OVFL: JV Spears DB De la Garza lives for the game

When you have been seeped in the game as much as Eduardo (Eddie) de la Garza, a defensive back for the junior varsity Niagara Spears of the Ontario Varsity Football League (OVFL), football becomes ingrained into your DNA.

De la Garza entered the game at the age of seven, having played with many different programs including the Halton Cowboys (Halton Minor Football), the Smithville Falcons (Niagara Regional Minor Football Association) and Niagara Generals (NRMFA). Along with playing for the junior varsity Spears, he is also a member of the Blessed Trinity Thunder (Niagara Regional High School Athletics Association).

Standing at 6’2, 180 pounds, the young defensive halfback, who also plays as a linebacker, began playing football because of his father. De la Garza said he always wanted to play the game because he grew up around the sport. His father used to play football when he was younger and they would always watch the sport on television.

When it came to choosing another football program, the choice was easy for De la Garza. “I decided to play with Spears because it is the most competitive program in the area and a program where players improve year after year, so I wanted play at a program where I would improve as a player the most and be able to compete at the highest level,” he said.

Last season, the junior varsity Spears fell to the Ottawa Myers Riders in the finals. Despite the disappointing outcome, De la Garza cited the finals as the highlight of the season. “It was just a huge accomplishment as a team,” he said.

As a member of the class of 2018, De la Garza is open to the idea of playing in either the NCAA or the CIS. “Playing at the next level has always been a dream of mine and is something I really want to achieve,” he said.

“My football goal is to be the best player I can possibly be and to keep growing on the field. I would like to go as far as i possibly can in football,” he added.

It was his father who got De La Garza into the sport and it’s his father who is his off-field inspiration. “He is always someone I have looked up to with everything. He is the hardest worker I know and someone that always treats people with respect and all that just really inspires me,” he said of his father.

When it comes to football, De La Garza picked Kam Chancellor, a strong safety for the Seattle Seahawks, as his inspiration. This is because of “his ability to be able to play the run and the pass so well, the aggressiveness he brings to the game and his work ethic on the field,” he said.

With the OVFL season entering its sixth week, De la Garza still has time to improve his game. For his team, the goal is to win as many games as possible. His personal goal, however, is to improve as much as possible. He said he would like to improve his passing defense.

“I want to be able to drop faster to my zone and be able to read the quarterback better. I also want to get faster when it comes to changing direction,” he said.

In order to get better, De la Garza does many running and agility drills. He also spends a lot of time at the gym as well as lifting weights in a bid to become stronger.