Jeff Garcia is the fifth quarterback in 49ers history to be selected to the Pro Bowl, joining Steve Young, Joe Montana, John Brodie, Y.A. Tittle and Frank Albert.
Coming out of San Jose State in 1994, Jeff was completely overlooked in the NFL draft. He decided to take his game north to the Canadian Football League to refine his skills.
By his fourth season in the CFL, Garcia had turned himself into an NFL talent, leading his Calgary Stampeders to a Grey Cup Championship and earning himself MVP honors.
In Canada, Jeff was a teammate of The Rock.
Over the years, Garcia was denied contracts by the Raiders, the Jaguars, the Rams and the Packers. After just 3 full years in the League, Jeff is a 2-time Pro Bowl selection.
Garcia wears #5 because it stands for the "Garcia 5," a tribute to the 5 members in his family - himself, his parents and his 2 sisters.
Bill Walsh compares Garcia's quarterback instincts to those of Brett Favre and Joe Montana.
Playing under his father in junior college in California, Jeff first learned how to throw accurately on the run - one of the staples of his game today.
While in Canada, Jeff backed up a true CFL legend - Doug Flutie. Jeff says he looked up to Doug for the way he handled himself on and off the field.
The Garcias' home in Gilroy, California is so well known that strangers consistently leaves gifts for the family or items for Jeff to sign on the doorstep.

"I want the guy who follows me to have to worry about following me, following Steve Young, following Joe Montana."

- 49ers QB Jeff Garcia on The Life
The Life caught up with Jeff during a weight-lifting session. Garcia, a health and fitness nut, gave us his philosophy on staying in shape. "There's no reason why you can't or shouldn't be in shape playing at the professional level," says Garcia. "What else do you have to do? It's your job" … Jeff and his 49ers teammates have nicknamed the team's equipment manager, Kevin Lartigue, "'Tigue Can I Have?" because that's how every sentence seems to start when players approach him … Despite being undersized for an NFL quarterback, Jeff describes himself as "6-foot and 1/2", 195 lbs. and ready to rock" … On their first date, Jeff's girlfriend Michelle wore a Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt. The Cowboys are now her 2nd favorite team … Garcia recently purchased 2 motorcycles at a charity event and gave them to this parents, who ride them all the time. Jeff's mother claims in all seriousness that she owns a leather jacket that says "One Bad Mother" on the back … Jeff's father laughs and tells The Life a story about how ESPN's own draft expert Mel Kiper, Jr. didn't give his son much of a chance to make it in the NFL. "Hey Mel, what about him now, big guy?"
NFL.com - http://www.nfl.com/players/146325.htm - The NFL's own Jeff Garcia page, complete with bio and stats.

Lift with Jeff - http://www.maxsportsmag.com/coverstory/issue27/27cov1.htm - How to get diesel the Jeff Garcia way. Here's a section from Max Sports Magazine detailing Jeff's strict workout program.
May 17 @ 12:30 AM on ESPN

May 18 @ 3 AM on ESPN

May 21 @ 1:30 AM on ESPN2

May 21 @ 1:30 PM on ESPN

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