Former Carolina QB Stephen Garcia shared some unfortunate news with his fans: he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer. The 38-year-old shared this heartbreaking news on Facebook.

"Wasn't overly excited to share this news, but it is what it is," wrote Garcia. "We have a great team of doctors and staff that's confident we can beat this! It's the only option. If there's one lesson to be learned, get checked and don't be afraid to visit the doctors. We got this, and I appreciate all y'all."

Born in Lutz, Florida, Garcia played for the South Carolina Gamecocks from 2008 to 2011.

He is best remembered for leading the team to its first SEC Championship Game appearance and a stunning upset of No. 1 Alabama in 2010. His efforts for the Gamecocks got them an overall 9-5 record.

This time around, Garcia's battle is off the field. To aid with the process, his wife has started a GoFundMe page. The family is looking to secure $150,000 to fund his medical bills.

His former Carolina coach, Steve Spurrier, also shared his views on this matter.

Steve Spurrier Talks About The Impact Garcia Had

Stephen Garcia and Steve Spurrier's relationship with the Gamecocks is well documented. He was the main man in Spurrier's team around whom the coach built his offense.

"He had a great career there with us, especially 2010. We beat Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and Clemson. We beat all five of those," said Spurrier in an interview. "...We certainly pray for Stephen and pray for the doctors to do something that will really help him to live a long time."

The year 2010 was indeed special. It was Garcia's peak season, where he led South Carolina to a 9-5 record, culminating in their first SEC Championship game appearance. Beating all these five teams and also the massive upset over No. 1 Alabama (35-21) was noteworthy during that year.

Garcia became one of the only six Carolina quarterbacks in team history at the time to throw for at least 3,000 yards in a season.

When he was done with his college career, he had amassed 7,597 passing yards and 47 touchdowns in 40 games.

After getting dismissed from South Carolina Gamecocks football midway through his 2011 senior season, he went undrafted in 2012, and the NFL door never truly opened.

Now, Spurrier looks back upon those memories with Garcia with a sense of pride and prays for the well-being of his former star student.

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Written by

Sourav Ganguly

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote