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Watch: UMass football player delivers powerful motivational speech

By Colum Dell | Last updated 4/12/23

While the UMass Minutemen finished with the worst record in the FBS last season (1-11), offensive lineman Cole Garcia is confident his team will succeed if they remain focused.

This offseason, Massachusetts Athletics' official YouTube channel has produced an in-depth mini-series that takes viewers behind the scenes of the Minutemen's spring practices. To close out the first episode, Garcia offered a powerful message to his team -- drawn from authors and motivational speakers Damon West and Jon Gordon -- sure to inspire any listener.

Garcia recounted the story of "The Coffee Bean," which uses an analogy of how a carrot, an egg and a coffee bean respond to pressure when submerged in boiling water.

When the carrot is placed in the boiling water, it loses its form and softens, whereas the egg becomes hard. The coffee bean, however, is not altered by its environment and instead takes control of the situation, transforming the water into coffee.

Wow — fire me up!!

Great speech by @thecolegarcia!

Big season coming up for @UMassFootball?! pic.twitter.com/6UTrLz824T
— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman81) April 10, 2023

The speech has made recent waves online and it did not take long before it made its way to Gordon and West, who said they were impressed with Garcia's performance and that he needs to join them on a future speaking tour.

Numerous social media users have also urged coffee companies to partner with Garcia on an NIL deal, an idea that interests him. Garcia started 23 games in three seasons at Rice before joining Massachusetts as a graduate transfer in January 2022. In 11 appearances for the Minutemen last season, Garcia surrendered just one sack and seven pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. His 82.7 PFF pass-blocking grade was the 44th-highest in the nation.

The upcoming season will mark Garcia's last in the collegiate ranks and it is unclear if he will take a crack at an NFL future next spring, but whatever path he chooses, no matter the obstacles he encounters, Garcia will continue to strive to be the coffee bean, something every person might be wise to consider.

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