TAMPA, Fla. - Nyck Harbor’s day at SEC Media Days produced one of those rare moments that cuts through all the noise.
The South Carolina wide receiver had just finished talking with SEC Network reporter Alyssa Lang when he noticed former Gamecock quarterback Stephen Garcia standing nearby. Garcia, who is battling Stage 4 colorectal cancer, got a smile, a hug and then an offer Harbor didn’t have to make: a prayer.
“As soon as he gets done, he comes over, gives me a big old hug, and he’s like, ‘Dude, I know I got some other stuff to do, but I want to take like five to 10 minutes and just give you a quick little prayer,’” Garcia recalled in an interview with The State.
What followed left Garcia visibly moved.
“He did not need to do that. ... The fact that he took 10 minutes out of his day to pray for me - it was a damn good prayer, man, almost freaking teared up - it’s powerful stuff,” Garcia said.
Lang later posted about the exchange on Twitter/X, calling it a “really touching moment.” It was the kind of scene that stood out in the middle of the usual SEC Media Days chaos, with reporters, coaches and players constantly moving from one interview to the next.
For Garcia, the gesture was just the latest sign of how much support he’s getting from the South Carolina community and beyond. A star of the Steve Spurrier era at USC, Garcia played for the Gamecocks from 2008-11 and now lives in Tampa, where he stopped by the event to visit with media members and the South Carolina contingent.
He also spent time Tuesday with Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer and defensive back Peyton Williams.
“I’ll tell you what, it’s a tip of the hat to Coach Beamer and the fact that he’s instilling that kind of attitude and gratitude and behavior to his players, especially his star players,” Garcia said. “...
Whatever Coach Beamer is doing with these guys it’s clearly working. And he’s not making football players, he’s making grown a-- men, and it’s awesome to see in this day and age of college football.”
Garcia said the support has stretched well past Columbia. Former teammates, fans and others around college football have reached out, and even Clemson coach Dabo Swinney texts him a few times each week.
His wife, Masha, started a GoFundMe page in May that has brought in nearly $250,000.
“It means the world to me,” Garcia said. “When my wife posted that, I’m like, ‘Why would you do that?
Who cares? Nobody’s gonna donate anything.
I don’t want to do a charity thing.’ … This is absolutely insane and the amount of support has just been absolutely astronomical.”
Garcia also gave an update on his treatment. He got his first round of chemo on April 29, then his sixth round and a CT scan last week. On Friday, his surgeon delivered encouraging news: the two spots on his liver are shrinking.
One spot has dropped by about 50% and is calloused, which Garcia said means it’s dying. The other spot can’t even be seen. Next week, he’ll go through pelvic radiation for five straight days, then take six weeks off before surgery.
“Everything’s super positive,” Garcia said.
He said he’s feeling as good as he can under the circumstances, though there have been a handful of days over the last few months when stomach pain has left him immobilized. He’s also losing his trademark flowing hair.
“The biggest thing sticking out right now is my bald a-- head,” Garcia said with a laugh. “I took a picture and sent it to my wife. I was like, “Man, I might have to go full Heisenberg here and just shave it all off.”
Through it all, Garcia said he’s approaching cancer the same way he approached football: with a plan, discipline and a refusal to fold. He credited his family and doctors for building a “really good game plan,” and said staying active and eating well have helped him physically while the support around him has helped keep him steady mentally.
“I’ve heard so many stories of people that have got down on themselves and had negative thoughts and they just kind of withered away,” Garcia said. “They just didn’t change their diet, didn’t change their attitude, and I just refuse to do that. I got a wife and three kids that are counting on me, so I refuse to go down without a big fight.”
In Other News...
Why South Carolina Fans Are Suddenly Debating This Beamer Hire
Kendal Briles arrived at South Carolina with a reputation for getting offenses moving, and that is exactly why his hire has stirred so much conversation around Columbia. After two seasons at TCU, where his unit produced more than 425 yards and 30 points per game, Briles comes in with the kind of track record that makes a coordinator addition feel bigger than a routine offseason move. Shane Beamer has already voiced optimism about what the scheme can do, and receiver Nyck Harbor has too, which only adds to the sense that this could be a meaningful reset for an offense looking for more consistency.
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South Carolina Just Landed The Kind Of In-State Bat Fans Want
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For South Carolina, the appeal goes beyond just another name in the class. Burd is the kind of flexible defender coaches can move around the diamond, and that sort of roster fit matters for a program trying to build depth while keeping talented local players home. He joins the Gamecocks 2026 group as a player expected to contribute quickly, even if the full shape of his role is still left to be determined. [Read more 🡒]