Gilroy
– Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia has scored
something other than a touchdown at his alma mater: Gilroy High
School’s future sports facility will soon be named the Garcia-Elder
Sports Complex.
Gilroy – Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia has scored something other than a touchdown at his alma mater: Gilroy High School’s future sports facility will soon be named the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex.
Thanks to a $350,000 donation, the facility will be named in honor of the Garcia family as well as the family of Maurice “Red” Elder, Garcia’s grandfather, who was an employee of the Gilroy Unified School District for 30 years as a coach, athletic director and teacher at GHS.
Garcia’s parents, Bob and Linda, both graduated from GHS, and Bob Garcia was a long-time successful football coach and athletic director at Gavilan College.
“We’ve experienced so many great memories in Gilroy on that field,” Jeff Garcia said Monday while spending the morning in San Jose for his mother’s birthday. “I wanted something that could be somewhat of a remembrance forever, and getting my grandfather involved in that way, to me, was important.”
Bob Garcia said he’s proud of his son for continually giving back to the community regardless of his professional status.
“I look around and see a lot of athletes that become successful or whatever, and I just wonder how many of them give back as much as Jeff has,” he said. “I think it goes to show he has his head screwed on right.”
Garcia surprised his parents with the news Sunday night and his grandfather Monday afternoon.
“I thought it was real nice of Jeff to do that,” Elder said. “The family has gone through Gilroy High, and Jeff’s family has gone through Gilroy High. We have our stakes here, and this is an honor for our family to finish up this way. It will be there from now on, I assume.”
He assumed correctly, as the naming contract is in perpetuity.
Garcia said he approached GUSD Superintendent Edwin Diaz about two months ago with the proposal. The donation represents a quarter of the high school’s $1.4 million renovation of the athletic field and track, which will include a state-of-the-art synthetic surface that schools officials say is less expensive, easier to maintain, better looking and more durable than natural grass.
“We are very excited about this, and certainly we’re grateful,” Diaz said.
During a week off in November during the National Football League schedule, Garcia visited the high school and watched the team play on the current field.
“It’s understandable the wear and tear the grass field takes when so many teams are utilizing it and it never gets to rest,” he said. “Many programs are going to that all-weather turf. It has the longevity, and in the long run is a better investment.”
The new field and track surface are the first components of the high school’s envisioned sports complex that will be used by GHS, Gavilan College and the new Christopher High School, slated to open in 2008. The facility might include a field house, storage area and office space and other amenities. Local and regional activities could bring in money to help offset the facility’s operating costs, said Steve Brinkman, the district’s superintendent of administrative services.
The district’s goal is to hold GHS’s June graduation on the new athletic field. The track surface will be installed after that, as it needs about 1 1/2 months with no activity in order to set.
GUSD board policy specifies that new facilities, including schools, can be named by the board or as determined through a citizens advisory committee. Facilities can be named after people if they make significant contributions to the school community, the city or the vicinity, or if they make contributions of state, national or worldwide significance.
The facility name also can reflect the geographic area where the facility is located or its historic significance, or, if a school is demolished, the board can use the same name again.
After playing football for GHS, Garcia played one year at Gavilan under his dad’s coaching. He was All State in 1989 at Gavilan and honorable mention All American. He then transferred to San Jose State University and played there for three years.
In September 2003, Garcia donated a similar-sized amount to SJSU that went toward The Jeff Garcia Hall of Champions, an interactive display featuring notable athletes, teams, events and moment in the university’s athletics history.
