EditorsNote: This is the first in a 7-part series highlighting the top football players in the area who encompass leadership, athleticism and game-changing abilities for their teams in 2016. The players are taken from rosters of high school teams in The Star-Herald coveragearea and are nominated by their coaches. Sports editor Stan Beall makes the selections. The players will be revealed one at a time over a 7-week period and are in no particular order.
Off the field, senior McAdams LB/RB Mark Stewart is considered a great guy who cares about the people around him a
nd works extremely hard to be all that he can be in and out of the classroom.
“When he’s on the field Mark (Stewart) is a beast and a leader,” said Bulldog head coach Priest Crockett. “The players follow him and whatever I ask him to do he just soaks it up and does it. He
such good leader that he adapts well to whatever position he’s put in on offense or defense.”
Stewart is the kind of player that all coaches would love to have. He can play either way, offensively or defensively, and do it successfully. Coach Crockett says he’s not even sure how good he can be yet on offense but knew after the French Camp game last year that Stewart was a special player.
“He just picks up everything so well and is really good at whatever it is we need him to do,” added Crockett. “He can run the football and his hands are really good. I had no idea that they were as good as they are and that just makes him a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield as well or at tight end.”
Being a versatile player is something that Stewart takes a lot of pride in. He doesn’t want to be a one dimensional player and feels like he can help his team from both sides of the ball.
“It’s a huge honor to me to be considered a team leader by my coaches and teammates,” said Stewart. “It makes me feel really good, but it makes me want to work even harder so I won’t disappoint anybody––that’s the main thing really. I have worked really hard to make myself better and stronger and hopefully this season will be the start of something for myself and future Bulldog football teams.”
Since last season ended Stewart had worked hard in the weight room and on his own to try and make himself better. He says that he can’t take a day off and is looking for every opportunity to get better.
“If I’m staying at a hotel I’ll work out in their weight room, I just don’t want to take a day off when I can get better”, said Stewart. I just feel like I got to get bigger, I got to stronger and I just want to finish my senior year on a high note. I just want my teammates to know that it’s not just all about wins, but it’s about how much fun you have and how much respect you have for the game.”
Whenever the Bulldogs need a play to be made, Stewart is the one to make that play.
“Whenever we need the ball back on offense Mark just seems to be the one to make the play,” said Crockett. “He just plays with reckless abandonment and he really doesn’t know how good he is. People tell him how good he is but he really doesn’t believe them. It’s just amazing to me how humble a young man he is.”
Stewart amazes coach Crockett in his ability to recognize what’s going on during a play as well and says that what he does is really hard to teach.
“We can teach him fundamentals and where to go, but he just naturally recognizes the flow of a play”, concluded Crockett. He’s an upstanding young man and I look forward to watching him this season.”
