In a rare treat for any aspiring football player
— Niners fan or not — some 50 members from the Cardinals
organization attended a private practice and autograph signing on
Monday at San Francisco’s training facility in Santa Clara.
HOLLISTER
Select members from the San Benito Cardinals showed up Monday to 49ers camp in Santa Clara understandably wide-eyed, speechless and awestruck.
Little was said.
But coming home, Cardinals Athletic Director Frank Casillas said, “It was jabber all the way.”
“I got to meet Mike Singletary,” said Ricardo Garcia, 11.
“I got to meet Takeo Spikes,” added Donny Vis, 11.
“He’s tall,” Garcia of Singletary. “He’s cool.”
“I thought he was short,” chimed Suzy Brookshire, 11.
“Frank Gore doesn’t look that strong in an NFL game,” said Michael Vanderlei, 9.
“But he’s super buff,” Brookshire responded.
Added Garcia, “On TV, he’s a beast.”
In a rare treat for any aspiring football player — Niners fan or not — some 50 members from the Cardinals organization attended a private practice and autograph signing on Monday at San Francisco’s training facility in Santa Clara.
“It was a work day for them and our Cardinals did really well,” Casillas said. “They represented the community really well.”
While wisely leaving their Cardinals gear at home, the 50 Hollister youths arrived at 9 a.m. to watch a morning practice session, followed by an autograph period and the Gatorade Junior Training Camp, where the local gridders learned skills such as passing, carrying, tackling and proper hydration, right alongside some of their favorite players.
“I learned how many cups of water I have to drink a day,” said Brookshire, later adding the proper amount is four to six cups.
“We got to do some drills and play some different positions,” said Kevin Casillas, 12. “We practiced throwing the ball into a net for the quarterback. We did high knees through a ladder, and we cut through tackling dummies.”
As a member organization with American Youth Football, which is partnered with the National Football League, the Cardinals were lucky enough to be just one of two teams who were in attendance on Monday.
Players shook hands with rookie defensive back Taylor Mays, starting quarterback Alex Smith, star tight end Vernon Davis, ESPN reporter John Clayton (who was in attendance covering the 49ers’ camp), and cornerback Nate Clements, who tossed his glove to one fortunate tiny mite.
“But my dad said to not play with it,” said Victor Jacinto, 7, an incoming second-grader at Gabilan Hills who received the star cornerback’s glove. “I just look at it. It looks super-cool.”
Sporting a long-haired mohawk that one 49er even commented on (“He said, ‘I like your hair'”), Jacinto said the whole day was “super-good.” The day got a little better when he tried on the glove after Clements tossed it to him, and realized how much larger the cornerback’s hands were.
“He just said, ‘Here, kid,'” Jacinto said. “I got all happy.”
Another Cardinals player, Chase Edwards, received a wristband from backup quarterback Jarrett Brown, while Jaime Garcia received a glove from rookie wideout Jared Perry.
“We learned how tall they are,” Garcia said. “They were definitely taller than all of us.”
While each and every player who attended was quick to point out who they saw, what they received and whose autograph they got, Cardinals Athletic Director Casillas is hoping each and every member walked away with a better understanding of the game and some basic fundamentals.
“We’re just trying to make them better football players,” he said.
“For the kids, it was just good for them to see how they go about their business. It was a good learning experience for them, to see the top level.”
Speechless, wide-eyed and awestruck when they arrived, the Cardinals walked away with plenty of memories.
“I think it’ll stick with them,” Casillas said. “It’ll be something they’ll never forget.”
The San Benito Cardinals will play in a jamboree with Oak Grove and Palo Alto on Aug. 28 at Anzar High School in San Juan Bautista. The team will then open its season on Sept. 4 at Sacramento.
