Two legends and many great stories to tell.
Tailgate Talks is a weekly show featuring former South Carolina Gamecocks standouts Pat DiMarco and Stephen Garcia. The show is streamed on Gamecocks Plus for subscribers in video format with the audio format living in podcast form on the Chief Sports Network.
The duo focuses on Carolina sports and athletics from the perspective of former players and frequently features guests that also played for the Gamecocks. DiMarco and Garcia both hail from the state of Florida and were part of a South Carolina recruiting class under former head coach Steve Spurrier (2007) that ranked in the top 10 nationally and is credited with building the foundation for the best run in program history from 2010-13.
Guests have included Spurrier, Mike Davis (2012-14), Ace Sanders, former South Carolina quarterbacks and more with more to come.
Garcia and DiMarco both were starters on the only Carolina team to ever reach the SEC Championship Game (2010). Considered the big breakthrough year for the program under Spurrier, the 2010 Gamecocks toppled No. 1 Alabama, 35-21, at home, defeated an Urban Meyer-led Florida team, 36-14, in the Swamp to clinch the SEC East and also defeated rival Clemson, 29-7, at Memorial Stadium in the second of five straight wins against the Tigers.
Garcia had a notable career with the Gamecocks, starting 28 consecutive games and achieving a 20-14 record as a starter. He is third in program history behind Todd Ellis and Steve Taneyhill in career passing yardage with 7,597 and threw 47 touchdowns while also compiling 777 career rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Garcia had a combined 5-1 record against Clemson, Georgia and Alabama as a starting quarterback, his only loss coming in a 41-37 thriller in 2009 to the Bulldogs in Athens. He currently is a private quarterbacks coach in the Tampa area.
A four-star recruit and Elite 11 quarterback selection out of Tampa’s Jefferson High, Garcia is a native of Lutz, Fla., and works as a private quarterbacks and football coach. His son Memphys is a up and coming quarterback prospect at the high school level.
DiMarco was a key part of the Gamecocks teams he played on, playing tight end and fullback in Spurrier’s offensive system. He finished his career with 38 receptions for 302 yards and six touchdowns and in 2010 paved the way for freshman sensation Marcus Lattimore to set records at running back.
Following his time at South Carolina, DiMarco spent 10 years in the National Football League spending time on the active in-season roster with the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills. DiMarco reached the Pro Bowl with the Falcons in 2015 and then was a starter on Atlanta’s most recent Super Bowl team during the 2016 season. He had two receptions for 12 yards in Atlanta’s infamous 34-28 overtime loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI.
DiMarco, the nephew of pro golfer Chris DiMarco, was a two-star recruit from Lake Brantley High in Altamonte Springs, Fla., in the Orlando area. He was one of a handful of prospects personally recruited by Spurrier during Spurrier’s tenure at South Carolina.
Gamecocks Plus subscriptions are included with all Gamecock Club memberships. If you are not a member of the Gamecock Club, would like access and want to also support Name, Image and Likeness efforts for the South Carolina Gamecocks, we recommend the Garnet Trust Bundle. You can purchase that HERE.
Tailgate Talks is also available in podcast format on the Chief Sports App, which is available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play. The links to download are below.
Chief Sports App for iPhone and iPad: DOWNLOAD HERE
Chief Sports App for Android: DOWNLOAD HERE
Tailgate Talks is released on Gamecocks Plus on Wednesday mornings, along with the Chief Sports App.
