INDIANAPOLIS — Andre Berto, who boxed for the Haitian Olympic team in Athens, pulled out of a championship fight next week in Las Vegas because he was too physically and mentally exhausted from worrying about family and friends devastated by the earthquake in Haiti. Pierre Garcon doesn’t have that option.
Garcon, a son of Haitian immigrants, cannot put his day job on hold while trying to help the earthquake victims. The Colts wide receiver has a game to play on Sunday for the AFC Championship and a trip to the Super Bowl. Nonetheless, he continues to do what he can to help those in need.
Before the Colts went through their second full-day of workouts in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Jets, Garcon taped a public service announcement that was aired on the radio, asking for donations to the relief effort. He has been trying to locate friends and family since the tragedy occurred more than a week ago, a concern he displayed on national television last week when he celebrated the Colts’ 20-3 win over the Ravens by draping the Haitian flag around his uniform.
“The people back home said they saw it and enjoyed it,” said Garcon, who was born in Mt. Carmel, N.Y., and raised in Florida. “It put a little smile on [their] faces for a little while.”
Garcon has tried to do as much as he can to help the relief effort, including making phone calls, doing public service announcements.
“[I’m] just trying to get the awareness out,” he said.
But as the AFC Championship gets closer, he has forced himself to focus more on football, while still “trying to do what I can to help my people.”
That might seem a lot for one human being to handle, especially someone in just his second year in the NFL. But Garcon has proven himself to be special, driven to succeed despite the odds against him.
A sixth-round draft choice out of tiny Mount Union College, Garcon spent his rookie season on the practice squad. But players and coaches took note of his work ethic and determination to improve with each practice.
“He came into work every day and tried to get better knowing he wasn’t going to be a part of the game plan,” tight end Dallas Clark said. “He made an impression just by making plays and running extremely fast. He knew he would get his chance sooner or later.”
Garcon got his chance when starting wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez went down with a knee injury in the opening game. Garcon stepped in and caught 47 passes for 765 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season. Though he had just five catches for 34 yards in the 20-3 victory over the Ravens, there was one play that typified his competitiveness.
Peyton Manning threw a pass his way that was intercepted by Ravens Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed, who began returning the theft toward the Colts’ end zone. Garcon ran Reed down and punched the ball out of his grasp causing a fumble that was recovered by Clark.
“That’s just who he is, and we’re thankful for that kind of effort and zeal and love for the game,” Colts coach Jim Caldwell said of Garcon.
Garcon said he plans to go to Haiti as soon as he can. He said most of his family has been accounted for, but many of them are in need of medical supplies and remain homeless.
“We have a large amount of family, so the communication is not the greatest,” he said. “But as long as everybody’s alright, that’s the main thing.”
The long-shot draft pick from the tiny school has made big plays for the Colts this season. He will try to give the Haitian people something to smile about by making more big plays against the Jets.