They traded in their Fordham baseball and softball gloves for exam gloves. They took off their Fordham football helmets and donned protective masks. Instead of passing the ball, they hand out assists of a different nature. They run to danger instead of a finish line. They used to clear the way for running back, now they clear the way for emergency vehicles. They come from different sports but the one thing the former Fordham student-athletes have in common is that they are on the front lines of the COVID-19 outbreak. Doctors, nurses, policemen, EMT, firefighters, grocery store workers, they all are there when called upon, living out the Jesuit ideal of men and women for others.
 
Today we recognize former football Ram Gabe Garcia, FCRH '98, a Fire Captain/Paramedic for CAL FIRE/San Luis Obispo County Fire located in Central California. 
 
He began his career in Fire/EMS in 1998 upon graduating from Fordham and has been employed by CAL FIRE for 18 years and a practicing Paramedic for the same amount of time. Garcia's work duties include supervising and managing a San Luis Obispo County Fire Station, ensuring the personnel and equipment are "emergency ready" at all times and of course providing emergency care to those impacted by Covid-19.
 
"My time at Fordham gave me purpose and direction," said Garcia. "Fordham has given me the spiritual and mental strength to sustain me through my professional and personal life.  A life long journey to serve and do as much good as possible."
 

How Garcia decided to become a Firefighter/Paramedic can be traced back to a day at Rose Hill. It's a story he has not told anyone until now but it speaks to the core of who he is as a person, why he became a Firefighter/Paramedic and why his time at Fordham forever shaped his life.
 
These are his words: "I have not openly shared this experience with anyone other than my wife and kids but it's an important part of Fordham history.  It was Homecoming at Fordham Saturday October 13, 1996, on Jack Coffey Field.  Fordham vs. Lafayette.  We were doing our pre-game warm ups doing some thud tackle drills. Billy Tierney and I were defensive backs, teammates, and friends. Billy and I had just thud hit each other and we both peeled off to return to the back of the line but Billy never made it. I heard a strange noise and saw Billy drop to his knees gasping for breath then in an instant he was face down on the turf not breathing. I immediately rushed to him and tried yelling and grabbing at him to wake up. I began frantically waving and yelling to the sideline for athletic trainer Vinny Poricelli or Doctor Z.  I stood there frozen. I did not know what to do. I was unable to help my friend in his time of greatest need. I was helpless. The Fordham medical staff began CPR and within minutes FDNY arrived and continued treating Billy all the way to the hospital. Within a few hours we were notified Billy had died. The events that day greatly impacted us all, for some of us it even changed our lives. Even though I did not know it at the time, it gave me my calling."
 
"We laid Billy to rest and grieved, but something continued to eat at me. Over the next year I was finishing up my degree and getting ready to graduate but there was something more than the stress of heading out into the world. I still had an uneasy feeling regarding my last moments with Billy. After many months of reflection and prayer I awoke one morning feeling at peace, clarity of mind and purpose. It is not of my character to sit idle and not know what to do. I will not be a spectator in life but rather an active participant to help those in need, often in the most dire of circumstances. So I became a Firefighter/Paramedic. Being part of a team doing our best to help our neighbors in need. Whether it's wildfires, floods, mudslides, earthquakes, hurricanes, terrorist attacks or Covid-19 there will always be those of us who will come to help when you need it the most. We do not necessarily like or want recognition. We are humble servants doing the best we can to help where it is needed. Dealing with Covid-19 has been a stressful challenge for all of us first responders, healthcare workers and all humankind. At the beginning of the pandemic there was very little information coming from overseas on what kind of virus we were dealing with and no known treatment modalities that worked. We all had to work together and write the playbook the best we can. I am just glad Billy and all our loved ones who have gone before us are on our team."
 

Garcia wanted to stress that he does not think of himself as a hero, just a servant.
 
"I am a humble servant just trying to help the best I know how. I am not one for attention or recognition. My co-workers and myself are just neighbors helping neighbors. We simply apply the values, principles and Fordham education to better our communities and lives of others."
 
Looking at the bigger picture Garcia hopes that the Covid-19 crisis helps everyone find a new purpose in life.
 
"We are a global community and this virus has showed us how inter-connected and vulnerable we all are," said Garcia. "It is a wakeup call for all of us to perhaps rethink what is really important and get our priorities straight. We have a lot of really talented people working tirelessly to identify and treat this virus. There will be other pandemics in the future and I sincerely hope everyone on the planet is better prepared."