Jeff Garcia: The Incredible Underdog the NFL Forgot! (Part 4)

“He’s just a fine player. He’s very mobile, very accurate … a very, very tough guy,” Seahawks Coach Mike Holmgren said. “He’s[Jeff Garcia) not a big man, and he gets smacked around a little bit, but he is the key, in my opinion, to what makes them work.” 49ers Head Coach Steve Mariucci had praise for his QB, too. “Jeff’s been great, and he’s a workaholic,” Mariucci said. “He’s earned and deserved all this notoriety over the last couple of years, but he’s got to be able to handle that each offseason.”

Garcia Gives Back

He was not going about it selfishly either. Garcia, who is proud of his Mexican heritage, gave back to Hispanics struggling in the Bay Area. With his annual golf tournament in the summer of 2002, he successfully raised $75,000 for 31 scholarships for local Latino youth. It showed his willingness to give his time and money to those struggling and not able to experience the same privileges he did as a kid, but with similar levels of trauma.

“Hopefully doing this, we’re kind of giving them a push to be able to continue their education,” Garcia said of his work with the HSF. “I’m so much the person that hates to say no, and I don’t like to disappoint people. I think everything that I’ve been a part of or able to obtain … over the past couple of seasons with the 49ers has been incredible,” Garcia said. “It was a situation I had to take advantage of.”

He Lived Up To It On the Field

He led the Niners to a 10-6 record once again, this time winning the NFC West. While I’m sure he found that important, what was most important was proving he can perform in the playoffs and leading his childhood team that gave him his chance to live out his dream to a playoff victory. To say the game didn’t start like he wanted to would be a grand understatement. The Niners were down 38-14 after the Giants scored 21 points in the second quarter alone.

But Jeff Garcia didn’t know how to quit, and thanks to his leadership, the rest of the 49ers didn’t either. After Terrell Owens fired up the rest of the team with a signature showboating celebration, the comeback attempt began. Now down 38-22, this was only the beginning, even with T.O.’s antics ramping up. Owens and New York Safety Shaun Williams got offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

They kept scoring, with Garcia running it in from 14 yards out and then completing another 2-point conversion with another pass to T.O., making it 38-30. Things only got better for the San Fran 49ers, with Owens getting Williams so heated he was eventually ejected for throwing a punch at 49ers Pro Bowl Center Jeremy Newberry.

With a minute left, Garcia took the chance to show the world how clutch he can be when, with a minute left in the game, Garcia hit Tai Streets for a 13-yard touchdown. It gave the 49ers a lead late. After the Giants messed up the snap for the field goal, it was all they needed to complete what was at the time the second-largest comeback in playoff history. Garcia vanquished his demons from last year and now can be proud that he can call himself a playoff winner. He threw for 331 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He also ran for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Thanks a bunch for reading. Stay tuned for the next part of the Jeff Garcia story!