Band of Brothers: Michael McNeely and Max Garcia form special bond
By Drew Laing
Published:
It’s easy to forget just how much college football players go through over the course of the entire season. Whether its through the adversity, the success, or the blood, sweat and tears poured out on those football fields nearly every day, players become almost like family.
Seniors Max Garcia and Michael McNeely gave everyone a glimpse this week of just how special those bonds can be. How they can develop into the backbone of college football — brotherhood.
The special friendship between the Garcia and McNeely was brought to the forefront following an incredible upset victory over the Georgia Bulldogs.
McNeely, a former walk-on wide receiver, sparingly played throughout his five-year career at Florida. Often just filling in on special teams, McNeely finally got his chance to shine, ironically in Florida’s biggest game of the season.
The 5-foot-8, 176-pound wideout subbed into the game undetected by the UGA defense and was able to execute a fake field goal run for 39 yards and give Florida its first touchdown of the game. It was easily the biggest moment of the game as the Gators used that momentum and scored 31 unanswered points en route to a 38-20 victory.
Following the big win, McNeely became somewhat of a folk hero to Gator Nation. At his Publix shift the next day, several fans and players showed up to the grocery store snapping photos with McNeely and even asking him to sign some receipts.
One of those players who came to support McNeely during his work shift was the Gators’ 6-foot-4, 310-pound starting center.
Had to catch my boy before he got off work !!! #McNeely pic.twitter.com/qrul8p8LpC
— Max G (@MGarcia_76) November 2, 2014
When asked about the impact of McNeely’s touchdown during his Monday press conference, Garcia was brought to tears saying he couldn’t think of anyone who deserved that moment more than him.
“I was so happy to see McNeely score. I don’t think there’s anyone on this team more deserving to be the hero. He’s a great dude,” Garcia said fighting back the tears. “I get emotional talking about him just because he’s a hard worker.”
RELATED: Video: Max Garcia gets emotional discussing McNeely’s touchdown
According to McNeely, the two met in 2012 when Garcia transferred to Florida. The Norcross, Ga., native was forced to sit out the entire season due to NCAA rules and McNeely, who broke his foot prior to the 2012 season, missed nine games that year. He said the two instantly formed a friendship thanks to similar religious beliefs.
“So we met when he transferred [to Florida],” McNeely said. “We actually met at Bible Study, so we’ve just grown closer and closer through that. We share the same beliefs and we’re able to talk about everything and share details of our personal lives and how that relates to our faith. And things we’re struggling with in terms of our faith and how to correct that. So that’s how we’ve grown so close.”
The two have had slightly different on-field careers at Florida. While Garcia’s time with the Gators has only been for three years, he’s become one of the key cogs in Florida’s offense as the anchor of the offensive line. McNeely, on the other hand, has been in the background for nearly five seasons as a walk-on until he was awarded a full scholarship by head coach Will Muschamp before the season.
RELATED: Video: Will Muschamp surprises two walk-ons with scholarships
Garcia’s future likely includes a shot at the NFL once his time at Florida is complete. For McNeely, he’ll attend medical school at Florida after finding out he had been accepted earlier this fall. Despite heading in two different directions, McNeely says their bond is more than just on the football field — they are brothers.
“He’s a brother to me. We can talk about anything to each other and it’s really nice,” said McNeely, who acknowledged he had seen Garcia get emotional in his press conference earlier in the week. I did [see the video]. I just love him so much. He’s such a great guy.”
For Garcia, it’s McNeely’s work ethic that’s particularly inspirational and something he believes would make any college program successful if more players worked as hard as he does.
“Guys like him is why we’re going to be able to be successful because he cares about this program,” Garcia explained. “I love him.”
“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,” he added. “Everything he does on and off the field is championship level.”
Special bonds and friendships are formed constantly within athletics, but it’s rare when those outside of these big time collegiate sports are exposed to just how close of a relationship teammates can develop with one another.
Garcia and McNeely’s bond is a refreshing reminder that sometimes the most redeeming quality about sports isn’t winning the on the field, but rather the friendships and brotherhood formed off of it.
Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.
