Control the rock
About
THE MAN WHO INSPIRED IT ALL
Manuel Gonzales Jr.
A father. A veteran. A champion. A man who refused to let tragedy have the final word.
Manuel Gonzales Jr. was a man shaped by faith, family, hard work, and an unwavering determination to overcome whatever stood in his way.
After volunteering to serve his country in Vietnam, Manuel’s life changed forever when a devastating combat explosion took his dominant right arm and right leg. What followed was a difficult journey of physical and emotional recovery—but it was also the beginning of one of the most remarkable chapters of his life.
With the love and support of his wife, Lupe, and the strength of his faith, Manuel refused to surrender to his circumstances. He rebuilt his life, built a successful career, raised a family, and became a respected member of his community.
But there was one thing he was determined to reclaim: the game of pool he had loved since he was a young man.
Despite being right-handed and losing his right arm and leg, Manuel taught himself to play again—one-handed and standing on one leg.
What began as a personal challenge became an extraordinary accomplishment. Manuel went on to become a respected and accomplished pool player and instructor, proving that limitations do not have to determine what is possible.
His greatest victory, however, was never just on the pool table.
It was the life he built, the family he loved, and the example he left for the generations that followed.
The lessons Manuel Jr. lived became the lessons his son, Manuel Gonzales III, carried with him—and ultimately the inspiration behind Control the Rock.
The Man Behind the Story
Manuel Gonzales III
Manuel Gonzales III is a father, grandfather, entrepreneur, author, and amateur pool champion.
He and his wife, Cassandra, co-founded SSC Doctors, Inc. in 2016. They live in Northern Colorado with their children and grandchildren, continuing a family tradition of entrepreneurship and pool champions that now spans four generations.
For Manuel, family, faith, hard work, and the game of pool are more than individual parts of his story—they are threads woven throughout his family’s legacy.
And that legacy begins with his father.
Manuel’s father, Manuel Gonzales Jr., was a Vietnam War veteran who lost his dominant right arm and right leg in combat. Yet the loss of his limbs could not take away his determination—or his love for the game of pool.
Despite facing extraordinary physical and emotional challenges, Manuel Jr. taught himself to play again.
One-handed. Standing on one leg.
And eventually, he became a respected and accomplished billiards champion.
For Manuel III, watching his father overcome what seemed impossible provided lessons that extended far beyond the pool table.
Those lessons became the foundation for a lifetime.