If you spend any time with Manny Garcia, it becomes abundantly clear that he bleeds UTEP orange. He exudes passion with everything he says, in addition to being a walking billboard who provides free advertising for the Miners through his outfits.
 
"I support them year-round," Garcia said. "Whether it's in season or offseason. I have (a lot) of UTEP stuff, but my favorite is probably my Tim Hardaway throwback jersey."
 
That journey of supporting the Miners started young, when he laid the lifelong foundation for his fandom by attending games with family.
 
"My first memories of attending UTEP sporting events were when I was maybe about 10, 11 years old with my dad," Garcia said. "I also remember going to football games with my grandparents."
 
He has a lot of good memories, but one of them sticks out above the rest.
 
"The one game I vividly remember was 1988 when they beat Air Force in the final home game of the season," Garcia said. "They ended up going to the Independence Bowl that year. I attended with my grandparents. That's the one vivid memory that I have of attending that Air Force game with my grandparents. It was awesome. I hadn't seen anything like it at the time. It turned me into a huge UTEP fan that day. It was a high-powered passing offense."
 
As he grew up, Garcia continued to follow UTEP and attend games. He goes to lots of events, but he is especially fond of the Sun Bowl.
 
"I just love the Sun Bowl, especially the evening games. It's like a beautiful sunset with the mountains as a backdrop," Garcia said. "Even if it's not a sellout crowd, it's still a tough place to play, I would say for any opponent. It can get loud in there, even if we have like 20,000 people in there it can still get pretty loud and kind of hard for the other team to hear."
 
Athletes are famous for sticking to the same routine on game days, and Garcia is no different. While that doesn't culminate with him running onto the field, it doesn't mean he's got any less juice than the players or the team.
 
"My game day routine, of course I throw on my throwback UTEP jersey, the '88 one," Garcia said. "That's my go-to for every football game. I listen to the pregame show with (Jon) Teicher on the way to the stadium. I get there and get hyped up. I enjoy the pregame atmosphere. I get excited when the band comes out and takes the field. And then of course the Mineshaft. Just seeing the Miners come out and just hype everything up (is amazing)."
 
It was only natural, then, that Garcia wanted to buy season tickets, to ensure he can see as many games as possible.
 
"I've been a season ticket holder for about three years now. I just wanted to show my support in any way that I could," Garcia said. "I would go to as many games as I could here and there, but I figured I wanted to attend every game."
 
On rare occasions Garcia hasn't been able to attend a game, but he goes out of his way to make sure someone is in his seats. There is just one caveat, though. They've got to be part of Miner Nation.
 
"There are some games in the past that I wasn't able to attend," Garcia said. "Since I've already paid for my tickets, somebody else can go and use the tickets, more power to them. (Just) as long as they're supporting the Miners."
 
Things have come full-circle for Garcia, as he now attends games with his daughter.
 
"For the most part, it's me and my daughter (Ailee)," Garcia said. "She's a senior in high school this year. She loves going to the games as well, and she's a big UTEP fan now too. She's got her UTEP t-shirts, her UTEP jerseys. So yeah, she's following in my footsteps as well. She just loves the atmosphere, loves the stadium. She loves attending all UTEP events, not just football."
 
He's also doing his best to make sure to connect with other Miner fans and to help grow the fan base, even when he's at work where he displays a mini UTEP football helmet on his desk.
 
"I'm always encouraging my coworkers," Garcia said. "I'm just a proud member of the MAC, so I'm telling them if they're not working to go check out a game."
 
For Garcia, it's important to dispel the myth that only people who are extremely well off can afford season tickets.
 
"I would say it may not seem affordable, but I mean, they offer monthly payment plans, which is what I'm on right now," Garcia said. "It's very affordable. My seats are great. I get the same seats year after year. Parking is a plus by donating a little bit extra."
 
He also wants others to follow his lead and donate, knowing that it can help propel the Miners to success.
 
"It doesn't cost that much extra to donate," Garcia said. "I mean, if you want to see them succeed, you've got to jump on the wagon and support the team. Not just the football team, but all teams, all of athletics. It gives me a lot of pride and joy to just donate here and there whenever I can, even at the concession stand. I'll round up a dollar, two dollars extra. Because I think in the end, every little bit helps."
 
Another thing that's really important for Garcia is that he isn't a fair-weather fan. His support is unwavering.
 
"I'm always going to be a fan, but as long as I'm supporting the team, I can be a little bit critical of them, but I'm always going to be a fan regardless," Garcia said. "Win or lose, I'm always going to be a fan."
 
Garcia even keeps track of former Miners, and he doesn't hold a grudge if they suit up for UTEP for a couple of years before moving on. He understands the changing landscape of college athletics has altered from how things used to be.
 
"Even former Miners that may have to come play for UTEP for a year or two, even if they opted to transfer to another school, I'm still thankful we have an opportunity to see them," Garcia said. "I wish them nothing but the best, and I want to see them attain great things."
 
Garcia, being a lifelong El Pasoan, takes extra pride when it's someone from the Sun City who has gone on to do big things. He points to Aaron Jones, who thrived with the Green Bay Packers before moving on to Garcia's favorite team, the Minnesota Vikings.
 
"It makes me proud to be from El Paso seeing them succeed and how they don't forget where they came from," Garcia said. "When you see Aaron Jones after scoring the touchdown flash to 915, you know he's still got El Paso in his heart. He never forgets where he came from."
 
Garcia is the embodiment of what it means to be a UTEP fan, and he loves how it meshes perfectly with El Paso.
 
"I think El Paso, as a whole, is just a tight-knit community," Garcia said. "It's all about family. UTEP is just another extension of that family atmosphere that we have here in El Paso."