Gardner Jr. and Syph shined for the Mustangs on both sides of the ball last season and their efforts were rewarded with numerous offers at various levels of competition. In the end, Gardner Jr. opted to commit to the United States Military Academy at West Point while Syph will take his talents even further east to Florida International University.
The senior duo led the Mustangs to a 5-5 overall record last fall with Gardner Jr. leading the team in receiving yards per game (47.2) and touchdowns (10). Syph led the team in tackles per game with 8.7 and was only second to Gardner Jr. in touchdowns with nine.
Enlisted as an all around athlete, Gardner Jr. was a very consistent weapon as a receiver, defensive back and on special teams for the Mustangs. He was first in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Sac-Joaquin Section in average kickoff return yards with 39.62 and second in total return yards with 484.
Having put pen to paper on his letter of intent to play for the Army Black Knights, Gardner Jr. then spoke about how it feels to have been able to secure a scholarship at the D1 level.
“It’s truly a blessing,” he told the Tracy Press. “It’s not an easy thing to do to go to the next level to play football. A very small percentage of people make that step and it’s a blessing that I’m a part of that.”
Surrounded by family and with a big smile on his face, Gardner Jr. admitted that the recruitment process was filled with ups and downs. He realizes how prestigious of a school West Point is, however the decision to go there was not easy to begin with.
The rule of thumb is that West Point cadets must make a commitment to serve in the U.S. Army for at least 5 years after spending 3 or more years enrolled at West Point. Gardner Jr. was not all the way on board with that idea but extensive conversations with the Army Black Knights coaches eased his mind and fueled his excitement to make the move to New York.
“They explained to me that Army is not just what you see on TV,” he said. “There’s much more to it, there are many jobs that you can get into from there and graduating from there sets you up for success, and who wouldn’t want that?”
Having never been to New York before, Gardner Jr. is looking forward to heading out there after graduation and creating bonds with his new team.
For Syph, signing day was an even bigger emotional roller coaster than it ordinarily would’ve been. The former Mustangs’ linebacker, who also contributed as a running back, chose to go to university in Florida as a preferred walk-on in order to be closer with his family.
Syph’s parents left California last year while he chose to stay in Mountain House to see out his high school career and graduate. Syph lived with Gardner Jr. and his family during that time and their off-the-field bond was evident from the sidelines looking in.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Mustangs head coach Jabari Carr brought out Syph’s family to surprise him while the player was inking his letter of intent to play for the Panthers. Happiness and tears poured out of all involved.
The day was already huge for Syph before that. He got to fulfill an unexpected dream. When he was starting out as a freshman, he didn’t dare to think about playing for a D1 school four years later. However, thanks to all of the hard work and dedication that he put into his craft and a little help from Carr and his coaching staff, Syph’s dream became a reality.
“I wasn’t the best football player coming into high school,” Syph admitted. “But through the years, I’ve grinded with my coaches and in my sophomore year, when Coach Carr got promoted to head coach at Varsity, it has been up from there ever since.
“Being here and working with him (Carr) has had a huge impact on me. He showed me the things that I should and shouldn’t do as a student athlete and without him I feel like I wouldn’t be me today. I wouldn’t be in this position without him and his coaching staff.”
Syph’s development was huge for the Mustangs on and off the field. In his senior year, Syph became a leader and his numbers backed it up. On the defensive end, he was 14th in the section in total tackles with 87 last season.
Delighted to finally have a full-time reunion with his family in sight, Syph knows that the work does not stop just because he has received a D1 opportunity. His ambition, lofty goals, and commitment to the grind would never allow him to do that. He still has things to prove to the coaching staff at FIU.
“I have to work even harder now,” he said. “There are better players than me at all of these different schools so I have to work even harder. I’m just now realizing how hard it really is to get to this point. I’m shocked that I was able to do it but it’s only up from here now.”
• Contact Arion Armeniakos at [email protected], or call 209-830-4229.