Trujillo: A legend dearly missed

Tommy Trujillo | The New Mexican

5/3/2008 - 5/4/08

I invoked the words of a legend a few days ago.

It wasn't an effort to steal them, just to kind of honor him.

It had been a while since I had been inside the press box at Ivan Head Stadium. This time, instead of the Demons of Santa Fe High, I was covering The University of New Mexico's annual Cherry-Silver spring football game on April 26.

The Lobos' first-teamers struggled early during one particular drive, and found themselves in a third-and-long situation.

Or, as legendary radio broadcaster Al Garcia would call it, "third down and a bus ride."

Shortly after echoing his words, the thoughts of Al brought a smile to my face.

There have been a few times I had borrowed Garcia's words while covering the Lobos.

Like "third down and a courtesy shuttle."

Garcia died suddenly on Wednesday, at the young age of 72.

Like many within the close and small communities around Northern New Mexico, I knew Al Garcia on several fronts: as a colleague, as a friend and as a fan.

I'm not sure which setting I enjoyed most. Garcia was the consummate professional.

He never just talked. He never made the game about himself. He was Old School to the bone. He was not ESPN.

Garcia was fun to golf with, although I pretty much wasn't. His patience was lasting — thank goodness. His jokes were funny. And many times, his company made you wish there were 19 holes instead of 18.

And although I didn't know him as an official — he spent many years as one — I was honored to be a member of his chain gang once.

My nephew and his grandson played on a Young American Football League team in Rio Rancho together. Without anyone to man the first-down yardage chains, my brother, Garcia and myself either volunteered or were volunteered to do it.

And despite the average condition of the field and lack of accurate yardage markers, Garcia kept the chains tight, and treated the job like it was the NFL. For him, it was. If something was worth doing, it was worth doing well. It was worth doing right.

On every front, Garcia's history and storytelling were unmatched. His insight was amazing, and his authority was not self-centered.

Any Al Garcia story was a good story. His words came from his heart.

And that's why he'll be dearly missed.

We'll miss his voice.

We'll miss his friendship.

We'll miss his ways.

The radio dial will never be the same.