Former South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia announced on social media that he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer.
"Wasn't overly 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 that's confident we can beat this! It's the only option."
Garcia, 38, shared the news to raise awareness about the cancer.
"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%," Garcia wrote. "We got this and I appreciate all yall!"
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 was starting chemotherapy Wednesday.
"They are taking the most aggressive treatment path available to fight this," she wrote on the page. "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 served as the Gamecocks' starting quarterback from 2008-11 and finished as one of only six players in team history at the 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.
