GRULLA — Receivers may be the most misunderstood position in all of football.
From Dez Bryant and Odell Beckham Jr.’s passionate sideline outbursts, to Keyshawn Johnson’s famous words — “Just give me the damn ball” — it’s easy to see why they’re sometimes labeled as “divas.”
But there’s one receiver in the Rio Grande Valley who has quietly become one of the best in the state at the Class 4A level.
Grulla’s Jesse Garza, like every big-time receiver, wants the ball in his hands as much as possible, because with the speed and ability he possesses, he can break the game open with just one play.
But he just goes about his business and doesn’t make too much noise. He leaves that for the crowd to do once he’s in the end zone after another touchdown grab for the Grulla Gators.
Through Week 7, Garza leads all Rio Grande Valley pass-catchers with 762 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in six games. He also ranks second in the state in 4A with 127 yards per game, and fourth in total receiving yards, according to MaxPreps.com.
Grulla head coach Abel Gonzalez III said Garza simply loves working on his craft — the game of football.
“He’s a humble kid, he’s soft-spoken, he’s not going to talk too much, but his actions really speak louder than his words,” Gonzalez said. “I’m just extremely proud of him because all the work he’s put in is coming out on Friday nights.”
Garza approaches the receiver position with a combination of finesse and ferocity. Each movement he makes on the football field, from his first-step to the slightest head-fake, is executed with the intent of ending up in the end zone, a place he’s plenty familiar with 27 touchdowns in his last 17 games.
The senior receiver said he models his game after two current NFL pass-catchers — an undrafted free-agent and a seventh-round draft pick who worked to carve a role for themselves under football’s brightest lights.
“Right now, it’s Adam Theilen (Minnesota Vikings) and Julian Edelman (New England Patriots) — their route-running, their hands and the way they catch the ball when they’re covered. It’s all about footwork, your form and getting off the press,” Garza said.
During Week 6 against Port Isabel, Garza exploded for 291 receiving yards and three touchdown catches as the Gators came away with a 35-34 win.
His skill on the outside has been a tremendous boost for first-year starting quarterback JT Trujio, who has thrown for 1,195 yards and 14 touchdowns this season and has established a rapport with Garza, his go-to guy.
“I know that he’ll find a way to get open. No matter what the play is, he’ll find a way to get open,” Trujio said of Garza. “It all goes back to practice and studying, knowing the defense and running those routes and bringing it to the game.”
Grulla (3-3, 0-0), is coming off its bye with two weeks to prepare for its next challenge, a road game against the Hidalgo Pirates, a team riding a six-game win streak.
The Gators earned a 28-14 win over the Pirates in last year’s game.
“Hidalgo is doing a great job; they’re big, they’re physical and they’re playing very sound football on both sides,” Gonzalez said. “We’re going to have to be sharp on our end, and we’re looking forward to the battle on Friday.”
Kickoff between Grulla and Hidalgo is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Bill Pate Stadium in Hidalgo.