Former San Jose State University quarterback whose 18 season professional football career included 12 years in the National Football League (NFL) is one of 122 modern-era nominees for Pro Football's Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
Garcia came to the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL in 1999 after five seasons with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. His travels through the NFL after five seasons as a 49er included stops in Cleveland (2004), Detroit (2005), Philadelphia, twice (2006, 2009), Tampa Bay (2007, 08) and Houston (2011).
In 125 games, he had a quarterback rating of 87.5, passed for 25,537 yards and 161 touchdowns and rushed for 2,140 yards and 26 scores. Four times, Garcia was in the top-10 in quarterback rating. He was named to the Pro Bowl three consecutive seasons, 2000, 2001 and 2002, as a 49er and in 2007 with Tampa Bay.
Garcia is one of seven quarterbacks and 122 players eligible to named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020 which will induct 20 league greats as part of the NFL's Centennial celebration in the 2020 calendar year.
Other modern-era quarterbacks are Randall Cunningham, Jake Delhomme, Boomer Esiason, Jeff Hostetler, Dave Krieg and Donovan McNabb.
Five will selected from the 122 modern-era players to join 10 "senior" players, three contributors, and two coaches. "Senior" players are defined as players retired for more than 25 seasons. Former San Jose State two-sport star and five-time Pro Bowl selection Louie Wright, a cornerback for the Denver Broncos for 12 seasons (1975-86), would be a candidate from the "Senior" category selection process.
Garcia enrolled at San Jose State in 1990 and redshirted that season. In his three seasons as a Spartan, he passed for 6,545 yards and 48 touchdowns. Garcia quarterbacked the Spartans to their first win against a Big Ten opponent in the 1992 win at Minnesota and three weeks later was the holder for Joe Nedney's record-setting 60-yard field goal to win the October 3 game at Wyoming, 26-24.
The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020 will be announced on February 1 and enshrined in Canton, Ohio, the weekend of August 6-9.