MANTECA BULLETIN ARTICLE 7-3-02

Accident claims Sierra High junior

Daniel Teicheira was elated when he found out he was going to play varsity football as a freshman. Sierra High coach Greg Leland wanted to test him out at the varsity level for a few weeks after seeing him practice with the freshman squad.

Called "Baby T" by his teammates because his older brother, Ryan, was also on the varsity team, Teicheira was determined to claim the Valley Oak League Championship for Sierra before the end of his high school football career. He never got that chance.

Daniel Teicheira was killed in a car wreck early Tuesday morning.

The 17-year-old was driving his Chevy Blazer on South Union Road near Perrin Road south of Manteca when he lost control of it and struck a concrete irrigation valve. The Blazer overturned several times, and Teicheira was ejected and suffered fatal injuries.

CHP investigators believe Teicheira may have lost control of his car when he swerved to avoid hitting a coyote that was in the roadway.

The youngest of four brothers, he was the only Teicheira still attending Sierra High. He would have been a junior this fall. He was already being looked at by college coaches, even though he still had two years left in high school.

"Daniel was the kind of kid that things just came natural to him," said Leland, who coached Daniel for two years and had him in his leadership classes at Sierra. "I've never seen a kid with as much athletic ability."

As a sophomore, Teicheira already held three Sierra High football records, including the rushing record. He may have been effective on the Sierra offense, but Teicheira could play in almost every position.

During his eighth grade year at Nile Garden Elementary, he helped lead the Panthers to the Acorn League Championship as quarterback.

"I keep thinking of Robert Redford in 'The Natural.' That is how much football came to Daniel," said Eric Reis, a former Sierra football coach.

Teicheira loved dancing and was a fan of the late rapper, Tupac Shakur. His friends Eric Manuta and Gabe Alcazar said that he was known for his signature dance moves, which he called the "Post-It Walk" and the "Harlem Shake."

His favorite song was "Build Me Up Buttercup" by the Foundations. He was a fan of the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings. His favorite food was chocolate chip cookies and burritos from LaCosta Mexican restaurant.

"We went there every day for spring break," said Manuta, who met Teicheira as a first grader playing basketball.

He always had a video camera in his hand to capture moments with his friends.

His friends affectionately called him "Tei-sheezy," "Beastmaster" and "Big Dog."

Teicheira loved playing pranks. With his friend Karl Zirpel, he once went to a busy Manteca intersection and pretended to get sick. The horrified drivers watching them didn't know it was only applesauce they were spitting from their mouths.

"We used to do some of the stupidest stuff ever," Zirpel said, laughing.

Another time, Zirpel said, they drove around Manteca with a baby's car seat strapped to the top of the car to get a reaction from other drivers.

Both track athletes, Teicheira and Zirpel once switched roles on the field. Zirpel signed in as Teicheira for the shot put event and fooled the other athletes into thinking he wasn't as good as his reputation. They were in for a surprise when the real Daniel showed up during the competition.

Teicheira was popular with his peers. He was voted Winterfest prince during his freshman year and worked hard in leadership class to set up for dances and rallies.

"I knew he was going to go so far in life," said Zirpel, who was in leadership with him. "He had all the leadership skills."

Before football games Teicheira wrapped his right wrist with tape with the words "Outlaws" written on the tape. It was a superstitious ritual he performed each week during the football season to help win games.

Teicheira also played basketball and ran track, but football was his favorite game. He had plenty of influences. His brothers, Frank, Steven and Ryan, all played high school football. His father, Frank, was also a star running back in high school.

His mother, Nancy, attended every game -- home and away -- and loved to brag to friends about her youngest son's performances on the field.

During his first pre-season game as a sophomore, the 193-pound Teicheira scored five touchdowns on 60 carries, helping the Timberwolves in their 55-7 victory over Modesto High.

Leland began paying attention to Teicheira's athletic prowess when he was a sixth-grader playing football for Nile Garden. Of course, Leland already knew Teicheira because he was always hanging around the football field watching his older brothers during games and practices.

This year, Leland began hearing murmurs from college coaches interested in Daniel.

"A college coach on campus last spring watched Daniel on film and said, 'You might as well make copies of this video because you are going to have every coach on the west coast watching him next spring,'" Leland said.

Sometimes, athletes as talented as Teicheira become complacent, even cocky, when it comes to their abilities. But Daniel wasn't that way, his coaches said. He took new players under his wing and was one of the most mature players on the team as a sophomore.

"Daniel had that very quiet confidence, just in the way he carried himself," Leland said.

Sierra Athletic Director Vern Gebhardt agreed.

"A lot of times, when you are a great athlete, it is hard to shake off the image of being stuck on yourself because you are so good," Gebhardt said. "But Daniel was one of those kids that was able to give me a great deal of pleasure in knowing him because he was so respectful and did very well in school."

Gebhardt is a friend of the Teicheira family and often talked football with Daniel in his office.

"Every time Daniel saw me he made a special effort to say hello," Gebhardt said. "He was starting to grow into a positive person. He was really starting to come around in that area, really becoming a mature adult."

During an interview for the Bulletin's Athlete of the Week Feature last season, Teicheira told a reporter that he was looking forward to playing football in college. He wanted to attend a university close to home, so his family could continue attending his games.

Family was important to Teicheira. He worked on the family dairy on South Airport Way and was close with his brother Ryan.

Ryan, who graduated from Sierra in 2001, was a senior during Daniel's freshman year. They played football together, often working together to move the ball down the field. Ryan would open up holes in the opposing team's defense, allowing Daniel to jump through and carry the ball.

"I think it is great playing with (Ryan)," Daniel was quoted in a feature story on the two brothers. "The first couple of weeks, he was the one I went to ask where to go. He was the person I looked up to."

Friends and family flocked to the Teicheira's home Tuesday morning after hearing of his death.

Football players plan to wear No. 6 patches on their letterman jackets at Teicheira's funeral service in honor of their fallen teammate.

"I hate to see God take him away, but if God wanted a running back, he got one of the better ones," Gebhardt said.

Funeral services are pending.

By BRANDON BOWERS

& KELLY GORDON

Staff reporters of the

Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin