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by WILL FOLKS
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One of the University of South Carolina’s most celebrated football players – and a key contributor to its most historic gridiron victory – is battling cancer.
Gamecock great Stephen Garcia‘s family posted a GoFundMe page earlier this week breaking the news – and inviting the public to support him as he fights the disease.
“Following a few days in the ER and a battery of tests — including MRIs, CT scans, and a difficult hospital stay — Stephen was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer,” his wife, Maria Garcia, noted.
“Stephen is beginning chemotherapy today,” she continued. “His medical team is starting him on Folfirinox, which confirms they are taking the most aggressive treatment path available to fight this. Following these initial rounds, he will be meeting with specialized liver and colon surgeons to determine the next steps in his treatment plan. Stephen’s entire focus is now dedicated to one thing: fighting this disease with everything he has.”
As of Thursday afternoon (May 7, 2026), Garcia’s GoFundMe page had nearly met its $150,000 goal.
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Thank yall from the bottom of my heart! Having the amount of support has been truly breathtaking and extremely helpful. One bite at a time! ? ? pic.twitter.com/y4mfl0FFcS
— Stephen Garcia (@StephenGarcia) May 7, 2026
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“The amount of support has been extremely humbling,” the 38-year-old quarterback said in a video posted to X, noting he had been receiving encouragement not just from South Carolina fans – but also friends and former rivals at other schools including Clemson, Auburn and Alabama.
Garcia became South Carolina’s starting signal-caller during the 2008 season under head coach Steve Spurrier and held the role until midway through the 2011 campaign. He posted a 20-14 (.582) mark over that time, amassing 7,597 career passing yards and 47 career passing touchdowns. Garcia also ran for fifteen (15) touchdowns during his career – and caught a touchdown pass.
Garcia ranks No. 3 all-time in South Carolina history in passing yards, No. 5 all-time in passing touchdowns and is tied for third all-time in wins as a starting quarterback.
Garcia led the Gamecocks to their first (and only) SEC championship game appearance in 2010, and quarterbacked the team to its historic victory over then-No. 1 Alabama earlier that season. Garcia also posted a 2-0 record against Clemson.
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RELATED | STEPHEN GARCIA’S GOFUND ME
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The news of Garcia’s cancer diagnosis comes just five months after Gamecock fans mourned the passing of arguably the best quarterback in program history, Steve Taneyhill of Altoona, Pennsylvania. Taneyhill passed away on December 15, 2025 at the age of 52. Another brash, long-haired freshman phenom, Taneyhill electrified Gamecock fans by leading South Carolina to wins in five of its last six games in 1992 following an 0-5 start. One of those wins – a 21-6 victory over No. 15 Mississippi State – was the program’s first-ever SEC victory.
Tanneyhill remains the school’s career leader in touchdown passes (62) and completions (753) – and remains the school’s single-season record-holder for touchdown passes (29). Tanneyhill ranked No. 2 all-time in school history in total passing yardage (8,782 yards), is tied with Garcia for third in career wins.
Keep it tuned to FITSNews for updates on this story – and be sure to keep Garcia and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
“We are navigating a very difficult time,” his wife acknowledged. “Every message of support and every contribution serves as a reminder to Stephen that he is not in this alone. We are incredibly grateful for the village helping him fight this battle.”
BANNER VIA: GETTY IMAGES
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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