South Carolina's quarterback Stephen Garcia has been kicked off the team for alcohol abuse.
October 12, 2011- Stephen Garcia was not given a sixth chance of redeeming himself. The University of South Carolina athlete was dismissed from the university’s football team because of a failed alcohol test. Garcia had been suspended on five previous occasions and reinstated subsequently each time.
An insider said that part of Garcia’s last reinstatement was agreeing to periodic testing for alcohol. Eric Hyman the school’s athletic director would not give the reason for the quarterback’s dismissal. He only said Garcia did not meet the guidelines, which had been agreed upon therefore, he was dismissed.
Last April, the fifth-year quarterback received a suspension for conduct that was deemed unacceptable by the university. In May, he was allowed to workout with fellow teammates under certain conditions. He was then reinstated completely this past August just prior to the start of practice.
During his time at the University, Garcia started in 34 games, four of those this season, since he first enrolled in 2007. On October 3, he lost his starting quarterback job because of being inconsistent.
He led the team last year to the SEC title game by throwing for over 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns. However, his dismissal ends his turbulent time at the university. Coach Steve Spurrier was sad to see the quarterback’s career end in such a way and said the school wished Garcia the best.
