A former star SEC quarterback has announced that he has been diagnosed with a devastating form of cancer. Stephen Garcia, who starred for the South Carolina Gamecocks, revealed in a Facebook post that he is battling Stage 4 colorectal cancer.
'Wasn't overly excited to share this news but it is what it is. We have a great team of doctors and staff that's confident we can beat this! It's the only option,' the 38-year-old said in the post.
Garcia posted a GoFundMe link set up by his sister, Maria, that has already raised over $125,000 for his fight. 'If there's one lesson to be learned, get checked and don't be afraid to visit the doctors' office when you don't feel 100%. We got this and I appreciate all yall!'
On the GoFundMe page, it was revealed that Garcia was taking the 'most aggressive' path to treat the disease. 'Stephen is beginning chemotherapy today,' the fundraising page said. '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.'
Garcia played his whole college career with the Gamecocks, completing 7,597 yards of passes for 47 touchdowns across 40 games.
A study set to be presented at Digestive Disease Week 2026 in Chicago finds that mortality rates for rectal cancer are growing two to three times faster than it is for colon cancer among adults aged 20 to 44. The data suggests that older millennials aged 35 to 44 will see escalating mortality rates through 2035.
