Elijah Stewart '20 Recruiting Profile

Since a young age I was always being put through different drills and exercises by my dad who is a strength and conditioning coach. That has played a big role in making me into the athlete that I am. I immediately fell in love with the game when my parents signed me up at the age of eight. It really occurred to me that I could keep growing this passion to the college level when I began starting defense at cornerback as a freshman. Through this game, I have most learned how to be an underdog; how to be underestimated and battle through it. My size has always been an obstacle for me, but I've learned to fight through it and compensate by really hitting the weight room. Because of this, I've bettered myself and my game, and have won multiple power-lifting competitions to show for it.

   Besides my innate love for the game, my second biggest motivation is that I do not think that any one person should be stuffed into a category. I believe that stereotypes were made to be broken. It's either my highly competitive nature or my instinct to be a leader, or both, but I fully believe that an athlete should be able to step not only on the field but also in the classroom and perform to the best of their abilities. My drive to do this and be an example for others genuinely motivates me. I believe I have the athletic ability, drive, and mindset to compete in college and have a positive influence on any team at any level.