Aaron Garcia
Encyclopedia
Aaron Garcia is a Mexican American AFL
quarterback
, who is currently a member of the San Antonio Talons. He played college football
at Sacramento State
. He was originally signed by the Arizona Rattlers
.
In his career, Garcia has also played for the Connecticut Coyotes
, New Jersey Red Dogs, Iowa Barnstormers
, New York Dragons
, and the Jacksonville Sharks
.
Garcia holds the current professional arena football
record for passing yards (50,019), passing touchdowns (1,078), and total touchdowns (1,124).
, with his father as coach
, where he broke John Elway
’s California state high school passing, yardage and touchdown records with a two-year prep total of 5,800 yards and 57 touchdown passes.
in 1989, and started as a redshirt
freshman, contributing 1,591 yards and 11 touchdown passes, leading the Pac-10 in passing efficiency that year. During that year, quarterbacking duties also were shared by junior Brad Gossen, who threw for 1,372 yards and nine touchdowns in an injury shortened season, prior to Garcia being named the starter
. In 1990, a mid-season quarterback controversy erupted when second-year coach Mike Price
benched veterans Gossen and Garcia in favor of true-freshman Drew Bledsoe
.
After Bledsoe's emergence at Washington State in 1990, Garcia transferred to Division I-AA in Sacramento State
and finished his college football
career as the starter there, throwing for 1,798 yards and 13 touchdowns in his senior season.
. He played for the Arizona Rattlers
in 1995, and then moved on to the Connecticut Coyotes
in 1996. He would change teams again in 1997, playing for the New Jersey Red Dogs. He played for the Red Dogs for a year and a half before joining the Iowa Barnstormers
during the 1998 season. Garcia finally settled down in Iowa, and found his greatest success when the Barnstormers became the New York Dragons
in 2001. In the 2001 season, Garcia threw a league record 104 touchdown passes, but this was passed by Clint Dolezel
in 2006.
Garcia briefly left the AFL in 2002, when he was signed by the NFL
's San Francisco 49ers
. He was released in the summer, and returned to the Dragons, who finished 3-11 that year.
On February 26, 2006, Garcia suffered a fractured tibia
and fibula, ending his season. He was replaced by Juston Wood and later Nick Browder
. At the time of the injury, Garcia had thrown more touchdown passes than any pro quarterback, however, Andy Kelly
and Clint Dolezel moved ahead of Garcia while he was injured.
On June 2, 2007, Garcia became the fourth quarterback in AFL history to throw 800 touchdowns, joining Dolezel, Sherdrick Bonner
, and Kelly.
In 2008, Garcia led the Dragons to the playoffs despite finishing the season with an 8-8 record. In the first round playoff game, Garcia and the Dragons defeated a heavily favored Dallas Desperados
team who finished the year at 12-4. Garcia and Dolezel squared off at quarterbacks against each other, and Garcia out dueled Dolezel throwing nine touchdown passes to Dolezel's seven. The following week, New York lost on the final play off the game to the Philadelphia Soul
, who would go on to win ArenaBowl XXII
.
The Arena Football League
suspended operations in 2009. On January 21, 2010, Garcia signed with the expansion Jacksonville Sharks
when the Arena Football League
reformed in 2010.
On May 1, 2010, Garcia threw his 900th touchdown pass to Salé Key in a 62-60 win over the Tulsa Talons
.
On June 5, 2010, Garcia became the all-time leader in passing touchdowns in Arena Football history, with 932 touchdown passes thrown.
On April 30, 2011, Garcia connected with Jeron Harvey for his 1,000th career touchdown pass. Jacksonville Sharks
went on to beat in-state rival Orlando Predators
76-55.
On July 22, 2011, Garcia became the first AFL quarterback to cross the 50,000th yard milestone in a 75-56 victory over the Spokane Shock
.
On August 12, 2011, with two seconds remaining in the 4th quarter, he threw the winning touchdown pass as time expired in Arena Bowl XXIV to win his first Arena Bowl title for the Jacksonville Sharks.
On September 27, 2011, Garcia was officially announced as the first player to sign with the relocated San Antonio Talons franchise. He also persuaded former Jacksonville teammate Robert Quiroga, who is a San Antonio native, to sign with the team as well.
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, who is currently a member of the San Antonio Talons. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Sacramento State
California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento, popularly known as Sacramento State, is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the California State University system...
. He was originally signed by the Arizona Rattlers
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
.
In his career, Garcia has also played for the Connecticut Coyotes
Connecticut Coyotes
The Connecticut Coyotes were a franchise in the Arena Football League.-History:They competed in the 1995 and 1996 AFL seasons. They played their home games at the Hartford Civic Center....
, New Jersey Red Dogs, Iowa Barnstormers
Iowa Barnstormers
The Iowa Barnstormers are an arena football team based in Des Moines, Iowa. They are currently members of the Arena Football League , which they joined in 2010 following the organization's restructuring...
, New York Dragons
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
, and the Jacksonville Sharks
Jacksonville Sharks
The Jacksonville Sharks were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They competed for part of the 1974 season in the World Football League, a failed attempt to launch a major professional football league in the United States in competition with the National Football...
.
Garcia holds the current professional arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
record for passing yards (50,019), passing touchdowns (1,078), and total touchdowns (1,124).
High school career
Garcia attended Grant Union High School where he played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, with his father as coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, where he broke John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
’s California state high school passing, yardage and touchdown records with a two-year prep total of 5,800 yards and 57 touchdown passes.
College career
He went to Washington State UniversityWashington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
in 1989, and started as a redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
freshman, contributing 1,591 yards and 11 touchdown passes, leading the Pac-10 in passing efficiency that year. During that year, quarterbacking duties also were shared by junior Brad Gossen, who threw for 1,372 yards and nine touchdowns in an injury shortened season, prior to Garcia being named the starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
. In 1990, a mid-season quarterback controversy erupted when second-year coach Mike Price
Mike Price
Mike Price is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso , a position he has held since 2004...
benched veterans Gossen and Garcia in favor of true-freshman Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
.
After Bledsoe's emergence at Washington State in 1990, Garcia transferred to Division I-AA in Sacramento State
California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento, popularly known as Sacramento State, is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the California State University system...
and finished his college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
career as the starter there, throwing for 1,798 yards and 13 touchdowns in his senior season.
Professional career
Following his college career, he turned to Arena FootballArena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
. He played for the Arizona Rattlers
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
in 1995, and then moved on to the Connecticut Coyotes
Connecticut Coyotes
The Connecticut Coyotes were a franchise in the Arena Football League.-History:They competed in the 1995 and 1996 AFL seasons. They played their home games at the Hartford Civic Center....
in 1996. He would change teams again in 1997, playing for the New Jersey Red Dogs. He played for the Red Dogs for a year and a half before joining the Iowa Barnstormers
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
during the 1998 season. Garcia finally settled down in Iowa, and found his greatest success when the Barnstormers became the New York Dragons
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
in 2001. In the 2001 season, Garcia threw a league record 104 touchdown passes, but this was passed by Clint Dolezel
Clint Dolezel
Clint Dolezel is Offensive Coordinator of the Philadelphia Soul, an Indoor Football team belonging to the Arena Football League . As an AFL player, he was originally signed by the Milwaukee Mustangs...
in 2006.
Garcia briefly left the AFL in 2002, when he was signed by the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. He was released in the summer, and returned to the Dragons, who finished 3-11 that year.
On February 26, 2006, Garcia suffered a fractured tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
and fibula, ending his season. He was replaced by Juston Wood and later Nick Browder
Nick Browder
Nick Browder is an quarterback who played in the Arena Football League for the Buffalo Destroyers , the Grand Rapids Rampage , the Detroit Fury , and the Philadelphia Soul before signing with his 2006 team, the New York Dragons. In 2007, he signed with the Dallas Desperados as the backup to...
. At the time of the injury, Garcia had thrown more touchdown passes than any pro quarterback, however, Andy Kelly
Andy Kelly
Andy Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the Arena Football League. He played in the AFL for fifteen seasons. He also played for two seasons for the Rhein Fire of the former World League of American Football....
and Clint Dolezel moved ahead of Garcia while he was injured.
On June 2, 2007, Garcia became the fourth quarterback in AFL history to throw 800 touchdowns, joining Dolezel, Sherdrick Bonner
Sherdrick Bonner
Sherdrick Bonner is a former Arena football quarterback who is currently the offensive coordinator of the Chicago Rush in the Arena Football League.-High school years:...
, and Kelly.
In 2008, Garcia led the Dragons to the playoffs despite finishing the season with an 8-8 record. In the first round playoff game, Garcia and the Dragons defeated a heavily favored Dallas Desperados
Dallas Desperados
The Dallas Desperados were a professional Arena Football team. The Desperados played in the Southern Division of the now-defunct Arena Football League from 2002 to 2008....
team who finished the year at 12-4. Garcia and Dolezel squared off at quarterbacks against each other, and Garcia out dueled Dolezel throwing nine touchdown passes to Dolezel's seven. The following week, New York lost on the final play off the game to the Philadelphia Soul
Philadelphia Soul
The Philadelphia Soul are an Arena Football League team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They began play in as an expansion team. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the American Conference. They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII...
, who would go on to win ArenaBowl XXII
ArenaBowl XXII
ArenaBowl XXII was played on July 27, 2008 at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana . It was the 22nd and final championship game in the history of the original Arena Football League. This was the fourth neutral site ArenaBowl in AFL history and the second ArenaBowl in the state of Louisiana...
.
The Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
suspended operations in 2009. On January 21, 2010, Garcia signed with the expansion Jacksonville Sharks
Jacksonville Sharks
The Jacksonville Sharks were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They competed for part of the 1974 season in the World Football League, a failed attempt to launch a major professional football league in the United States in competition with the National Football...
when the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
reformed in 2010.
On May 1, 2010, Garcia threw his 900th touchdown pass to Salé Key in a 62-60 win over the Tulsa Talons
Tulsa Talons
The San Antonio Talons are a professional arena football franchise in San Antonio, Texas that plays in the Arena Football League.The Talons began in 2000 in Tulsa, Oklahoma as the Tulsa Talons, a charter member of the defunct minor league Arena Football 2, also known as af2...
.
On June 5, 2010, Garcia became the all-time leader in passing touchdowns in Arena Football history, with 932 touchdown passes thrown.
On April 30, 2011, Garcia connected with Jeron Harvey for his 1,000th career touchdown pass. Jacksonville Sharks
Jacksonville Sharks
The Jacksonville Sharks were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They competed for part of the 1974 season in the World Football League, a failed attempt to launch a major professional football league in the United States in competition with the National Football...
went on to beat in-state rival Orlando Predators
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 19 seasons in a row, as of the season, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000...
76-55.
On July 22, 2011, Garcia became the first AFL quarterback to cross the 50,000th yard milestone in a 75-56 victory over the Spokane Shock
Spokane Shock
The Spokane Shock is a professional arena football team of the Arena Football League from Spokane, Washington, USA. They play their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena...
.
On August 12, 2011, with two seconds remaining in the 4th quarter, he threw the winning touchdown pass as time expired in Arena Bowl XXIV to win his first Arena Bowl title for the Jacksonville Sharks.
On September 27, 2011, Garcia was officially announced as the first player to sign with the relocated San Antonio Talons franchise. He also persuaded former Jacksonville teammate Robert Quiroga, who is a San Antonio native, to sign with the team as well.
Career stats
| | Passing | | Rushing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Comp | ATT | % | YDS | TD | INT | Rate | ATT | YDS | TD |
| 1995 1995 Arena Football League season The 1995 Arena Football League season was the 9th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Tampa Bay Storm, who defeated the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl IX. The AFL re-aligned its divisions for the 3rd straight year. It re-aligned to two divisions per conference... |
Arizona Rattlers Arizona Rattlers The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center... |
175 | 284 | 61.6 | 2,416 | 43 | 8 | 115.0 | 15 | 44 | 0 |
| 1996 1996 Arena Football League season The 1996 Arena Football League season was the 10th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Tampa Bay Storm, who defeated the Iowa Barnstormers in ArenaBowl X. The AFL finally stabilized its scheduled number of games. It expanded to a 14-game season, which would remain... |
Connecticut Coyotes Connecticut Coyotes The Connecticut Coyotes were a franchise in the Arena Football League.-History:They competed in the 1995 and 1996 AFL seasons. They played their home games at the Hartford Civic Center.... |
136 | 271 | 50.2 | 1,779 | 31 | 4 | 93.7 | 12 | 17 | 3 |
| 1997 1997 Arena Football League season The 1997 Arena Football League season was the 11th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Arizona Rattlers, who defeated the Iowa Barnstormers in ArenaBowl XI.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth... |
New Jersey Red Dogs | 76 | 138 | 55.1 | 950 | 16 | 7 | 84.5 | 14 | 19 | 2 |
| 1998 1998 Arena Football League season The 1998 Arena Football League season was the 12th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Orlando Predators, who defeated the Tampa Bay Storm in ArenaBowl XII.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth... |
New Jersey Red Dogs | 91 | 140 | 65.0 | 1,158 | 18 | 5 | 108.0 | 19 | 94 | 8 |
| 1998 1998 Arena Football League season The 1998 Arena Football League season was the 12th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Orlando Predators, who defeated the Tampa Bay Storm in ArenaBowl XII.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth... |
Iowa Barnstormers | 200 | 343 | 58.3 | 2,457 | 43 | 9 | 100.9 | 20 | 23 | 7 |
| 1999 1999 Arena Football League season The 1999 Arena Football League season was the 13th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Albany Firebirds, who defeated the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl XIII.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth... |
Iowa Barnstormers | 283 | 468 | 60.5 | 3,815 | 68 | 15 | 109.4 | 53 | 115 | 15 |
| 2000 2000 Arena Football League season The 2000 Arena Football League season was the 14th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Orlando Predators, who defeated the Nashville Kats in ArenaBowl XIV.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth... |
Iowa Barnstormers | 270 | 466 | 57.9 | 4,026 | 92 | 8 | 118.8 | 13 | 18 | 0 |
| 2001 2001 Arena Football League season The 2001 Arena Football League season was the 15th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Grand Rapids Rampage, who defeated the Nashville Kats in ArenaBowl XV.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth... |
New York Dragons New York Dragons The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded... |
368 | 529 | 69.6 | 4,515 | 104 | 16 | 122.6 | 9 | 32 | 2 |
| 2002 2002 Arena Football League season The 2002 Arena Football League season was the 16th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the San Jose SaberCats, who defeated the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVI... |
New York Dragons | 112 | 188 | 59.6 | 1,390 | 29 | 9 | 101.2 | 11 | 34 | 0 |
| 2003 2003 Arena Football League season The 2003 Arena Football League season was the 17th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Tampa Bay Storm, who defeated the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVII. The AFL expanded its season to a 16-game schedule... |
New York Dragons | 329 | 513 | 64.1 | 4,279 | 100 | 10 | 121.7 | 11 | 33 | 1 |
| 2004 2004 Arena Football League season The 2004 Arena Football League season was the 18th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the San Jose SaberCats, who defeated the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVIII... |
New York Dragons | 279 | 459 | 60.8 | 3,797 | 91 | 13 | 115.0 | 14 | 13 | 4 |
| 2005 2005 Arena Football League season The 2005 Arena Football League season was the 19th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Colorado Crush, who defeated the Georgia Force in ArenaBowl XIX. The AFL changed its playoff format to allow the top four teams per conference to make the playoffs. Previously, the... |
New York Dragons | 345 | 516 | 66.7 | 4,112 | 90 | 13 | 120.1 | 8 | -11 | 0 |
| 2006 2006 Arena Football League season The 2006 Arena Football League season was the 20th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Chicago Rush, who defeated the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl XX.... |
New York Dragons | 121 | 157 | 77.1 | 1,417 | 32 | 4 | 132.9 | 5 | 12 | 0 |
| 2007 2007 New York Dragons season The 2007 New York Dragons season was the 12th season for the franchise. They look to make the playoffs again after finishing 2006 with an 10-6 record... |
New York Dragons | 149 | 227 | 65.6 | 1,724 | 46 | 4 | 120.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 2008 New York Dragons season The 2008 New York Dragons season is the 14th season for the franchise, their eighth season in New York. The Dragons finished the regular season with an 8-8 record, and were able to take the 6th and final playoff seed in the National Conference by virtue of winning a tiebreaker scenario over the New... |
New York Dragons | 336 | 500 | 67.2 | 3,533 | 78 | 9 | 119.0 | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| 2010 2010 Jacksonville Sharks season The 2010 Jacksonville Sharks season was the inaugural season for the franchise in the Arena Football League. The team was coached by Les Moss and played their home games at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. The Sharks put together a 12–4 record, winning the South division and was also the top... |
Jacksonville Sharks Jacksonville Sharks The Jacksonville Sharks were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They competed for part of the 1974 season in the World Football League, a failed attempt to launch a major professional football league in the United States in competition with the National Football... |
312 | 486 | 64.2 | 3,718 | 82 | 16 | 113.3 | 9 | -29 | 1 |
| 2011 2011 Jacksonville Sharks season The 2011 Jacksonville Sharks season was the second season for the franchise in the Arena Football League. The team was coached by Les Moss and played their home games at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. In the regular season, the Sharks went 14–4, qualifying for the playoffs as the top seed in... |
Jacksonville Sharks | 402 | 562 | 71.5 | 4,933 | 116 | 17 | 125.2 | 4 | 24 | 1 |
| Career | 3,984 | 6,247 | 63.8 | 50,019 | 1,078 | 167 | 117.0 | 224 | 444 | 46 | |