Talking with Max Garcia in Birmingham, before the Birmingham Bowl, he was ready to play in the Medal of Honor game. The Gators’ senior center had been rumored to be on the invite list to the more prestigious Senior Bowl, but as of the first of the year he hadn’t been invited.
When the invitation did come, Garcia changed plans and readied himself for the circus that awaited him. Senior Bowl participants are run through the ringer, meeting NFL teams and scouts. They’re paraded on stage in little more than underwear as those same scouts and general managers critique everything from their height and weight to how long their arms are. The week can be stressful but it’s an opportunity that a lot of people don’t get the chance to take advantage of.
Garcia did have a heads up on what to expect, “I talked to Jon Halapio before I came out and he said this is just a great experience. It’s been real cool, real exciting just to experience all of this.”
Garcia started his career playing left tackle at Maryland. He would transfer to Florida following his sophomore season and after sitting out a year would earn a starting spot on the offensive line — but not at his old home at tackle. Garcia moved inside to guard where he started every game as a redshirt junior. Then, with senior Jonotthan Harrison leaving school, Garcia was asked to move to center. It would be the third position that he would play in five years but it has given him an advantage as he heads into this week.
“I think this season helped me out a lot. Just being able to watch film and understand what’s going on and then being able to apply that to the game,” he said. “You kind of see stuff coming before it’s even coming. You get to anticipate the defense and what they’re doing before they even do it.”
Learning the ins and outs of an offense and getting into the film room to study defenses helped Garcia become a better, more well rounded player. It also helped the Gators last season as they had to rely on a freshman quarterback.
“I knew what I was supposed to do, so I didn’t really need the quarterback to make calls for us. With Jeff he was the more mature quarterback and he was able to make he right calls to the linebacker and the right front calls consistently,” said Garcia. “I think that’s something that Treon is going to improve on going in to next year, you know, he was only a freshman, just inexperienced.”
Garcia worked strictly at center the first day of practice but he got reps at guard on day two. That versatility — the same that he displayed while playing every offensive line position at the college level — will make an impression on scouts and NFL teams as he gets ready for the NFL Combine and the next step of his career.
As Garcia gets ready, where he came from and his support system isn’t lost on him. Garcia didn’t choose Florida out of high school but he dove head first into the culture in Gainesville, soaking everything that he could in.
“To Gator fans I just say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for an unbelievable experience,” Garcia said.
“I appreciate them so much. I don’t believe in being a former Gator, I believe in being a Gator because once you’re a Gator you’re always a Gator. I’m just super excited to be part of being an alumni now, super excited for that. I’m excited to be able to Gainesville now, just knowing that that’s my home.
‘Talking with Max Garcia in Birmingham before the Birmingham Bowl he was ready to play in the Medal of Honor game’. Nick, please interpret this sentence for me. I have no clue what you are trying to say. Thanks.
Land, it’s just missing a comma after the word ‘Bowl’.
Max is an awesome human being. I hope and wish we can recruit many more lineman or even players anywhere that have his mindset, maturity, loyalty, and that want to be a gator. Congratulations Max on everything and I hope you succeed in the NFL.