Former quarterback hoping for chance in NFL
When former quarterback Stephen Garcia returned to Columbia he said it felt weird as quarterback Andrew Clifford drove him down Interstate 26 and into downtown.
But when Garcia took the field for South Carolina’s Pro Timing Day, the quarterback who was dismissed partway through his senior season said he felt right at home in Williams-Brice Stadium, and fans cheered before he participated in his first public drill of the afternoon.
“I know he was happy when he heard the cheer for his 40-yard dash,” said former offensive lineman Kyle Nunn. “That was a really good support system for him. Even though there wasn’t that many people here, the ones that were here supported him and welcomed him back.”
Having been suspended five times throughout his collegiate career, Garcia didn’t get a sixth suspension. He was dismissed from the football team following a failed substance test, which Garcia said was caused by alcohol, after the Gamecocks suffered the first loss of the 2011 season against Auburn at home.
Garcia said that it felt like old times for him as he threw to wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Jason Barnes, sailing balls out of their reach several times and throwing on target other times. But on the other hand, Garcia said it is a job and his future at stake now, which he wishes he would have learned when he was in college.
It has been six months since Garcia played his final game as a Gamecock and the memory of waiting to meet with Athletic Director Eric Hyman after finding out about his failed substance test still haunts him.
“I kind of blacked out toward the end because I just didn’t even want to hear,” Garcia said. “I didn’t want to see anybody. And then I called my parents and told them what happened and they came and helped me move out. I try not to think about that.”
When he first returned home, Garcia looked in the mirror and asked himself what he was going to do next, thinking his dream of playing football professionally was over. His weight got up to 245 pounds, which is when he called a trainer and said he needed to start working out again. “I’ve got to give it one shot,” Garcia told his trainer.
On Wednesday, Garcia weighed in at 218 pounds, which he attributes to cutting out alcohol and having a chef who makes him lunches and dinners in Tampa. Though he says he is happy with where his life is now, he also recognizes the uphill battle he faces in getting to the NFL. He hasn’t really considered a minor football league, like the Canadian Football League or arena football. Wearing a camouflage shirt, Garcia said that he might consider joining the military. The main goal is still the NFL, though.
“I’ve just got to talk and get in front of as many scouts as I can and let them know me on a personal level so they can see that I wasn’t the monster that it was portrayed I was in college,” Garcia said. “I guess we’ll see. I’ve got another combine in Detroit on Saturday. I’ll get another chance to be in front of them and throw the ball around and hopefully do well.”
Now, Garcia lives with his girlfriend and son, but he described his past mistakes as a college kid trying to do what everybody does in college. What he regrets most is that it took him so long to figure out that being a regular college kid and being an SEC quarterback conflict. His new life is a lot different than living in college, but not in a bad way, as he called it “awesome.”
Garcia believes he helped his draft stock, but was also just happy he got to see people he didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to, like his former teammates. While the ones that participated in the Pro Day were happy that he got a chance to return, they once again had to share the spotlight with a quarterback whose drama and subsequent redemption story has been the headline time and time again, as each player was inevitably asked about what it was like to have Garcia back. On Wednesday, the narrative felt the same.
“Every time I think about it, it’s upsetting,” Garcia said. “But it happened in the way it happened. I still cheer for these guys all the time and I still talk to them all the time and wish them well. They’re going to do great next year and Connor (Shaw) is going to do well. He did well this year. I’m proud of the team. It’s still rough, though. It still is rough.”