Disappointment and sadness. Clearly, that’s what we felt upon
hearing the news that Gilroy native and San Francisco 49ers
quarterback Jeff Garcia was arrested for drunk driving early
Wednesday morning in downtown San Jose.
It’s been a trying football season for Garcia
– a season of injury, disappointment and lingering questions
about his competency as a quarterback. But his character had never
come into question.
Disappointment and sadness. Clearly, that’s what we felt upon hearing the news that Gilroy native and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia was arrested for drunk driving early Wednesday morning in downtown San Jose.
It’s been a trying football season for Garcia – a season of injury, disappointment and lingering questions about his competency as a quarterback. But his character had never come into question.
He gamely fought back on the field after not playing for three consecutive games due to injuries. With few outbursts, he braved the constant storm of fan and media criticism and finished the season on a steady up note with a sterling December during which his four-game quarterback rating soared to a higher-than-100 average. That’s the Jeff Garcia we have come to know and love – a man who, through perseverance and force of will, routinely overcomes significant obstacles.
Now this.
Garcia’s actions in this case are deplorable. As a professional athlete in one of the most storied positions in all of sports, he should know better. Take a cab, call the limo driver. The spotlight is constantly on – as it was when they flashed his picture on the arena’s giant screen at the San Jose Sharks game Tuesday night.
It’s a shame, really, that all the youths who proudly pull on the No. 5 red-and-gold 49ers jersey will have to hear and ponder this news. Those young people who look up to him as a hometown hero must uncomfortably sort through the obvious divide between words and deeds.
It’s not that we don’t understand – or won’t forgive. For most of us, the possibility of a DUI arrest is a situation of “there but for the grace of God go I.”
But when you’re a hometown hero and a revered professional athlete who enjoys such a stellar reputation of generosity and character, it makes the news that much harder to take.
Gilroy has been more proud of Jeff Garcia than it is of garlic. And why not? He’s been a humble and willing participant and contributor involved in many causes – from coming back to read to students in classrooms of former teachers to starting a golf tournament for local charities last year. He’s respectful of his small-town roots and quick to praise those who helped him along the way to stardom.
Admirably, Garcia quickly started on the road to redemption. He publicly took responsibility Wednesday afternoon for his actions and apologized, admitting that he is thoroughly embarrassed personally and for his family. That kind of heartfelt remorse and good judgment demonstrates the character that we have come to expect. But it will be awhile before Jeff can put this behind him.
