Happy Birthday, Teodorico “Boyet” Fernandez, III ( July 30 )

Happy Birthday, Teodorico “Boyet” Fernandez, III

Source : Assorted Magazines (PBA Archives Collections)

1993 PBA Rookie Draft 7th overall pick 
12-season PBA player
Colegio San Agustin Bacolod guard
2007-08 Philippine Cup champion as coach
2007-08 PBA Coach of the Year
4x NCAA champion as coach 
2002 PBA governors’ Cup champion as player
1991 Manila SEAG gold medalist

Coach Francis Rodriguez from Colegio de San Agustin in Bacolod to be the starting point guard of the RP Youth squad that eventually placed fourth in the 1990 ABC under-19 championships for men held in Nagoya, Japan along with schoolmates Noli Locsin and Wilmer Ong. From there, Teodorico Fernandez III's basketball career began to flourish. After his stint with the RP Youth team, Rodriguez, who was then calling the shots for Sta. Lucia Realty in the Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL), took Fernandez into his fold and made him the back-up of starter Eugene Quilban.

Despite playing behind the shadow of the more illustrious Quilban, 'Boyet' as he is fondly called, somehow managed to shine, thanks to his outside artillery which earned him another slot for the Philippine team, this time to the 1991 RP men's basketball team that eventually won the gold in the Southeast Asian Games. In 1993, he joined the pro ranks and was picked seventh overall by Swift but immediately traded to Sta. Lucia for the Realtors' first round pick in 1994 which turned out to be Boybits Victoria. Unfortunately, during his rookie year, he saw action in only five games before being sidelined by a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on his left knee. "Medyo frustrated nga ako no'n. Gusto ko nang mawalan ng pag-asa, pero naisip kong may mabigat na dahilan kung bakit ako na-sidelined." Boyet missed the rest of the 1993 season to undergo an operation in Chicago where he spent another six months recuperating. He came back with a vengeance in the 1994 All-Filipino conference assuring starting pointguard Gerald Esplana a reliable alternate off the bench. during the 1997 PBA Annual Draft, Boyet together with the Realtors' first round pick in 1998 was traded to Alaska for guard Jun Reyes and the Milkmen's first round pick, who happened to be Angelo David. However, he didn't play right away for the Milkmen as coach Tim Cone placed him on the reserved list while activating rookie free agent Michael Otto for Alaska's first five games of the season. Cone wanted to make sure that his knee was fully-healed. "Gusto kasi ni coach (Tim Cone) na makasigurong magaling na magaling na 'yung sugat. Ayaw n'yang i-puwersa kasi nga tuhod ito, mahirap na raw kung umulit na naman." related the 26-year old Fernandez, who's also a nursing graduate back in Bacolod. Ironically, his first game for the Milkmen was against his former ballclub, Sta. Lucia Realty two Sundays ago. Loyal Alaska supporters eagerly awaited for his comeback because he is anticipated to be a big help to the team's perimeter game.