Stephen Garcia
Encyclopedia
Stephen Garcia is an American football
quarterback
formerly of the University of South Carolina
Gamecocks
of the Southeastern Conference
. He is from Lutz, Florida
and attended Thomas Jefferson High School
where he had 8,000 yards passing and 83 touchdowns as well as 1,345 yards rushing and 17 rushing touchdowns. Garcia ended his college career with a 20-14 record as a starter for South Carolina and his statistics are as follows: 7,597 passing yards (47 TD, 41 INT) and 777 rushing yards (15 TD). Garcia was suspended five times during the course of his college career and ultimately dismissed from the football program midway through his final season of eligibility.
freshman in 2008, Garcia started three games for the Gamecocks. He was named SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance in a 24-17 victory over Kentucky
(169 passing yards and 1 TD in a half of play). Garcia finished the 2008 season with 832 passing yards, 6 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, also accounting for 198 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
, Vanderbilt
, Tennessee
, and Arkansas
) with victories over two Top-25 opponents (Ole Miss
and Clemson
). The Gamecocks victory over the Rebels was the second defeat of a Top-5 opponent in program history. In the regular season finale against arch-rival Clemson, Garcia passed for 126 yards (3 TDs, 1 INT) and rushed for 46 yards. For the 2009 season, he passed for 2,862 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, adding 186 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
against Florida State, who defeated Carolina 26-17. For the 2010 season, Garcia passed for 3,059 yards with 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions (64.2 completion %), adding 222 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
formerly of the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
Gamecocks
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
of the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
. He is from Lutz, Florida
Lutz, Florida
Lutz is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 19,344 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lutz is located at ....
and attended Thomas Jefferson High School
Thomas Jefferson High School (Tampa, Florida)
Thomas Jefferson High School is a secondary school located in the heart of the Westshore Business District of Tampa, Florida. Thomas Jefferson High School is an Area 1 high school operated under the Hillsborough County Public School system.-School history:...
where he had 8,000 yards passing and 83 touchdowns as well as 1,345 yards rushing and 17 rushing touchdowns. Garcia ended his college career with a 20-14 record as a starter for South Carolina and his statistics are as follows: 7,597 passing yards (47 TD, 41 INT) and 777 rushing yards (15 TD). Garcia was suspended five times during the course of his college career and ultimately dismissed from the football program midway through his final season of eligibility.
Freshman
Although a highly touted recruit, during his first semester on campus in the Spring of 2007, Garcia was suspended twice from practice after being arrested in February for public intoxication and, in March, for keying a professor's car. These charges were dropped after Garcia made restitution to the professor and completed a pre-trial intervention program. In March 2008, Garcia and two teammates were arrested and cited for underage drinking. That same evening, police were called to his dormitory where Garcia admitted to pulling a fire alarm and discharging a fire extinguisher after noticing sparks coming from his stove. Although no formal charges were filed, as a result of these incidents, Garcia was suspended from the university. After his reinstatement, as a redshirtRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
freshman in 2008, Garcia started three games for the Gamecocks. He was named SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance in a 24-17 victory over Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
(169 passing yards and 1 TD in a half of play). Garcia finished the 2008 season with 832 passing yards, 6 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, also accounting for 198 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Sophomore
In 2009, with Garcia as their starting quarterback, the Gamecocks had a 7-6 record and made an appearance in the PapaJohns.com Bowl. Garcia posted four 300-yard passing games (GeorgiaGeorgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
, Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Commodores football
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference...
, Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
, and Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
) with victories over two Top-25 opponents (Ole Miss
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
and Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
). The Gamecocks victory over the Rebels was the second defeat of a Top-5 opponent in program history. In the regular season finale against arch-rival Clemson, Garcia passed for 126 yards (3 TDs, 1 INT) and rushed for 46 yards. For the 2009 season, he passed for 2,862 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, adding 186 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Junior
In the 2010 season, the Gamecocks posted a 9-5 record (5-3 SEC), won the SEC East title, and finished #22 in both the AP and Coaches' Final Polls. Carolina got its first-ever win over a #1-ranked opponent (Alabama) and beat division rivals Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee for the first time in the same season. The Gamecocks also defeated arch-rival Clemson for the second consecutive year and faced the eventual BCS national champion Auburn Tigers in the SEC Championship Game (56-17 loss). The season concluded with an appearance in the Chick-Fil-A BowlChick-fil-A Bowl
The Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly called the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and before that simply called the Peach Bowl, is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. The first three Peach Bowls were played at Grant Field on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta....
against Florida State, who defeated Carolina 26-17. For the 2010 season, Garcia passed for 3,059 yards with 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions (64.2 completion %), adding 222 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.