Tampa, FL (WLTX) - The last image of Stephen Garcia in a Gamecock uniform was that of a spectator.
He had to watch as Conner Shaw led the offense in a 54-3 rout of Kentucky. The following Tuesday, he was permanently dismissed from the team.
While the Gamecocks moved on, it was a lot harder for Garcia, who returned to his home in Tampa, Florida.
"It was really tough," Garcia said. "It was pretty devastating, especially those first few weeks. I was just sitting around like 'what am I doing, why am I not playing somewhere.' I spent the next few months kinda thinking about what I wanted to do and if I still wanted to play and it was a lot of soul-searching really."
Garcia never made excuses for his behavior, and nearly four months since his dismissal, Garcia says he has finally, in his words, seen the light.
"After I got kicked off, the light bulb finally went off. I guess it takes a little longer for some people. Finally it clicked and I think I definitely got a little more mature."
This isn't the first time Garcia has said he has straightened out. However, unlike before, he's back home helping to raise a son and that has changed him in a way he could never imagine.
"When I was up there (Columbia) I really didn't realize that all eyes were on my at all times. It was pretty frustrating and embarrassing that it took me that long to figure it out. I've got a four-year-old son I'm living with now with my girlfriend and raising him. You always got to know at least two pairs of eyes are looking at you, to make sure you're setting a good example."
Garcia says he understands that football is a job, and the coaches on the professional level will not show the kind of patience that he was shown in college.
"I talked to roughly 20 to 25 scouts. It's a job interview. Its' a four month-long process of doing interviews and more interviews, and hopefully I'm doing the right things and saying the right stuff. Hopefully [I] get a chance and show a team that I'm changed from my off-the-field distractions and prove there is a quarterback on the field."
Garcia has been spending countless hours working out as he gets his body ready for these NFL auditions. One of those opportunities will be right here in Columbia in March as USC will hold its annual Pro Day, and Garcia will be there. He says the person coming back to Columbia is a lot different than the person who left in October.