A former Carolina Panthers’ lineman and current Charlotte radio host and high school assistant coach is in some hot water with the law. As per Langston Wertz Jr. of The Charlotte Observer, Frank Garcia, 46, was arrested Saturday and charged with misdemeanor assault:
Garcia was arrested in a south Charlotte neighborhood for simple assault of a female. The police report shows that he was not related to the victim, a 29-year-old woman. The woman suffered minor injuries, according to the report, and refused medical treatment.
Garcia played in the NFL for nine seasons from 1995-2003, spending the 1995-2000 seasons with the Panthers. He’s been in radio almost ever since, and currently is an afternoon host of the “Garcia and Bailey” show (with Kyle Bailey) on Charlotte’s 610 AM WFNZ. An Observer profile on him from Wertz in April talked about his journey to the afternoon drive slot:
When former Carolina Panther Frank Garcia started doing a local radio show about 14 years ago, he admits he wasn’t very good.
“I started with (another former Panther) Brentson Buckner, and we were god-awful,” Garcia said. “And I knew we were.”
But Garcia stuck with his radio gig and eventually found his legs. On Monday, the nine-year NFL veteran began working in the coveted afternoon drive slot at WFNZ, with his “Garcia & Bailey” show swapping places with Chris Kroeger’s “Prime Time.”
That piece also mentions Garcia’s work coaching high school football. He’s been an assistant coach at Charlotte Catholic since 2004, and said he’d continue to be involved there (just less in the day-to-day of practice) even after his radio timeslot started to get in the way. As per another Observer piece from Wertz Monday, though, the school has now suspended Garcia ahead of their state championship game (in the 3A division, against Jacksonville) Saturday.
We’ll see what’s next for Garcia, and if there’s further discipline ahead for him from WFNZ or from parent corporation Entercom. Wertz wrote that both have declined to comment so far.
