GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — When McAllen High hits an occasional lull in practice, offensive lineman Andrew Tipton said he looks to Jefry Garcia.
Tipton is a second-year starter and one of the team’s stalwarts on the offensive line. Garcia, on the other hand, almost never plays. Coach Kevin Brewer estimated that he’s been on the field for only about 10 snaps this season.
Still, Garcia has positioned himself as one of the Bulldogs’ unlikely leaders because of his positive attitude and diligent approach.
“He helps us get through practice,” Tipton said. “In those hot practices, we don’t want to be dragged down more. He’ll bring us up, and help us finish.”
Last week, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football recognized Garcia for his efforts, naming him one of five recipients of its Unsung Hero award.
The honor is presented to athletes who symbolize what their team and community strive to represent, and it comes with a $500 scholarship from Texas Farm Bureau Insurance.
“I just give 100 percent, because I know I don’t go as often as the other players, so I make the most if it,” Garcia said. “Just get better every day, and never waste a play.”
Brewer said he was asked for a nomination over the summer and immediately thought of Garcia, given the senior’s limited role and the traditionally unheralded nature of the offensive line position.
Garcia and his teammates had no idea Brewer had made the nomination, so they were shocked to learn he had been chosen. Brewer, too, was caught off guard.
“I was really kind of floored that of all the high schools and all the kids in Texas, they picked him,” Brewer said. “They just saw something in him that I’m glad they saw, because he deserves it.”
Brewer said Garcia arrives to practice every day with a smile on his face and will stop to ask coaches how their day went.
Tipton said Garcia is never late and always brings “good vibes,” keeping other players from getting down on themselves.
“I never get mad,” Garcia said. “I never hold on to any grudge or negative things. I just keep a positive mind throughout the whole practice.
“Sometimes, practice drags, or we do something bad and Coach gets mad,” Garcia added. “But they see me, and they get through with it.”
Garcia is also a strong example in the classroom, Brewer said, making mostly As and Bs. A senior, Garcia is set to go to UTRGV next year, with plans to study computer science.
In the meantime, Brewer will continue to point to him as an example for McHi, which has won back-to-back games to enter the thick of the playoff race at 2-2 in District 30-6A.
“It’s a leadership thing, in that the other role players on the team see him and they’re like, ‘You know what? He’s not pouting,’” Brewer said. “’He doesn’t have a bad attitude. He has this great attitude and great work ethic. Maybe I need to kind of model myself after Jeff.’ The kids love him. His teammates love him to death. And it’s infectious to the whole team.”