Late last week, Steve Spurrier intimated that suspended starting quarterback Stephen Garcia could be reinstated to the football program early this week.
With early this week upon us, that’s looking more and more to be the case.
The Charleston Post & Courier‘s Travis Haney reports Monday that Garcia’s reinstatement is indeed in the offing, writing that the fifth-year senior “is expected to be fully and officially reinstated to the team today.” Garcia has been suspended since an alcohol-fueled incident in April, although he was “reinstated on a probationary basis” to the program in late May.
Since being suspended for at least the fifth time as a member of the Gamecocks, Garcia has been subject to numerous requirements set forth by the university and the athletic department. Citing sources, Haney reports that one of those requirements was for Garcia to complete an outpatient alcohol treatment program. Doctors would be required to sign off on the satisfactory completion of the treatment as a condition for Garcia’s return.
Spurrier said after his annual media golf outing Thursday that Garcia has been on the straight and narrow, doing everything required of him in order to get back into the university’s good graces.
“Stephen Garcia has changed his lifestyle almost completely,” Spurrier said at the time. “He’s been on time, no goofing around. He’s being very serious. He’s showing a commitment we’ve never seen before.
“Now, hopefully that will continue. I expect it to continue.”