exceeded the $1,000 mark,” Stieber said, “and will be supplying quite a few helmets for next season.”
Stieber, 35, met Garcia at Red Elder’s birthday, days before the 8-year pro embarked on his new journey in Philadelphia. For Stieber, this type of promotion was a natural.
He doesn’t have any children of his own, but Stieber has been involved in youth sports for eight years. Seven of those years were with the Peninsula Razorbacks in Monterey, who recently joined the Pop Warner League and became the Monterey Jets. After purchasing the former Alter Ego Cafe almost 10 months ago, Stieber moved his youth involvement to town, coaching the Browns.
Interestingly, the teams met on the gridiron in Gilroy with the Jets prevailing. And then the coaches met at Stubby’s where the coaches had the opportunity to assess each other’s strengths. Both teams made the playoffs.
On another occasion, the Browns’ Midget squad that Stieber coaches watched game film on Stubby’s 53-inch big screen. Additionally, Stubby’s fed the Gilroy High varsity football game prior to its Homecoming game, the Hot Shots girls’ youth basketball team held a parade that ended at Stubby’s with a ceremony in front of the establishment on a stage Stieber built for the occasion, and Stubby’s is sponsoring a team in the Gilroy Little League.
Stieber, who grew up in Reno, has a long involvement in athletics himself. While he played high school football and for three years at the University of Nevada in the mid-1990s, he never had the chance to play Pop Warner. Growing up with a single parent, his mother couldn’t afford the money for him to play nor did she have the time to take him back and forth to practice.
“I really think that that plays in a lot to my desire to coach, because I’ve recruited a lot of kids who I think were in similar situations,” Stieber said.
He would throw the football around in Monterey to kids at the park and on several occasions wound up talking to their parents and ultimately driving them to practice every day all season. It was the same in Gilroy this past season.
“We contribute to many youth sports organizations, but seldom is there an opportunity to do so in such a fun way,” Stieber said. “Jeff had an exceptional season this year and ignited interest in football and sports once again in this community.
“Anyone who plays team sports appreciates the value and the lessons one carries into adulthood. I know Jeff fully understands this and am reminded of it weekly when my Pop Warner team takes he field at Gilroy High School and we play on a safe, quality surface that he supplied.
“Maybe, just maybe, a local boy who is playing or will play youth football in the South Valley will be passed the torch by Jeff Garcia and become tomorrow’s local hero. For now, Stubby’s congratulates Jeff on an incredible season, winning his division and thanks him for the opportunity to contribute in such a great way and maybe create future heroes like himself.”
And the Pop Warner team should congratulate Stieber and other like-minded community members who are willing to put their money and their donated time where their mouths are.
