It’s been a tough year for Jeff Garcia, Gilroy’s favorite son
and most revered professional athlete. But the headline in
Tuesday’s paper
”
Garcia delivers a gift to Gilroy
”
and the picture on the back page of Wednesday’s edition of the
Gilroy born-and-bred quarterback sitting and smiling with his
grandfather,
”
Red
”
Elder, at a Gilroy Unified School Board meeting said a lot about
who Jeff Garcia really is.
It’s been a tough year for Jeff Garcia, Gilroy’s favorite son and most revered professional athlete. But the headline in Tuesday’s paper “Garcia delivers a gift to Gilroy” and the picture on the back page of Wednesday’s edition of the Gilroy born-and-bred quarterback sitting and smiling with his grandfather, “Red” Elder, at a Gilroy Unified School Board meeting said a lot about who Jeff Garcia really is. So will the check he will write to GUSD for $350,000. That money will go a long way toward funding the renovations for the track and field at Mustang Stadium which will be renamed, fittingly, the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex.
With his generous gift, Garcia honored his family, the community in which he grew up and, most importantly on a personal level, his grandfather, formerly an outstanding football player and coach in his own right.
On NFLplayers.com, Garcia unabashedly filled in the blank after the query “The living person I most admire is:” with “My Grandpa – Maurice ‘Big Red’ Elder.”
It is important in a time when professional athletes are held under such a microscope that we remember to balance the scales. Garcia has been through the mill during the last year. After a dismal season, he was savaged by the press and fans in Cleveland who were longing for a savior for the woeful Browns. And, honestly, Garcia would likely be the first to look back and admit that some of his decisions added unnecessary fuel to the fire.
But that is past. And Garcia, thankfully released by the Browns this week, will hopefully get a chance to finish out his NFL career with dignity, contribution and, if we had our druthers, a well-deserved trip to the Super Bowl. That would be something.
But whether or not that happens, what we can count on from Garcia is a continued connection and affection for Gilroy. Garcia has given plenty back to the community, graciously spending time in classrooms, hosting a local charity golf tournament and also, of course, making donations. He has always spoken highly of the city and the people here, people who have surrounded him with support. His move from the San Francisco 49ers to the Browns, he has said, only made him more aware of how valuable that support is. Being close to home as a 49er and facing keen scrutiny is one thing, being in Cleveland without the family and friends there to give you a boost when the ship is sinking is quite another.
GUSD officials hope to have the renovations at the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex complete prior to the Gilroy High School graduation this year. That would be fantastic. So would the unveiling of a bust or statue honoring quarterback Jeff Garcia and his grandfather “Red” Elder who both played, decades apart, in the East-West Shrine Game.
On the community’s behalf, we thank Garcia for his generosity and his family – particularly his dad and mom, Bob and Linda – for helping instill the values that drive the desire to give back to this community.
Hopefully, the new “JG” hats will have winning colors and come from a place closer to home so Gilroyans have a chance to show their support for the Pro-Bowl quarterback who made it to the top against all odds, and against the preachings of all the experts who said he would never get it done.
