Working Hard Part of Legacy From Goeas’ Dad : Football: Charger tackle gives credit for getting into the NFL to his late father.

SAN DIEGO â€”  Larry’s boy, Leo, has been assigned the man-sized chore of blocking the league’s finest defensive ends this season as the Chargers’ starting left tackle.

To make it in the National Football League, you’ve got to be tough.

And as Leo Goeas will tell you, Larry Goeas Sr. prepared him well for this moment, and now the 1991 season belongs to Dad.

“I have a lot to play for this year, not only for myself and my family, but I really want to dedicate this season to him,” Goeas said. “My dad’s body may be in the ground six feet down, but his spirit is going to be watching over me. That’s what I believe in, and that’s what I’m going to hold onto.”

A few days after the birth of Leo Goeas’ second child, Alixandra, and a few days before he was scheduled to report to training camp this summer, Larry Goeas Sr. died.

“I was supposed to report to training camp on Wednesday, and Dad’s funeral wasn’t until Friday,” Goeas said. “Actually, my dad would have wanted me to miss the funeral so I could report to camp on time. Seriously, he would have.

“My father wasn’t only there for every game, but for every practice. He did it with all of his (five) boys. I was big and clumsy when I was younger and I was playing Pop Warner football, and I was terrible. And he was there.

“He was always there. Last year he was in the stands and I remember looking up to him and he gave me this raised fist. That fist meant so much. It meant, ‘I’m behind you. I love you.’ I mean whenever I did good, I’d look for that fist, and it would make me feel so good.”

Larry Goeas Sr. worked hard all his life to raise eight children in Honolulu. He was a policeman until his retirement 11 years ago, when he became top security officer for Hawaii-based television productions such as “Magnum P.I.” and “Jake and the Fatman.”

He had been tired recently, but he was making plans to come to San Diego in the coming weeks to watch his youngest boy play football.

“He was talking about getting a satellite dish because all the Charger games aren’t televised back to Hawaii,” Goeas said. “Now he doesn’t have to get that satellite dish; he’s got the best seat in the house.

“You know, I spoke to my dad that night about 8 p.m. and it was the usual conversation: How’s the family and how’s things going? Then we got down to it: How’s things going in football? We talked a little about the Marion Butts’ situation, and after that he told me three things:

“First, he said, it’s good hearing your voice. Secondly, he said, you know all of us back home are behind you 100% and our prayers are with you. The last thing he told me was take care of that little girl. That was it. Goodby. Click.”

A couple of hours later, his father suffered a heart attack and died.

“I’m so grateful that my dad got to see me play in the NFL last year; it was the proudest year of his life,” Goeas said. “When I was drafted I remember getting the phone call and saying, ‘Chargers, 60th pick.’ The whole family was there and everybody was screaming.

“I looked over at my dad, and I wished I had a video camera. I mean there were tears, and he was jumping up and down and he was so happy. I will never forget that look on his face. It was the biggest dream of his life to have one of his five boys playing in the NFL.”

The Chargers selected Goeas in the third round of last year’s draft. But in his first training camp practice, he seriously injured his foot, prompting speculation that he would have to miss the 1990 season.

Larry Goeas Sr. might never have seen his son play in an NFL game, but to the amazement of club officials, Leo Goeas enjoyed a miraculous recovery. His foot responded to treatment, and by midseason last year, he was the team’s starting left tackle.

“One thing sticks out,” Goeas said. “My dad came here just for the weekend and the Raiders’ game. On Monday after the game I had to go to the stadium to watch films, and I gave my mom a hug and kiss goodby.

“I went outside and got in my car and my dad was just standing there. I rolled down the window, and my dad just broke down. I had started against the Raiders and they had announced my name in Jack Murphy Stadium, and my dad said he had actually seen me playing. He said he never would forget that day.”

Like father, like son. Goeas worked hard last season. He overcame the foot injury and then underwent arthroscopic knee surgery.

He received the Ed Block NFL Memorial Award for being the Chargers’ most courageous player and earned consensus all-rookie honors from United Press International, Pro Football Weekly, Football Digest, Football News and the Pro Football Writers Association.

The Chargers believe Goeas is ideally suited to play left guard, but since they lost Jim Lachey, they have been asking for volunteers at left tackle. Goeas has made the sacrifice without complaint.

“Life goes on,” he said. “I’ll do my best for them, and if they move me back to guard next season, I’ll compete for a job. I have a family to support, and everything my dad taught me in life tells me to move on.

“Words can’t describe the things that my dad did for me. All my brothers and sisters have their own stories about how dad has been there to help them. He was my inspiration.

“The biggest thing that I would like to do now is be the same type of role model to my 4-year-old son as my dad was to me. I’ll try my best, but my dad was something else. If I can be just half the father to my son that he was to me, my son is going to be way ahead.”

Goeas’ son, Matthew, was on the practice field Thursday. Like father, like son, like grandson.

“This whole thing is more tragic than anybody realizes,” said Alex Gibbs, the Chargers’ offensive line coach. “Leo and his dad were very tight, and it was very sudden. He’s still feeling that. He hurts. He’s had a birth and a death in a two-week span of time.

“His father’s pride was beyond something we would ever understand. He was as much a part of the whole process of Leo getting in the league and making it in the league as anyone. There was just something special about the whole relationship.”

After last year’s victory over the Jets in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, Goeas brought his mother and father down to the field. While standing in his uniform, he stood between mom and dad for a picture.

“They used that picture for the program for the funeral services,” he said. “I blew that picture up and it’s sitting in my house. Just to see that smile; you could see his pride. Whenever I look at that picture, I just have to bust out with a big smile.”

Larry’s boy, Leo, is on his own now, and he said he will be just fine.