Jose Garcia, known as “Papo” to his coaches and friends, has been in football for eight years. Papo started playing football at the age of seven and hasn't stopped since then. When asked, he can’t point to a distinct moment that drew him to football, but he loves the fast and physical aspects of the sport. More than anything though, his favorite part is playing-making.

Competition can cause anxiety in players especially since there are so many football teams, and some are guaranteed to be better than others. However, winning and losing isn’t everything to Papo. “I don’t really get nervous,” Papo said, “but, I’ll say, [every game] is…a pretty good game.”

With competition comes rivalry. The Del Rio Rams football team considers Eagle Pass to be their biggest rival. The Rams’ last district game will be against Eagle Pass on Nov, 7. Unfortunately, it’ll be an away game, but fans still show the Rams support from home. Last year,  the Rams faced the Eagles and lost 14-48. This year, the Rams are dedicated to redemption and plan to bring home a win the second time around.

Papo’s biggest concern leading up to the rival showdown is injuries. Injuries play a big role in all sports. Papo is hyper aware as he copes with recurring foot injury. “I’ve never been hurt to the point where I couldn’t play,” Papo shared, but he is always concerned that sitting out of a game could be a possibility.

While competition and rivalry are a big part of football, they’re not everything. For Papo, it’s important for a student athlete to have fun. Otherwise, athletes may lose their passion for the sport. “My mindset during the game is focus, know what I have to do, and just have fun…A loss affects the team in a positive way. It helps us focus on getting better so we can win…if you make a mistake forget about it and make the next play. [The Rams] never put each other down and we’ll always have each other's backs.” 

Papo and the Rams plan to come back stronger than ever during this week's home game against Laredo LBJ on Friday Sept. 27 at 7p.m.