The last time I saw Jason Garey in Columbus, he was wearing the Black & Gold of the Crew.
He was finishing up his 5th MLS season and unbeknownst to me, he soon would be plying his trade with the Houston Dynamo. The Dynamo would make it to the 2011 MLS Cup Final, but Garey wouldn’t get another championship win as the Dynamo fell to the star-studded LA Galaxy.
Major hip surgery would sideline Garey for nearly 5 months. He would miss out on the start of the 2012 MLS season and would find himself signing instead with the Carolina Railhawks of the NASL. For the first time in his professional career, Garey wouldn’t be with a MLS side. You have to feel for a player that has worked so hard to get this far, only to have an injury delay his upward progress.
But Garey is not afraid of hard work on or off the field. Known as a goalscorer on the pitch, he was just as intense off it when it came to social concerns. He was the Crew Humanitarian of the Year in 2010 after helping with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and speaking out about the aftermath of the BP oil spill in his native Louisiana. He has also been active on several Habitat for Humanity projects.
Garey is one of the good guys in the game of pro soccer, a fan favorite and a people person. He would do anything for a teammate and shared his passion and enthusiasm for the game with everyone he encountered. Simply put, Garey made the people around him better.
He was a high school and collegiate star before turning pro in 2006 and winning the MLS Cup with the Crew in 2008. Now as he looks toward the future, he adds yet another experience to his résumé: author. A soccer player writing a book? Yeah and a deep one at that.
Rehabbing his injury gave him time to put pen to paper on some ideas he had. Always interested in economics and politics, Garey composed an entire book with a libertarian vibe. Geauxing Galt is a fictional adventure story with some serious political and economic themes. He realizes not everyone will embrace his beliefs with open arms.
“Some people will like it,” Garey stated. “Some people won’t.”
Garey is a true intellectual, a big reader that goes through 2 or 3 books a week. He has strong beliefs and puts them into action for the betterment of others.
He has become a leader for the Railhawks, giving the young team a veteran presence along with former Crew midfielder Cory Elenio and goalkeeper Ray Burse, Jr.
Garey knows that even though he is only 28, he won’t be playing pro soccer forever. Armed with a finance degree from the University of Maryland, Garey hopes to get involved with the financial services industry after his playing days are over.
One thing is for certain, he will approach the next step of his career with the same intensity and tenacity he does everyday in the beautiful game.
