Eddie de la Garza draws inspiration and strength from his father as he battled cancer. āMy dadās strength, determination, and courage through his treatments and surgeries is something that will forever influence me in my life and football,ā says de la Garza.
The 6ā1, 190lbs linebacker out of Blessed Trinity High School fuels his heart with a burning passion, and his mind by watching hours of tape before taking the field on game day. āI think what gives me an edge [as a football player] is how much I prepare mentally before games […] Iām always looking to prepare mentally as much as I can,ā says de la Garza. The results are impressive. He was the Niagara Spearsā defensive MVP in 2014 and 2016, and the Blessed Trinityās defensive MVP in 2014-15 and overall MVP in 2015-16.
The young man plays linebacker because of how much his position impacts the game. āI love that you can get involved everywhere on the field as a linebacker; you can help with pass coverage, run cover, and the pass rush. You can be a playmaker on all aspects of the defense,ā says de la Garza.
The linebacker would do his football idol proud. De la Garza idolizes Pittsburgh Steelers legendary outside linebacker, James Harrison. āI model my game after James Harrison because he is such a great presence as a linebacker on the football field and his work ethic is like no other,ā says de la Garza.
To be ready for university level football de la Garza is spending his summer in a gym. āI hit the weight room from Monday to Saturday for about two hours [a day] and work on my footwork, and did hill training every other day. I only rested on Sunday,ā says de la Garza who added, āI will [definitely] try to improve my overall speed.ā
Eddie de la Garza (#)
Linebacker/defensive back
6ā1, 190lbs
Teams: Halton Cowboys, Smithville Falcons, Niagara Generals, Niagara Spears, Blessed Trinity High School, and Team Ontario.
Commitment: none
Official Visits: none
Unofficial Visits: none
Consideration: open
Class: 2018
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