What is Jimmy Garoppolo’s ethnicity? What we know about his parents
Jimmy Garoppolo is looking to lead the San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl glory in 2022. Garoppolo spent four seasons with the New England Patriots as Tom Brady’s protégé, learning from the Patriots legend before moving to the 49ers. Garoppolo transformed the 49ers from serial losers to their first National Football Conference top seed since 1997.
Garoppolo has been in two Super Bowl-winning teams, but he was the backup quarterback in those teams. Jimmy’s looking to prove that he belongs among the elite quarterbacks of the NFL by helping the 49ers win the Lombardi trophy.
Jimmy’s known for his quarterback skills and his striking looks. “I thank my parents for the good looks,” he told Bleacher Report. Let’s take a closer look at Jimmy Garoppolo’s parents and ethnicity.
Jimmy Garoppolo was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, to Denise and Tony Garoppolo Sr. He grew up alongside three brothers: Tony, Mike, and Billy.
Garoppolo’s paternal grandparents immigrated from Italy and settled in the USA. His maternal grandparents were of German and Polish descent. Jimmy told The Boston Globe that he’s from a ‘tight-knit, big Italian family.’
It’s rare for the big family to get together, so Jimmy relishes every moment he spends with his kin. He told Pro Football Weekly:
“My Nana – we call her Nana, actually, it’s Italian – was texting me right before this wishing me luck. It’s my mom’s birthday coming up, so we’re going to get together as a family. It’s a rare thing that we get everyone together, so when we get the opportunity, it’s awesome.”
Jimmy, his parents, and his brothers are pretty close. The Garoppolo boys played football together, with Jimmy emerging as the star player. Jimmy believed he had a future in football, but not as a quarterback.
“I didn’t know anything about quarterbacking,” Garoppolo told Bleacher Report. “Nobody in my family had ever done it.” Nevertheless, when the opportunity arrived, Jimmy grabbed it with both hands, reflecting his go-with-the-flow character.
“[Jimmy] really just flowed with the way everything went,” Jimmy’s mom, Denise, told Bleacher Report. “So on vacations, he really never caused any kind of a problem. My other sons were more boisterous. Jimmy wasn’t.”
Tony Sr. always reminded his sons that there was someone out there working harder than them, and that person was almost always Tony himself.
Jimmy’s dad attempted to follow the college route, but it didn’t work for him. Instead, he became an apprentice under his dad’s friend, who was an electrician. Eventually, he mastered the skill and started a business.
Per Bleacher Report, Tony Sr. left home early in the morning for work and returned early to coach his son’s teams. Tony Sr.’s strong work ethic rubbed off on his sons. Jimmy told Mercury News:
“It’s impressive, seeing him wake up early and come home later, and still have the energy to hang out with us, throw the ball in the back yard, or whatever it was. That work ethic is not seen every day and I am glad I grew up and got to witness it firsthand.”
Tony Sr.’s work achievements appear more impressive when you consider that he worked long hours in the Chicago cold. “You’d ask him how was work and he’d say that it’s cold. ‘I worked outside all day,’” Jimmy said.
“This is the middle of winter in Chicago and it’s just brutal and dude, I can only imagine. I’m glad I grew up with that type of mentality.”
Tony Sr. has retired and works with organizations encouraging young Americans to take up skilled trades. “It’s something that we need,” Tony said. “We’re running short of work-skilled tradesmen in the country.”
Jimmy can count on his family for support. “We’re really close, and we really care about one another,” Jane Garoppolo, Jimmy’s grandmother, said. “It’s a small family.”
The star quarterback can also rely on his parents for the latest NFL updates. In 2017, Jimmy said on Know Them From Adam that Denise regularly updated him on developments about his rumored trade:
“My mom loves telling me the news updates, so she’s all over that stuff, but it’s been working really well. She could be your assistant. She’s all over the place. Her and my dad on Twitter and stuff like that – I don’t think they know how to tweet, but they always have something going on.”
