Jeff Garcia
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia (born February 24, 1970) is an American football
quarterback
who is currently a free agent
. He played college football
at San Jose State University
.
A four-time CFL All-Star and four-time NFL Pro Bowl
selection, Garcia began his professional football career with the Calgary Stampeders
of the Canadian Football League
(CFL) as an undrafted free agent in 1994. In 1999, Garcia debuted with the National Football League
's San Francisco 49ers
. Since 2003, he has also played for the Cleveland Browns
, Detroit Lions
, Philadelphia Eagles
, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, and Oakland Raiders
. In 2010, Garcia played for the Omaha Nighthawks
of the United Football League.
in Gilroy, California and was a letterman in football
and basketball
.
, Drew Brees
, Peyton Manning
, Brett Favre
, Dan Fouts
, Dan Marino
, and Y.A. Tittle. He is also one of only twelve quarterbacks to throw a 99 yard touchdown pass.
and San Jose State University
. He started his professional career in Calgary with the Calgary Stampeders
of the Canadian Football League
. He won a place on Calgary's roster as their third string quarterback behind Doug Flutie
and Steve Taylor when he threw two fourth quarter touchdowns in his exhibition game appearance in 1994. Soon he was named backup to Doug Flutie
. Garcia took over as starter in 1995 when Flutie was sidelined midway through the season with an elbow injury. In his second start filling in for Flutie, Garcia set a team record with 546 passing yards and six touchdown passes in the Labour Day game against Edmonton touching off an eventual quarterback controversy among some fans when Flutie later returned. Flutie ended up starting over Garcia in the Grey Cup that year which the Stampeders lost. After Flutie signed as a free-agent with the Toronto Argonauts
in 1996, Garcia took over as the Stampeders' starting quarterback. During Garcia's three years as starter, the Stampeders finished with records of 13-5, 10-8, and 12-6.
In 1997, Garcia won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy
, an award given to the Most Outstanding Player in the CFL Western Division. Garcia led the Stampeders to the Western Final in 1996 and to the Western Semi-Final in 1997. In 1998, he led the team to a Grey Cup
victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
and was named Grey Cup MVP. Garcia's performance included an 80-yard, game-ending drive to set up the game winning field goal on the last play of the game. Garcia was also named as the 1998 CFL All-Star at quarterback.
of the National Football League. Over the summer, he had been fighting for a spot on the roster, but early in the 1999 season
, Steve Young was hit by Arizona Cardinals CB Aeneas Williams
and suffered his final professional concussion, knocking him out for the year. Garcia stepped in and shared time with former Stanford quarterback Steve Stenstrom
finishing the season.
Garcia won his first NFL start against the Tennessee Titans 24-22. After being benched for poor performances, Garcia was reinstated as the starting QB and in the final 5 games of the regular season, finished by tossing 8 TD passes to only 2 interceptions. Garcia finished his rookie season with 11 TDs and 11 INTs.
, with Young retired, and despite the 49ers drafting two quarterbacks (Giovanni Carmazzi
in the third round and Tim Rattay
in the seventh), Garcia kept the starting quarterback position and made his first Pro Bowl
appearance. He set a new 49ers' team record with 4,278 passing yards in the 2000 season
, although the team finished with a 6-10 record. Garcia finished the 2000 season, his first as a full time starter with 31 TD passes to only 10 INTs. Garcia began the season on a tear, after 7 games, he had thrown for 19 TD passes, including 3 games of 4 TD passes.
, Garcia had become entrenched as the 49ers' starting quarterback. He had a career high with 32 touchdown passes, including 21 over an eight-game span. With Garcia at quarterback, the 49ers made their first playoff appearance in almost two years, but fell to Green Bay 25-15 in the first round.
saw Garcia's offensive production drop from 31 and 32 TDs in the previous 2 seasons, to only 21. But even though Garcia's numbers dropped, the 49ers won the NFC West for the first time since 1997, with the Division clinching game coming on a last second TD pass to Terrell Owens against the Dallas Cowboys. The 49ers trailed the Cowboys 27-17 with under 7 minutes left in the game before Garcia picked apart the Cowboy secondary for 2 TD passes (1 to Tai Streets and the game winner to Terrell Owens). http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap;_ylt=Atq2RZdS4r2tmHUHtWYEL_L.uLYF?gid=20021208006 Garcia completed 36 of 55 passes for 276 and 3 4th quarter TD passes in leading to the Division clinching win.
On January 5, 2003, during the 2002-2003 playoffs
, Garcia led the 49ers to a comeback win over the New York Giants
, the second largest comeback victory in NFL playoff history. In the third quarter, the Giants were up 38-14, with about eighteen minutes left to play. Once the 49ers regained possession of the ball, they began a comeback that saw 25 unanswered points, with San Francisco taking a 39-38 lead. The Giants lost an opportunity to retake the lead after a controversial call, and the improbable victory became the signature game of Garcia's 49er career. He threw for 331 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, and also ran for 60 yards and 1 touchdown.
. In 2003, Garcia and Owens's relationship turned sour upon Garcia taking issue with Owens's public praise for the play of backup quarterback Tim Rattay
. Garcia responded with a cryptic "we can not let the sickness spread" remark, prompting Owens to wear a surgeon's mask at the following practice. Following Owens's trade to Philadelphia, Owens was asked if he thought Garcia was gay, responding by implying that he thought he was in a Playboy interview by saying, "If it looks like a rat and smells like a rat, by golly, it is a rat."
Following his 2004 trade to Philadelphia, Owens began speaking out and criticizing Garcia for the 49ers' offensive struggles during the 2003 season (49ers finished 7-9, Garcia 18 TD passes, 13 INTs).
Garcia revealed on multiple occasions that the pressure of following in the footsteps of Joe Montana and Steve Young had gotten to him.
Upon his departure, Garcia said, "Have somebody step into my shoes and feel what I had to deal with throughout that whole time in San Francisco. The dust would start to settle, and all of a sudden, more fuel was thrown into the fire. It was such a negative situation." http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1906162
In Owens' first season with Jeff Garcia as his quarterback, Owens caught 60 passes and went on to have campaigns of 97, 93, 100 and 80 receptions over the next four seasons, two times leading the league in TD catches. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1906162
Injuries to key players on both sides of the ball, and the often reckless play of Jeff Garcia took a toll on him, as he was forced to miss 3 games during the season. The 49ers finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the 1st time in 2 seasons.
Following the disappointing 2003 season
, Garcia, the three-time Pro Bowler, was released, along with several other key 49er players including RB Garrison Hearst and WR Terrell Owens.
Garcia had thirty-one and thirty-two passing touchdowns in the 2000 and 2001 seasons (respectively), more than any other quarterback over those two seasons, and was the 1st 49er QB in history to have back-to-back a 30 TD pass campaign. Garcia went to the Pro Bowl in three consecutive seasons from 2000 to 2002.
on March 9, 2004. Garcia was released by the Browns after the 2004 season
, in which he struggled to find any consistency and battled with injuries. On Sept. 19, 2004, Garcia complete 8 of 27 passes for only 71 yards and 3 interceptions in a 19-12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, resulting in a career-low passer rating
of 0. Despite his struggles, Garcia was able to tie the record for longest career pass play (99 yards) on a completion to André Davis
on October 17, 2004, in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals
.
to a one-year contract on March 12, 2005, to play for his former San Francisco head coach, Steve Mariucci
, but Garcia broke his fibula in the fourth pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills
on September 2, 2005. He started his first regular season game as quarterback for the Lions on October 23, 2005 against his former teammates, the Browns. Garcia led the Lions to a 13-10 victory completing 22 of his 34 pass attempts for 210 yards, with one touchdown and zero interceptions.
After the win, Mariucci named Garcia the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, over Joey Harrington
, the longtime Detroit starter. Garcia struggled later in the season and Harrington returned as the starter. Following the season, the Lions did not offer Garcia a new contract.
to serve as the primary backup to Donovan McNabb
in 2006
. Because McNabb was already wearing number 5, Garcia would end up having his jersey number changed to 7, previously worn in Philadelphia by former quarterback Ron Jaworski
.
Following McNabb's season-ending knee injury in a game against the Tennessee Titans
on November 19, 2006, Garcia entered the game. Coach Andy Reid
named Garcia as the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season over fellow backup A.J. Feeley
, despite Feeley's popularity in Philadelphia.
After a loss against the Colts on Sunday Night Football
, many sportscasters (namely Jimmy Johnson
) predicted the Eagles to be out of contention for the rest of the season. However, Garcia led the Eagles to five consecutive victories and the NFC East division championship. The rejuvenated quarterback threw ten touchdowns and only two interceptions, while posting a QB rating
of 95.8 in eight total games played. He also made the front cover of Sports Illustrated
following his five-game winning streak. On January 7, 2007, Garcia earned only his second ever playoff win, throwing for 153 yards and one touchdown in a 23-20 victory over the Giants. On January 13, 2007, Garcia and the Eagles lost to the New Orleans Saints
by a score of 27-24. He threw for 240 yards and a touchdown - a 75-yard touchdown pass to Donte Stallworth - the longest in Eagles' postseason history.
Though he stated that he would love to re-sign with Philadelphia, the Eagles decided not to offer Garcia a new contract after the season. The Eagles opted to instead sign the younger A.J. Feeley to a three-year deal.
on March 3, 2007, to compete for their starting position. Although his more familiar number 5 was available, Garcia decided to keep the number 7 he wore with the Eagles.
For most of the 2007 regular season, Garcia was the Bucs' starting quarterback. He also brought the Bucs to the playoffs. The Buccaneers lost to the eventual Super Bowl
winning Giants 24-14 in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs on January 6, 2008, with Garcia throwing for 207 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. On January 24, 2008, it was announced that Garcia would be replacing Brett Favre
in the Pro Bowl, making it his first Pro Bowl since 2002. Garcia suggested in 2008 that he might stage a holdout of the Buccaneers if they didn't meet his contract extension demands. He was in the final year of the two-year contract. He was expected to make $2.75 million that season, including a $750,000 roster bonus.
Jeff Garcia stayed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and started in the 2008 opening game against the New Orleans Saints. After a poor performance, he was demoted to third-string on the depth chart and placed on the inactive roster. However, following an injury to quarterback Brian Griese
in the fourth week of the season, Jeff Garcia started in his place. During a victory over the Seattle Seahawks
, Garcia surpassed 40,000 yards for his career when combining his statistics from both the CFL and NFL, becoming the twentieth player to accomplish the feat.
on April 6, 2009. As he did in Tampa Bay, Bruce Gradkowski
changed his number to 5 to allow Garcia to wear number 7. He was expected to back up JaMarcus Russell
in the 2009 season, but was released during final cuts on September 5, 2009.
suffered a fractured rib in Week One, the Eagles signed Garcia to a one-year contract on September 14, 2009. He was released on September 29, following Michael Vick
's return from suspension. During this short stint with the Eagles, he wore jersey number 9.
. He won two offensive player of the week awards during the 2010 season having produced a game-winning drive in two separate games.
the Houston Texans
worked out several QBs, including Garcia. However former New York Jets
QB Kellen Clemens
was ultimately chosen and he signed with the team on November 23, 2011. It was stated on November 28, 2011 that despite Kellen Clemens being signed that the Houston Texans were looking at QBs, Jake Delhomme and Jeff Garcia. They ended up signing Jake Delhomme, and not Jeff Garcia.
in his hometown of Gilroy, California
. A pair of twin girls died before Garcia's birth. His younger brother Jason drowned on a family camping trip in 1977 when Garcia was seven, and fourteen months later his younger sister Kimberly died after falling out of a truck. His two surviving sisters, Jene and Melissa, were born after the deaths of Jason and Kimberly. Garcia has said that much of his drive stems from trying to make his parents happy after the deaths of his siblings. His maternal grandfather, Maurice "Red" Elder, was a football star at Kansas State University
in the 1940s; both played in the East-West Shrine Game
while in college, the only grandfather/grandson duo to do so. Elder was a longtime coach at Gilroy High School. Garcia donated money to refurbish the athletic field at the school, and the field was renamed Garcia-Elder Field to honor both of them. Garcia, who is of Mexican
and Irish
heritage, has also done various charitable work in support of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
Garcia married Carmella DeCesare
, the 2004 Playboy
Playmate of the Year, on April 21, 2007, in San Martin, California
. They have a daughter named Presley who was born on April 28, 2008. The couple welcomed their second child, a son, in June 2009. The couple's third child, a son named Jax was born on September 21, 2010.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
.
A four-time CFL All-Star and four-time NFL Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection, Garcia began his professional football career with the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(CFL) as an undrafted free agent in 1994. In 1999, Garcia debuted with the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. Since 2003, he has also played for the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, and Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In 2010, Garcia played for the Omaha Nighthawks
Omaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
of the United Football League.
Early years
Garcia attended Gilroy High SchoolGilroy High School
Gilroy High School is a co-educational public school located in Gilroy, California, that serves the city of Gilroy. It is one of two public high schools in the city and has an approximate enrollment of 1,500 students.-Athletics:...
in Gilroy, California and was a letterman in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
Professional career
Garcia is one of only eight quarterbacks in NFL history who have achieved two consecutive thirty-touchdown passing seasons (2000 and 2001) at least one time in their career. The others are Steve BartkowskiSteve Bartkowski
Steven Joseph "Steve" Bartkowski is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams...
, Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
, Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
, Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
, Dan Fouts
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
, Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
, and Y.A. Tittle. He is also one of only twelve quarterbacks to throw a 99 yard touchdown pass.
Calgary Stampeders
Garcia was a standout quarterback while attending Gavilan CollegeGavilan College
Gavilan College is a community college located in Gilroy, California.The college was established in 1919 as the San Benito County Junior College. It operated as such until 1963, when a new community college district was drawn that included both San Benito County and southern Santa Clara County...
and San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
. He started his professional career in Calgary with the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He won a place on Calgary's roster as their third string quarterback behind Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
and Steve Taylor when he threw two fourth quarter touchdowns in his exhibition game appearance in 1994. Soon he was named backup to Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
. Garcia took over as starter in 1995 when Flutie was sidelined midway through the season with an elbow injury. In his second start filling in for Flutie, Garcia set a team record with 546 passing yards and six touchdown passes in the Labour Day game against Edmonton touching off an eventual quarterback controversy among some fans when Flutie later returned. Flutie ended up starting over Garcia in the Grey Cup that year which the Stampeders lost. After Flutie signed as a free-agent with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
in 1996, Garcia took over as the Stampeders' starting quarterback. During Garcia's three years as starter, the Stampeders finished with records of 13-5, 10-8, and 12-6.
In 1997, Garcia won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy
Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy
The Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy is a trophy awarded to the Canadian Football League West Division's Most Outstanding Player, chosen from the nominees from each team in the division...
, an award given to the Most Outstanding Player in the CFL Western Division. Garcia led the Stampeders to the Western Final in 1996 and to the Western Semi-Final in 1997. In 1998, he led the team to a Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
and was named Grey Cup MVP. Garcia's performance included an 80-yard, game-ending drive to set up the game winning field goal on the last play of the game. Garcia was also named as the 1998 CFL All-Star at quarterback.
San Francisco 49ers
Following the Grey Cup victory, Garcia was signed as a backup to Steve Young with the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
of the National Football League. Over the summer, he had been fighting for a spot on the roster, but early in the 1999 season
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, Steve Young was hit by Arizona Cardinals CB Aeneas Williams
Aeneas Williams
Aeneas Demetrius Williams is a former American football cornerback and free safety, who played with the Arizona Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams. Williams attended Fortier High School, where he played football on a team with three future NFL players. Although he was admitted to Dartmouth College,...
and suffered his final professional concussion, knocking him out for the year. Garcia stepped in and shared time with former Stanford quarterback Steve Stenstrom
Steve Stenstrom
Steve Stenstrom is a former professional American football quarterback.-College career:Stenstrom was the starting quarterback at Stanford University from 1991 to 1994, and still holds most of Stanford's passing records:*Total yards, career: 9,825*Passing yards gained, career: 10,531*Passing yards...
finishing the season.
Garcia won his first NFL start against the Tennessee Titans 24-22. After being benched for poor performances, Garcia was reinstated as the starting QB and in the final 5 games of the regular season, finished by tossing 8 TD passes to only 2 interceptions. Garcia finished his rookie season with 11 TDs and 11 INTs.
2000
The following season2000 San Francisco 49ers season
The 2000 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 51st year with the National Football League. Jerry Rice entered the 2000 season as the oldest player in the league at the Wide Receiver position.-Schedule:-Awards and records:...
, with Young retired, and despite the 49ers drafting two quarterbacks (Giovanni Carmazzi
Giovanni Carmazzi
Giovanni Carmazzi is a former American football player. He never played in a regular season NFL game but was on the roster of the San Francisco 49ers as a backup quarterback. He is an alumnus of Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California. He was coached by his father, Dan Carmazzi, while...
in the third round and Tim Rattay
Tim Rattay
Timothy F. Rattay [] is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League and United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
in the seventh), Garcia kept the starting quarterback position and made his first Pro Bowl
2000 Pro Bowl
The 2000 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 6, 2000 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii Attendance— 50,112. The game was broadcast by ABC with a running time of three hours and sixteen minutes. The final score was NFC 51, AFC 31. The AFC coach was Tom Coughlin of Jacksonville.The NFC coach...
appearance. He set a new 49ers' team record with 4,278 passing yards in the 2000 season
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
, although the team finished with a 6-10 record. Garcia finished the 2000 season, his first as a full time starter with 31 TD passes to only 10 INTs. Garcia began the season on a tear, after 7 games, he had thrown for 19 TD passes, including 3 games of 4 TD passes.
2001
By the 2001 season2001 San Francisco 49ers season
-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-NFC Wild Card - January 13, 2002:*Green Bay Packers 25, San Francisco 49ers 15at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI-Milestones:*Jeff Garcia named to second consecutive Pro Bowl...
, Garcia had become entrenched as the 49ers' starting quarterback. He had a career high with 32 touchdown passes, including 21 over an eight-game span. With Garcia at quarterback, the 49ers made their first playoff appearance in almost two years, but fell to Green Bay 25-15 in the first round.
2002
20022002 San Francisco 49ers season
The first season following divisional realignment, the Niners won the new-look NFC West title with a 10–6 record; they swept new division rivals Seattle and Arizona while splitting with the Rams; the Niners lost to former division rival New Orleans...
saw Garcia's offensive production drop from 31 and 32 TDs in the previous 2 seasons, to only 21. But even though Garcia's numbers dropped, the 49ers won the NFC West for the first time since 1997, with the Division clinching game coming on a last second TD pass to Terrell Owens against the Dallas Cowboys. The 49ers trailed the Cowboys 27-17 with under 7 minutes left in the game before Garcia picked apart the Cowboy secondary for 2 TD passes (1 to Tai Streets and the game winner to Terrell Owens). http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap;_ylt=Atq2RZdS4r2tmHUHtWYEL_L.uLYF?gid=20021208006 Garcia completed 36 of 55 passes for 276 and 3 4th quarter TD passes in leading to the Division clinching win.
On January 5, 2003, during the 2002-2003 playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2002-03
The 2002-03 NFL playoffs followed the 2002 NFL season and concluded with Super Bowl XXXVII.Prior to the 2002-03 season, the league realigned its teams into eight divisions . Thus, the 12-team playoff format was modified...
, Garcia led the 49ers to a comeback win over the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the second largest comeback victory in NFL playoff history. In the third quarter, the Giants were up 38-14, with about eighteen minutes left to play. Once the 49ers regained possession of the ball, they began a comeback that saw 25 unanswered points, with San Francisco taking a 39-38 lead. The Giants lost an opportunity to retake the lead after a controversial call, and the improbable victory became the signature game of Garcia's 49er career. He threw for 331 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, and also ran for 60 yards and 1 touchdown.
Garcia-Owens: 49er Duo
Garcia's favorite target while with the 49ers was WR Terrell OwensTerrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
. In 2003, Garcia and Owens's relationship turned sour upon Garcia taking issue with Owens's public praise for the play of backup quarterback Tim Rattay
Tim Rattay
Timothy F. Rattay [] is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League and United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
. Garcia responded with a cryptic "we can not let the sickness spread" remark, prompting Owens to wear a surgeon's mask at the following practice. Following Owens's trade to Philadelphia, Owens was asked if he thought Garcia was gay, responding by implying that he thought he was in a Playboy interview by saying, "If it looks like a rat and smells like a rat, by golly, it is a rat."
Following his 2004 trade to Philadelphia, Owens began speaking out and criticizing Garcia for the 49ers' offensive struggles during the 2003 season (49ers finished 7-9, Garcia 18 TD passes, 13 INTs).
Garcia revealed on multiple occasions that the pressure of following in the footsteps of Joe Montana and Steve Young had gotten to him.
Upon his departure, Garcia said, "Have somebody step into my shoes and feel what I had to deal with throughout that whole time in San Francisco. The dust would start to settle, and all of a sudden, more fuel was thrown into the fire. It was such a negative situation." http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1906162
In Owens' first season with Jeff Garcia as his quarterback, Owens caught 60 passes and went on to have campaigns of 97, 93, 100 and 80 receptions over the next four seasons, two times leading the league in TD catches. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1906162
2003: Final season with 49ers
The 2003 season was a disappointment for Garcia and the 49ers. Following their 2002 playoff thumping at the hands of the eventual Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 49ers fired Head Coach Steve Mariucci and replaced him with former Seahawks Coach, Dennis Erickson, who promised a wide open and vertical passing game.Injuries to key players on both sides of the ball, and the often reckless play of Jeff Garcia took a toll on him, as he was forced to miss 3 games during the season. The 49ers finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the 1st time in 2 seasons.
Following the disappointing 2003 season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, Garcia, the three-time Pro Bowler, was released, along with several other key 49er players including RB Garrison Hearst and WR Terrell Owens.
Garcia had thirty-one and thirty-two passing touchdowns in the 2000 and 2001 seasons (respectively), more than any other quarterback over those two seasons, and was the 1st 49er QB in history to have back-to-back a 30 TD pass campaign. Garcia went to the Pro Bowl in three consecutive seasons from 2000 to 2002.
Cleveland Browns
Garcia signed a contract with the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on March 9, 2004. Garcia was released by the Browns after the 2004 season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, in which he struggled to find any consistency and battled with injuries. On Sept. 19, 2004, Garcia complete 8 of 27 passes for only 71 yards and 3 interceptions in a 19-12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, resulting in a career-low passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
of 0. Despite his struggles, Garcia was able to tie the record for longest career pass play (99 yards) on a completion to André Davis
André Davis
André N. Davis is a American football wide receiver and kick returner who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
on October 17, 2004, in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
.
Detroit Lions
He was signed by the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
to a one-year contract on March 12, 2005, to play for his former San Francisco head coach, Steve Mariucci
Steve Mariucci
Stephen Ray "Steve" Mariucci is a former National Football League coach. He coached for the San Francisco 49ers and most recently for the Detroit Lions.-Early career:...
, but Garcia broke his fibula in the fourth pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on September 2, 2005. He started his first regular season game as quarterback for the Lions on October 23, 2005 against his former teammates, the Browns. Garcia led the Lions to a 13-10 victory completing 22 of his 34 pass attempts for 210 yards, with one touchdown and zero interceptions.
After the win, Mariucci named Garcia the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, over Joey Harrington
Joey Harrington
John Joseph "Joey" Harrington, Jr. is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions third overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, where he played for most of his professional career. He ranks third all-time in Detroit history in pass completions, with 986...
, the longtime Detroit starter. Garcia struggled later in the season and Harrington returned as the starter. Following the season, the Lions did not offer Garcia a new contract.
First stint with Eagles
On March 15, 2006, after consecutive frustrating seasons for the Browns and Lions, Garcia signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to serve as the primary backup to Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
in 2006
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
. Because McNabb was already wearing number 5, Garcia would end up having his jersey number changed to 7, previously worn in Philadelphia by former quarterback Ron Jaworski
Ron Jaworski
Ronald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
.
Following McNabb's season-ending knee injury in a game against the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
on November 19, 2006, Garcia entered the game. Coach Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter "Andy" Reid is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, a post he has held since 1999. Since 2001, he has also been the team's executive vice president of football operations...
named Garcia as the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season over fellow backup A.J. Feeley
A.J. Feeley
Adam Joshua Feeley is an American football quarterback for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
, despite Feeley's popularity in Philadelphia.
After a loss against the Colts on Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football is a weekly American football game held throughout most of the season by the National Football League. Sunday night games have been played regularly since 1987 and have thus far aired on three different television outlets:...
, many sportscasters (namely Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson (American football coach)
James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
) predicted the Eagles to be out of contention for the rest of the season. However, Garcia led the Eagles to five consecutive victories and the NFC East division championship. The rejuvenated quarterback threw ten touchdowns and only two interceptions, while posting a QB rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
of 95.8 in eight total games played. He also made the front cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
following his five-game winning streak. On January 7, 2007, Garcia earned only his second ever playoff win, throwing for 153 yards and one touchdown in a 23-20 victory over the Giants. On January 13, 2007, Garcia and the Eagles lost to the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
by a score of 27-24. He threw for 240 yards and a touchdown - a 75-yard touchdown pass to Donte Stallworth - the longest in Eagles' postseason history.
Though he stated that he would love to re-sign with Philadelphia, the Eagles decided not to offer Garcia a new contract after the season. The Eagles opted to instead sign the younger A.J. Feeley to a three-year deal.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After his run with the Eagles, Garcia signed with the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
on March 3, 2007, to compete for their starting position. Although his more familiar number 5 was available, Garcia decided to keep the number 7 he wore with the Eagles.
For most of the 2007 regular season, Garcia was the Bucs' starting quarterback. He also brought the Bucs to the playoffs. The Buccaneers lost to the eventual Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
winning Giants 24-14 in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs on January 6, 2008, with Garcia throwing for 207 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. On January 24, 2008, it was announced that Garcia would be replacing Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
in the Pro Bowl, making it his first Pro Bowl since 2002. Garcia suggested in 2008 that he might stage a holdout of the Buccaneers if they didn't meet his contract extension demands. He was in the final year of the two-year contract. He was expected to make $2.75 million that season, including a $750,000 roster bonus.
Jeff Garcia stayed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and started in the 2008 opening game against the New Orleans Saints. After a poor performance, he was demoted to third-string on the depth chart and placed on the inactive roster. However, following an injury to quarterback Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
in the fourth week of the season, Jeff Garcia started in his place. During a victory over the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, Garcia surpassed 40,000 yards for his career when combining his statistics from both the CFL and NFL, becoming the twentieth player to accomplish the feat.
Oakland Raiders
Garcia signed a one-year deal with the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on April 6, 2009. As he did in Tampa Bay, Bruce Gradkowski
Bruce Gradkowski
Bruce Raymond Gradkowski is an American Football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Toledo.Gradkowski has previously been a member of the Tampa...
changed his number to 5 to allow Garcia to wear number 7. He was expected to back up JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Trenell Russell is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. Russell played college football for the LSU Tigers where he finished 21–4 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The Oakland Raiders selected Russell with the first overall pick of the 2007...
in the 2009 season, but was released during final cuts on September 5, 2009.
Second stint with Eagles
After quarterback Donovan McNabbDonovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
suffered a fractured rib in Week One, the Eagles signed Garcia to a one-year contract on September 14, 2009. He was released on September 29, following Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
's return from suspension. During this short stint with the Eagles, he wore jersey number 9.
Omaha Nighthawks
Garcia was one of the signature players of the United Football League and his former team, the Omaha NighthawksOmaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
. He won two offensive player of the week awards during the 2010 season having produced a game-winning drive in two separate games.
Attempted NFL Return
Following a season-ending foot injury to starter Matt SchaubMatt Schaub
Matthew Rutledge Schaub is the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.-College career:...
the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
worked out several QBs, including Garcia. However former New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
QB Kellen Clemens
Kellen Clemens
Kellen Clemens is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
was ultimately chosen and he signed with the team on November 23, 2011. It was stated on November 28, 2011 that despite Kellen Clemens being signed that the Houston Texans were looking at QBs, Jake Delhomme and Jeff Garcia. They ended up signing Jake Delhomme, and not Jeff Garcia.
Career statistics
| CFL | Passing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | ||||||
| 1994 | Calgary Stampeders Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium... |
2 | 3 | 66.7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1995 | Calgary Stampeders Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium... |
230 | 364 | 63.3 | 3358 | 25 | 7 | ||||||
| 1996 | Calgary Stampeders Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium... |
315 | 537 | 58.7 | 4225 | 25 | 16 | ||||||
| 1997 | Calgary Stampeders Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium... |
354 | 566 | 62.5 | 4573 | 33 | 14 | ||||||
| 1998 | Calgary Stampeders Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium... |
348 | 554 | 62.8 | 4276 | 28 | 15 | ||||||
| NFL | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||
| Season | Team | GP | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | Att | Yds | TD | |
| 1999 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
13 | 225 | 375 | 60.0 | 2544 | 11 | 11 | 77.9 | 45 | 231 | 2 | |
| 2000 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
16 | 355 | 561 | 63.3 | 4278 | 31 | 10 | 97.6 | 72 | 414 | 4 | |
| 2001 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
16 | 316 | 504 | 62.7 | 3538 | 32 | 12 | 94.8 | 72 | 254 | 5 | |
| 2002 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
16 | 328 | 528 | 62.1 | 3344 | 21 | 10 | 85.6 | 73 | 353 | 3 | |
| 2003 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
13 | 225 | 392 | 57.4 | 2704 | 18 | 13 | 80.1 | 56 | 319 | 7 | |
| 2004 | Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
11 | 144 | 252 | 57.1 | 1731 | 10 | 9 | 76.7 | 35 | 169 | 2 | |
| 2005 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
6 | 102 | 173 | 59.0 | 937 | 3 | 6 | 65.1 | 17 | 51 | 1 | |
| 2006 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
8 | 116 | 188 | 61.7 | 1309 | 10 | 2 | 95.8 | 25 | 87 | 0 | |
| 2007 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
13 | 209 | 327 | 63.9 | 2440 | 13 | 4 | 94.6 | 35 | 116 | 1 | |
| 2008 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
12 | 244 | 376 | 64.9 | 2712 | 12 | 6 | 90.2 | 35 | 148 | 1 | |
| 2009 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | -2 | 0 | |
| NFL Playoffs | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||
| Season | Team | GP | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | Att | Yds | TD | |
| 2001 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
1 | 22 | 32 | 68.8 | 233 | 1 | 1 | 87.1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2002 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
2 | 49 | 85 | 57.7 | 524 | 3 | 4 | 68.0 | 7 | 60 | 1 | |
| 2006 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
2 | 32 | 61 | 50.8 | 393 | 2 | 0 | 83.6 | 8 | 23 | 0 | |
| 2007 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
1 | 23 | 39 | 59.0 | 207 | 1 | 2 | 60.5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| UFL | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||
| Season | Team | GP | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | Att | Yds | TD | |
| 2010 | Omaha Nighthawks Omaha Nighthawks The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD... |
8 | 132 | 255 | 51.8 | 1321 | 9 | 11 | |||||
| CFL/NFL/UFL | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||
| Season | Team | GP | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | Att | Yds | TD | |
| 1994–1998 | CFL Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football.... |
1249 | 2024 | 61.7 | 16442 | 111 | 52 | 94.9 | |||||
| 1999–2009 | NFL | 131 | 2264 | 3676 | 61.6 | 25537 | 161 | 83 | 87.5 | ||||
| 2010 | UFL | 8 | 132 | 255 | 51.8 | 1321 | 9 | 11 | |||||
| 1994-2010 | COMBINED | 3645 | 5955 | 61.2 | 43300 | 281 | 146 | ||||||
Personal life
Garcia is the third of seven children born to Bob and Linda (née Elder) Garcia. His father is a former athletic director and football coach at Gavilan CollegeGavilan College
Gavilan College is a community college located in Gilroy, California.The college was established in 1919 as the San Benito County Junior College. It operated as such until 1963, when a new community college district was drawn that included both San Benito County and southern Santa Clara County...
in his hometown of Gilroy, California
Gilroy, California
Gilroy is the southernmost city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 48,821 at the 2010 census. Gilroy is well-known for its garlic crop and for the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, featuring various garlicky foods, including garlic ice cream. Gilroy also produces...
. A pair of twin girls died before Garcia's birth. His younger brother Jason drowned on a family camping trip in 1977 when Garcia was seven, and fourteen months later his younger sister Kimberly died after falling out of a truck. His two surviving sisters, Jene and Melissa, were born after the deaths of Jason and Kimberly. Garcia has said that much of his drive stems from trying to make his parents happy after the deaths of his siblings. His maternal grandfather, Maurice "Red" Elder, was a football star at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
in the 1940s; both played in the East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
while in college, the only grandfather/grandson duo to do so. Elder was a longtime coach at Gilroy High School. Garcia donated money to refurbish the athletic field at the school, and the field was renamed Garcia-Elder Field to honor both of them. Garcia, who is of Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
heritage, has also done various charitable work in support of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
Garcia married Carmella DeCesare
Carmella DeCesare
Carmella Danielle Garcia is an American model who was Playboy magazine's Miss April 2003 and Playmate of the Year for 2004. She is of Italian and Puerto Rican descent. She is best known for her time in WWE as a WWE Diva...
, the 2004 Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
Playmate of the Year, on April 21, 2007, in San Martin, California
San Martin, California
San Martin is a census-designated place and an unincorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It takes its name from St. Martin of Tours, the patron saint of early pioneer Martin Murphy, who built the first Catholic church in the area...
. They have a daughter named Presley who was born on April 28, 2008. The couple welcomed their second child, a son, in June 2009. The couple's third child, a son named Jax was born on September 21, 2010.