Gilroy
– A small town boy who made it big in sports is returning to
South Valley to get hitched.
By Marc David and Serdar Tumgoren
Gilroy – A small town boy who made it big in sports is returning to South Valley to get hitched.
Football star Jeff Garcia, who grew up in Gilroy, will wed Carmella DeCesare at CordeValle at noon today before a star-studded guest list that will include fellow National Football League stars and glamorous contemporaries of DeCesare, a one-time Playboy cover girl, according to local invitees and friends.
Relatives and close friends on the guest list include Gilroy High School baseball coach Clint Wheeler, who was a grade behind Garcia and whose parents remain close with Garcia’s parents, Bob and Linda Garcia.
“I’m looking forward to meeting a few friends of his,” Wheeler said. “As far as his wife – or future wife – I’ve met her and she’s unbelievably nice.”
The couple met about two years ago , when Garcia was playing for the Cleveland Browns, Wheeler said. Reflecting on his high school friend’s career, Wheeler, now 36, said he “figured it would be a while before (Garcia) settled down.”
Garcia enjoyed a resurgence in his professional career last season, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to six straight wins and one step from the National Football Conference Championship game. A free agent, Garcia signed a contract this year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that could pay him $14.5 million over the next two years.
Garcia, 37, a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers, played one year at Gavilan College before going on to San Jose State University. He was a Canadian Football League star before signing with the 49ers. The Bucs will be Garcia’s fifth team in five years. After playing five seasons with the 49ers, he played one year each with the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Eagles.
Despite a sports career that has led him across the country, Garcia has kept strong roots in the community. Known for his community support, he made a $350,000 donation in 2005 to help build the GHS sports complex. The Garcia-Elder Sports Complex is named after the quarterback’s grandfather, Maurice “Red” Elder.
News of Garcia’s wedding has caused a buzz around town, with rumors flying that Hugh Hefner and up to 40 Playboy Playmates will show up at CordeValle, a golf course nestled in the foothills of San Martin.
But for one local invitee who asked not to be named, the location of the wedding was more telling of Garcia’s personality than a star-studded guest list.
“I think it’s great that he came back to his place of origin when obviously he could have picked any location to tie the knot,” the guest said. “His loyalty to the community is admirable.”
