Steve Galano dropped back to pass, scrambled to his right and found his open receiver.

It was his eight-year-old cousin Edgar, standing all alone in the makeshift end zone.

He tracked the ball, put both of his hands up, and caught the soft pass – getting mobbed by Martinez and his other family members for doing so.

It might not have been the confines of the McAfee Coliseum or the soft grass at the stadium on Candlestick Point, but the sparsely marked field at Sequoia Park was good enough for a family game that has become a tradition for the day after Thanksgiving.

“I know a lot of people like to go out and play on Thanksgiving, but we always play the day after,” Martinez said. “I know I’m not much for shopping with those crowds, so football seems like the next best thing. We always have family that is still visiting, so we make it a family thing.”

With the exception of a few kids playing basketball, the Galano family had the park all to themselves as they showed off their football skills to one another – laughing, joking and turning the event into more of a social gathering than a serious athletic contest.

Martin Galano – Steve’s brother from Fresno – wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s a chance to get the kids out here having a good time,” he said. “Us old guys lost the ability to do the things the young kids can do a long time ago, so we’re just out here to enjoy the company. We’re not together very often, so we want to make the most out of the opportunity.

“This is a time of year that’s all about family, and that’s what stuff like this shows our kids. Hopefully one day they’re out here with their kids.”