Aaron Garcia - New York Dragons - Arena Football League - On MLN Sports Zone

Father Knows Best
AFL star Aaron Garcia credits his dad for developing his love for the game.

04.17.03 - NEW YORK - Aaron Garcia always wanted to be a quarterback. You could say, he gets it from his father.

Henry Garcia was also a quarterback and eventually became the football coach at Grant High School in Sacramento, California, his old stomping grounds.

Henry, however, did not allow young Aaron to play football until he was a freshman in high school.

"He didn't want me to play football until I was fully developed," the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Garcia said.

When Aaron did put on the pads, Henry took on the role as his son's coach on the same field where he had been a quarterback years before.

"When I finally got to play, I just couldn't get enough of it. It was a natural fit. I had the opportunity to play for someone who was not only my father, but also my role model. Those are probably the best memories I have playing football."

That is how the journey of one of the AFL's all-time greats began.

In his ninth AFL season, Garcia, 32, has many football memories to his credit, including week 8, when he surpassed both the 500-touchdown and 25,000-yard AFL passing milestones in the same day. Garcia was named AFL Offensive Player of the Week for his 339-yard, eight-touchdown performance in a 54-51 win at Chicago.

"I realized the 500th touchdown because people were talking about (Detroit'
s) Andy Kelly and me racing to get there," Garcia said of the accomplishment. "I didn't really know about the 25,000 yards. The biggest thing on my mind was just trying to beat Chicago."

To date, Garcia - among the leading candidates for Offensive Player of the
Year honors - has completed 216 of 308 pass attempts for 2,736 yards and 61
touchdowns with only five interceptions.

He had led New York (2-6) to two consecutive wins and has kept their playoff hopes alive. Aaron has also caught the eye of someone who knows a little something about playing the position.

Add Colorado Crush President, and future Hall-of-Fame QB John Elway, to the growing list of Garcia's admirers.

"Aaron has had a great career at all levels," Elway said. "It is nice to see a guy having the success he has had to break these records. He has a quick release, he's accurate, and moves very well in the pocket. Aaron is a great athlete, and knows the game as well as anybody. He is a credit to the Arena Football League."

Garcia's first start in the AFL came in 1995 with Danny White and the Arizona Rattlers. He then moved around to Connecticut, Iowa, and New Jersey, before finding his place in the Iowa Barnstormers/New York Dragons organization.

He would fill the passing vacancy left by Kurt Warner with the Barnstormers, successively claiming all of Warner's team passing records.

Garcia went on to set new benchmarks for AFL passing - throwing for 92
touchdowns in 2000 and a history-making 104 in 2001.

Despite the attention Garcia has received for his individual success, he has set his sights higher ... on an ArenaBowl title.

"All of these records might mean something more to me down the line - maybe
I can tell my kids some tall tales," he said. "But right now, the only goal is winning the ArenaBowl. That's what really matters."

This season, the AFL's championship game will be televised nationally live on NBC. The network exposure has Garcia thrilled.

"I think it's huge. When I came into the League years ago, we talked about it, we dreamed about it, we worked hard for it for a long time," he said. "Hopefully our play on the field is living up to the expectations and what the fans are looking for."

At the season's midway mark, the Dragons are two games behind first place in
the Eastern Division. Garcia is quick to credit his primary go-to guy, OS Mike Furrey, who has collected 1,122 yards and 31 touchdowns.

"He is an incredible talent. It's hard for me to talk about him without smiling or laughing, because he has so much fun out there on the field," Garcia said. "He's so creative. We have a good relationship and trust each other. That's one of the most exciting parts about football -- the bond built in the heat of battle on the field, which then often carries off the field."

This offseason marked the first time in seven years that Garcia did not coach football at his old high school. Instead, he spent his time with his children, Gabriella (4) and Isabella (1).

He took the role of an athlete's father, coaching his daughter and other four-year-olds in soccer and basketball.

Father knows best. Just ask Henry Garcia.