Tributes are pouring in for former NFL player-turned-board member Eddie Garcia following his death at the age of just 65 on Thursday.
The news was released by the Packers on Tuesday night, and was met with an outpouring of emotion from fans in Green Bay who knew Garcia well.
The ex-kicker was drafted by the team in the 10th round in 1982 before playing for the team in 19 games across the 1983 and 1984 seasons.
In 1984, a hamstring injury cut his season short and he was waived at the end of the campaign, though he remained a key part of the Packers going forward.
Prior to arriving in the NFL, Garcia was a placekicker for the SMU Mustangs, where he is still tied for the all-time record of total field goals (44).
Post-football, went on to become a senior director with Oshkosh Defense of the Oshkosh Corporation, according to the Packers, and he returned to the team in 2021 when he was elected to the board of directors.
Eddie Garcia, pictured during his time with the Packers in the early 80s, has died at just 65
For the past four years, he had served on the sales and marketing and Green Bay Packers Foundation committees, continuing work well into his 60s.
Garcia’s cause of death has not yet been announced, but an obituary shared by the Green Bay Press Gazette described his passing as ‘sudden.’
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Jill, as well as two daughters, Susan and Katherine, and a grandson, Oscar.
On social media, tributes immediately began to pour in for the ex-NFL player, with many writing: ‘Legend!’
One added: ‘RIP to a GOAT’, while a third noted: ‘That’s too young. RIP.’
