Colleges

Spurrier strips Garcia of No. 5, likes his throws

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Stephen Garcia could attend practices, just not in uniform.

By TIMES WIRES
Published March 21, 2007

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Long after most South Carolina football players scattered from the team's opening practice Tuesday, Stephen Garcia carefully took snaps and let loose with powerful throws.

Garcia, the prized recruit from Tampa who is suspended from all team activities for the spring semester, threw the ball to a team manager while quarterbacks coach David Reaves watched and gave pointers.

"Shoot, he looks pretty good," head coach Steve Spurrier said, glancing from more than a football field away.

Garcia came out wearing a No. 5 jersey but was quickly told to take it off. Spurrier said Garcia could attend practices, just not in uniform.

Garcia was a big reason recruiting experts put Spurrier's newest class among the country's 10 best. He completed high school early to enroll this semester and go through spring practice so he could get a jump on Spurrier's complex offense.

But an arrest in February for drunkenness and failure to stop for a police officer, then another arrest two weeks later for malicious injury to personal property for scratching a professor's car with a key put Garcia in Spurrier's doghouse and sidelined him for workouts.

Senior quarterback Blake Mitchell came on strong late last year, leading the Gamecocks to three straight victories to end the season, and is expected to be the starter. But Garcia is considered the quarterback of the future, and the first big-time passer prospect for Spurrier to work with at South Carolina.

[Last modified March 21, 2007, 00:09:04]