East South Carolina Quarterback Stephon Garcia announced on social media that he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer.
“Not very excited to share this news but it is what it is,” Garcia wrote on his Facebook page. “We have a great team of doctors and staff who are confident that we can beat this! It is the only option.”
Garcia, 38, shared the news to raise awareness about cancer.
“If there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s to get tested and don’t be afraid to go to the doctors’ office when you don’t feel 100%,” Garcia wrote. “We got this and I appreciate you all!”
As of Thursday, Garcia was close to reaching his goal of $150,000 through a GoFundMe page created by his wife, Maria Garcia.
She wrote that her husband is starting chemotherapy from Wednesday.
“They are taking the most aggressive treatment path available to fight it,” he wrote on the page. “After these initial visits, he will meet with specialized liver and colon surgeons to determine the next steps in his treatment plan. Stephen is now focused on one thing: fighting this disease with everything he has.”
Garcia served as the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback from 2008–11 and finished as one of only six players in team history at that time to throw for at least 3,000 yards in a season. He finished his collegiate career with 7,597 passing yards and 47 touchdowns in 40 games. He did not play in the NFL.
