MIDLAND, Texas — While not the most glamorous position, Offensive Linemen are one of the most important positions in football, look at the Cincinnati Bengals in last year’s Super Bowl. Without good linemen your QB is in a heap of trouble.
That’s where Senior Offensive Lineman Girevis Bobey-Munoz from Midland Legacy comes in. 6’2'' 266 lbs, Bobey-Munoz has the ideal body for the perfect high school lineman. But that wasn’t always the reality for Girevis. In fact, if it wasn’t for his uncle, he wouldn’t be where he is today.
"When I was living in Cuba," Bobey explained. "My tio, he’s the one who brought me over here, said when you get here, you’re gonna play football and I said, 'Say Less.'”
Girevis had an interesting childhood, starting in Cuba, eventually to Florida, and ultimately to where he is now: Midland Legacy. But it wasn’t always easy.
"Well, I'm from Cuba, and then I lived there for since I was born to like 11 years old," Girevis said. "And then I used to play soccer, boxing, I played judo. That was like my favorite sport: judo, but Cuba didn’t have football." Eventually he made it to a place where there was football: the United States. "And then I was in Florida for like a month. But over there, it wasn't looking good."
Then he got to Midland, and that’s where he finally found a place where he can do his new passion: Football.
He started playing for Midland Legacy during his Sophomore year and played 7 games. Last year he played 12 games and had 47 pancake blocks.
But all those pancakes could’ve gone unflipped if it weren’t for his uncle.
"My uncle has been trying to give me, my mom, my brother and my dad out of Cuba. Like so ever since we were little, we've been in that process. So that process took like, six, seven years. And then yeah, my uncle came here. He got us out of Cuba," Bobey said.
One of the people he most impressed when he first started playing was Midland Legacy Head Coach Clint Hartman.
"I remember the first day we got him pads," remembers Hartman. He said that Bobey blocked Wesley Smith, one of his best players as a Sophomore. "I said, 'hey, we got one baby'. You know, he's not scared. He's a sophomore and Wesley was starting as a junior at that time, and strongest kid we had on the team."
Although his English wasn’t the best at the time, that didn’t matter to Coach Hartman, he’s found a gem.
Bobey eventually got better at English and is now a huge member of the team as a leader, as well as a straight A student, showing that despite his obvious ideal football body, Bobey is more than just a football player.
"You know Bobey is a great kid. And so I think the one thing he's done he's led by example, you know?" Hartman commends him. "And so you know, I think that there's nothing that's too big or too small for the kid. You know, he wants to play football. [...] So he's a pleasure to coach and you know, those guys- those guys are your favorite guys."
With his last year of high school just beginning, Girevis has big plans after he takes off the maroon and white.
"So I want to go to play college football. So I can get my degree in architectural engineering," Girevis plans. "So I can play college football at the next level, and see if we get there."
One of the many things you know about Girevis Bobey-Munoz is that he’s going to work hard. That’s his identity. His absence next year will severely be missed from this Midland Legacy team, not just because of his play on the field, but off the field as well.
"Yeah, we're gonna miss him," Hartman looks forward. "Wherever he goes, and he makes it home. He's gonna stick it out. He's gonna get a degree. I don't know what he wants to do in life. I hope he wants to be a coach because I know, I'd hire him, so I love him. He's everything you want to find in a young man."