Former South Carolina star quarterback Stephen Garcia has reached a huge milestone in his battle against colorectal cancer. On Monday, just over a few months after announcing he was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, Garcia posted on Instagram that he had completed his short course pelvic radiation treatment.
In the post, he is seen ringing a bell, which usually signals that a patient has successfully completed a portion of their cancer treatment. On Instagram, Garcia added that his battle will continue with an upcoming surgery to remove the rest of his cancer:
"Short course pelvic radiation complete," Garcia wrote on his Instagram post. "Now we get ready for surgery next month to cut these b*stards out! Thank you all so much for the constant support and prayers 🙏!! Thank you to my wife for always being by my side to make this as streamlined as possible. We’re rocking and rolling ladies and gentlemen. I love getting all the messages and calls that y'all are getting checked and taking care of your health!"
Garcia, who is just 38 years old, revealed his cancer diagnosis in early May, which Garcia stated had already reached stage four. Colon cancer has seen a concerning sharp rise among younger adults in recent years. The Cancer Research Institute recently stated that 1 in 5 diagnoses of colon cancer occurs in those under the age of 55 in 2026.
The former South Carolina quarterback played under Steve Spurrier from 2008-2011. His best season was in 2010, when he threw for a career-high 3,059 yards with 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Garcia is credited with leading South Carolina with a shocking 35-21 over then-No. 1 Alabama that season. He threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.
Across his three seasons in Columbia, Garcia went 20-14 overall as a starter, and threw for 7,597 yards with 47 touchdowns and 41 interceptions, adding 777 rush yards with 15 scores. He is frm Tampa. Florida, and still resides in the area.
Garcia and his wife, Maria, set up a Go Fund Me page to help pay for his treatments. With an initial goal of $300,000, the page has raised over $248,000 since early May. Gamecock fans looking to access the page and donate to his cause can do so by following this link.
"Following these initial rounds [of chemo], he will be meeting with specialized liver and colon surgeons to determine the next steps in his treatment plan," the page writes. "Stephen’s entire focus is now dedicated to one thing: fighting this disease with everything he has."
Garcia has received an outpouring of support from a number of Gamecock Nation fans, including Coach Spurrier and current Gamecock head coach Shane Beamer. The two ran into each other at SEC Media Days last month:
Always good to see this legend @StephenGarcia 🤙 pic.twitter.com/kby8ItkGaB
— South Carolina Football (@GamecockFB) July 21, 2026
Congrats to Stephen on reaching this huge milestone in your courageous fight against cancer. Gamecock Nation is wishing you nothing but the best as it continues!
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