Garcia watching Foles’ run
Ex-S.F. QB lifted Philly in 2006
In mid-December, in the days after Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz sustained a season-ending knee injury, Jeff Garcia, 47, a man deep into retirement, heard from some of the fans who fell in love with him more than a decade ago.
On social media, they posed, in various ways, this question: Are you ready to do it again?
“The Eagles’ fans reach out and express their gratitude — to the point that when the injury happened to Wentz, some were wanting me to come back and play for them, which is completely out of the question,” Garcia said, laughing. “But it’s fun to hear that type of appreciation and support. They haven’t forgotten what I was able to do out there for them that year.”
Indeed, during the 2006 season, Garcia, a QB most closely identified with the 49ers, left an indelible imprint on Philadelphia. What Nick Foles has done while replacing Wentz — and leading the Ea-
gles to Super Bowl LII on Sunday against the Patriots — harks back to when Garcia subbed for injured Donovan McNabb and quickly felt the embrace of the sports-crazed City of Brotherly Love.
Garcia directed the Eagles to a home playoff win, which stood as their last postseason victory at Lincoln Financial Field until a 15-10 divisional win over Atlanta on Jan. 13.
Garcia’s starting stint lasted just 48 days, but it endures 11 years later. His eight-game run birthed two phrases that have become part of Eagles-fan lexicon — “Merry Christmas, Philadelphia” and “Jeff Garcia, baby, he’s our baby” — and inspired fervor best symbolized by what adorned a city symbol: At one point, a Garciathemed T-shirt that read “A Fighter Fights” was placed on the Rocky statue outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Garcia’s connection to the city gives him a rooting interest in Sunday’s game, and a perspective on what could happen if the Eagles win their first NFL title since 1960. His guess: The celebration by the most passionate fans he encountered in his five-team, 11-year career would last a week.
He noted police slathered downtown lightpoles in Crisco to prevents fans from climbing them before the Eagles beat the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.
“It’s a fan base, where, really, their Monday work day depends on what the team does on Sunday,” Garcia said. “That’s Philadelphia. Their fans, they live and die for their team. You live that and you feel that in the passion that they have. It’s not always a great thing to be around if you’re not on the good side of the Philadelphia fan base. Fortunately, I didn’t experience that.”
Instead, Garcia experienced mostly success after McNabb tore his ACL during a loss to Tennessee that dropped the Eagles to 5-5 on Nov. 19, 2006.
Garcia’s first start was a 45-21 loss at Indianapolis, the eventual Super Bowl champion, and then the success began: Garcia threw nine touchdown passes, two interceptions, posted a 105.2 passer rating and landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated while leading the Eagles to five straight seasonending wins and the NFC East title.
The streak included a brutal stretch — three consecutive road games against division opponents — that was capped with a 23-7 victory at Dallas on Christmas Day. In a postgame interview on national TV, Garcia finished by yelling “Merry Christmas, Philadelphia!”
“And that just resonated with the fans in Philly to the point where I get people to this day repeating that to me,” Garcia said. “… Those type of things they just never forget. They never forget when they embrace one of theirs and one of theirs appreciates them. I think that’s what it was: It was a mutual appreciation.”
Garcia became beloved because he won, but his underdog story added to the affection in the city of Rocky Balboa.
Garcia, undersized (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) and undrafted out of San Jose State, entered the NFL with the 49ers at age 29 after playing in the Canadian Football League. He went to three Pro Bowls (2000-02) with the 49ers, but he joined the Eagles in 2006 after enduring a series of humbling setbacks.
After the 49ers released him following the 2003 season, Garcia spent forgettable oneseason stints with hopeless franchises, the Browns and Lions, before landing in Philadelphia. In other words: When he inherited a 5-5 team, he was viewed as washed-up 36-yearold backup incapable of salvaging the season.
Then he began winning games with a feisty flair. During a regular-season win over the Giants, he spiked the ball after running for a first down and drew a taunting penalty. Said head coach Andy Reid: “He is a competitive little son of a gun.”
“I think the (fans) saw me as being similar to them,” Garcia said. “Not necessarily the entitled player, but more the grinder. The hard worker. The guy who battles through adversity, who is physically and mentally tough. I think they just kind of related to me because in some ways, I exemplified who they are as people.”
Garcia’s last win with the Eagles was a 23-20 wild-card victory over the Giants. After the game, a clearly intoxicated fan was interviewed on NBC Sports Philadelphia, and screamed a drunken ode to the savior QB: “Jeff Garcia, baby, he’s our baby! He’s it, baby!” while fans behind him roared.
Thanks to social media, the video recently resurfaced and the fan, Larry Poff, a union contractor, has attained a minor celebrity status. In October, when he was interacting with an Eagles fan on Twitter, Garcia termed it “the best video ever” and it has become a popular meme in Philadelphia.
“It’s hilarious to see,” Garcia said.
The Eagles’ run with Garcia ended with a 27-24 divisionalround loss to the Saints, but his performance in Philadelphia rejuvenated his career. He spent his final two full seasons with Tampa Bay and led the Buccaneers to the playoffs while earning a Pro Bowl berth in 2007.
In retirement, Garcia has spent some of his time coaching. In fact, he worked with Foles when he served as an offensive assistant with the Rams in 2015. This season, Garcia served as an analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area and closely observed his first NFL team.
However, in December, when Wentz was injured and replaced by Foles, Garcia’s thoughts often turned to 2006. He was besieged by interview requests from Philadelphiaarea media and received those wild social-media requests from fans hoping he could reprise his sensational season.
In Philadelphia, Garcia, of course, can no longer be their quarterback.
But he’ll always be their baby.