Stephen Garcia Dismissed from USC Football Team

Stephen Garcia’s career as a starting quarterback at the University of South Carolina has officially ended.

Edward Aschoff of ESPN.com writes that as of Tuesday, October 11^th, Garcia has been permanently dismissed from the USC football squad. His sudden departure came as a result of him testing positive for both marijuana and alcohol. The results of the drug test clearly demonstrated that Garcia was in violation of an agreement set forth last spring—a period subsequent to his fifth suspension during his USC sports career. In regards to the decision to dismiss Garcia, Eric Hyman, the athletic director at South Carolina states that, “…Being a student-athlete at the University of South Carolina is a privilege, not a right, and we remind all of our student-athletes that there are consequences for their actions…” Head football coach Steve Spurrier adds, “…We are all saddened that this has occurred. We all feel like we’ve given Stephen numerous opportunities to be a student-athlete here at South Carolina. Obviously, he has chosen not to follow the guidelines of his reinstatement contract. We wish him the best.”

 Clearly, the athletic department at USC will tolerate no foolishness by its student-athletes—even the starting quarterback of their football team. In effect, the sudden dismissal of Garcia has certainly made a statement across the USC campus. No athlete is immune to punishment for his or her wrongdoings, no matter how many points they score, passes they complete, or shots they make.

Additionally, the article makes note of the inevitable consequences that Garcia’s dismissal will pose on the playing field. Upon Garcia’s departure, the duties of starting quarterback have now, officially, been handed off to Connor Shaw, former backup quarterback for Garcia. Behind Shaw are a redshirt freshman, Dylan Thompson, and a redshirt sophomore, Andrew Clifford. The Gamecocks of South Carolina can only pray that Shaw does not go down with an injury.

Yet the on-field consequences of Garcia’s dismissal are only a small part of what USC will now face. The consequences could be wide and varied. Perhaps those linked to the university will commend the acts of the athletic department in their attempts to maintain the integrity of the program. Others—particularly those linked to Garcia—may view the athletic program’s decision as far too extreme. As for the fans, the mid-season loss of a starting quarterback is definitely a tough blow to cope with. However, fans may quite possibly see Garcia’s dismissal as a breath of fresh air. As mentioned, during his USC football career, Garcia was suspended from play five times. The fifth time, more severe actions needed to be taken.

All in all, Stephen Garcia will soon be forgotten within the college football realm, yet the message posed by USC as a result of his dismissal is one that will not soon be forgotten by the athletes of USC, and for other athletes across the nation.