Esteban L. Garza / Author Bio
Esteban L. Garza
Writer / Author
Esteban L. Garza, grew up in a small South Texas town just fifteen miles north of the Mexican border. His days were spent playing football on dirt roads or he was busy working on math problems for entertainment purposes. In high school, he played football for a Texas powerhouse program—the Edcouch-Elsa Yellowjackets while at the same time competing at the state level in track and field and math competitions.
After a stellar collegiate track career, Esteban moved to San Antonio, TX to begin his career as a software engineer. His love for football continued post college as he joined several different recreational leagues throughout San Antonio. It was during a recreational football game that Esteban was invited to a meeting for football officials. That invitation drastically changed the trajectory of his life.
Ni Fu, Ni Fa
MOVIE SCRIPT by Esteban L. Garza
Genre:
Sports/Drama
Logline:
A Mexican-American man’s limits are tested when he’s catapulted from a small South-Texas border town into the national spotlight, as his dreams, identity and fate become entwined with the controversial 2012 NFL referee lockout.
A football story of passion meeting fate
Impossible
Catch
Book by Esteban L. Garza
Impossible Catch is the memoir of Esteban Garza’s journey from the football fields nestled deep in South Texas to the premier fields of the NFL as one of the replacement refs. The book is more than the story of the 2012 replacement refs—it’s an inspirational tale of perseverance and triumph in the face of controversy, doubt, and other people’s opinions.
Impossible Catch
Would you be ready if presented with the opportunity you have been desperately seeking? What if that opportunity was wrapped in controversy — where every single move you made was scrutinized in front of millions? Would you be able to block out the negative chatter of the media and rise to the occasion? What if your entire life was headed towards this moment without you even realizing it?
In 2012, contract negotiations between the National Football League and the NFL Referees Association broke down. The NFL locked officials out and announced it was hiring replacement refs. So started one of the most controversial events in sports history. Referees hired from high schools and lower college divisions were thrust into the high-pressure world of professional football. Officiating mistakes were inevitable, and the media savored each fumbled decision, unwarranted penalty, and overturned play.
Impossible Catch cleverly captures the moment when Garza’s destiny unexpectedly met his fate. Sometimes you reach your destiny when you least expect it!
Book BUZZ
This book was such a powerful reminder of the enormous impact that intention, dedication, and perseverance have on achieving your goals. As someone starting a new business, I will keep these lessons close to me.
Robin Maxwell,
Graphic Designer
Gripping memoir and excellent story about faith, perseverance, and purpose. Garza has created a great read that keeps you coming back to find out what happens next.
Natalie Glaefke,
Crossfiter
Impossible Catch was the most inspirational book I have ever read. It proves that even through life’s experiences of the good, the bad, the ups and downs, you can still achieve your dreams with purpose, passion and determination. Thank you Esteban Garza for sharing your story and writing this powerful inspirational motivational book!
Christine Sanaphay,
Fitness Guru
Contact
If you are interested in speaking to Esteban Garza regarding his screenplay, Ni Fu, Ni Fa, please contact him via email. At the moment Esteban does not have a manager or an agent.
Movie Synopsis:
Ni Fu, Ni Fa
Esteban Garza embarks on a journey to find his life’s purpose in his early thirties. He resorts to the only thing that makes sense to him in life: football.
As his playing days are coming to an end, he meets an FBI agent moonlighting as a referee who suggests Esteban become a football official. Reluctant at first, Esteban eventually falls in love with the idea of working at the highest level, the NFL.
To beat his self-imposed 10-years-to-NFL deadline, Esteban sacrifices it all. That decision drives him to financial ruin, but ultimately leads him to his future wife.
In 2012, as his deadline passes, fatherhood and family life have entered the picture and he is forced to abandon his journey, leaving behind a decade of hard work. That is when divine intervention steps in. The NFL locks out their officials when contract negotiations fail, and seeks to hire replacement officials until a new contract can be negotiated.
Esteban, who had been previously scouted by the NFL, is mistakenly invited to apply to be a replacement official, for which he is ultimately hired. The group of replacement officials are denigrated by all, especially by the media during their tenure. Even close friends refer to Esteban as a “scab.”
As the clock is ticking on his employment with the NFL, Esteban is desperately searching for his “life purpose.” The walls of sanity are caving in on him from every angle, as he struggles to balance increasing pressures from the NFL, a ruthless media, time on the road, the growing needs of his budding career, his exhausted wife, their 2-year-old daughter, and now their newborn daughter.
The referee lockout, which was anticipated to be over in a few short weeks, persists through seven NFL games, leading Esteban to become the first Mexican-American to officiate an NFL regular season game as well as a Sunday Night matchup that features legendary players and coaches.
Esteban’s journey forces him to face the beauty and difficulty of his Mexican-American culture and upbringing — shining a light on the challenges Mexican-Americans face every day; discover who he really is; and realize the power of letting God take control.