Max Garcia is a rock. It’s his job to be one.
A steady anchor cemented in the mud-caked turf hit after hit, yard after yard, game after game.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Still, there he stands like a stone wall.
On Monday afternoon, the wall came down.
In its place stood a man, exposed and impassioned. Poignant and sentimental. Human and real.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Max Garcia cried.
Under the lights, in front of the cameras, he let the people know that he loves his brother.
"I get emotional talking about him just cause," Garcia starts but can’t finish.
His head starts to bob as he takes a moment for a deep breath.
"He’s a hard worker, man."
No description may be more fitting when talking about Michael McNeely.
Fewer than 24 hours after turning the tide of the Georgia matchup with a 21-yard touchdown run on a fake field goal, McNeely exchanged his helmet and pads for a Publix apron and nametag.
And in a few years, he might hang all of that up for a white coat.
McNeely was just accepted into Florida’s medical school so it wasn’t too much of a surprise when he took home the University of Florida President’s Academic Award in 2013, which is an honor given to the squad’s top student-athlete.
But first and foremost, McNeely is a brother, a key member of Florida’s football family despite a mostly barren stat line.
"He’s just motivation for the team and guys like him are why we are going to be able to be successful because he cares about this program," Garcia said. "I love him."
McNeely serves as the antithesis of the team’s "woe is me" attitude of 2013.
After he broke his foot in 2012, the wide receiver played in all 12 games. All on special teams.
The same player who set a Palm Harbor University High record in receptions and yards during a single season was relegated to perform Florida’s most thankless jobs on the field.
He could have starred at Harvard or Dartmouth, two schools he flirted with during high school.
But McNeely’s efforts have not gone unnoticed with the Gators.
The entire team mobbed him when he earned a scholarship during fall camp earlier this season and he was mobbed again when that decision finally paid off with a touchdown on Saturday.
"I think if we had a whole team full of McNeelys, we’d be a national championship team just because of the way he plays," Garcia said.
"Everything he does on and off the field is championship level."
Garcia paid his 5-foot-8, 176-pound brother a visit at Publix on Sunday.
He wanted to say hi and snag a selfie with Florida’s most popular cashier.
Why?
It’s pretty simple.
"McNeely’s my boy."
Follow Jonathan Czupryn on Twitter @JCzupryn
Max Garcia and Chaz Green celebrate with Mike McNeely after his touchdown during Florida's 38-20 win against Georgia on Saturday
