Linebacker Graham Stewart Ready for the Next Step
You saw him make plays all over the field for the UConn football team this past fall. He's hoping you'll see him back in action on Sundays next year. Senior linebacker Graham Stewart has been working hard every day in hopes of reaching that goal.
After helping lead the 2015 Huskies to their first bowl appearance since the 2010-2011 season, Stewart is laser-focused on getting his body ready for UConn's Pro Day on March 8th and graduating college.
Stewart's football career always showed great promise going back to his days as a 4-star recruit from state power Xavier High in Middletown, Conn. He ended up choosing to attend the University of Florida—a program coming off a streak of three straight bowl wins which started with the 2008 BCS National Championship Game and a Sugar Bowl win—over offers from Boston College, Iowa, Syracuse, Temple, and Connecticut.
He was no benchwarmer for the SEC giant, playing in 12 games at Florida as a true freshman and scoring a touchdown in the Gator Bowl win over Ohio State to help UF notch its fourth consecutive bowl victory.
Stewart ended up transferring to UConn after that season, mostly for family reasons. He is very close with his sister and grandparents, who had both moved back to Connecticut while he was at Florida, and knew his immediate and extended family would have more opportunities to watch him play closer to home.
"It just felt right to go back home, and where I originally wanted to be," he told UConn Report.
Unfortunately, things weren't too great back home. UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni was fired four games into Stewart's first season back on the field after his transfer year.
Luckily, new head coach Bob Diaco was well-known for his defensive prowess when UConn hired the former Notre Dame defensive coordinator to take over the football program.
Stewart praised his new head coach for "his knowledge and passion for the game and [dedication to] helping young men develop," adding, "Coach Diaco put together an awesome staff too, they have a lot of knowledge and experience."
With former college All-American Anthony Poindexter and former All-Pro linebacker Vincent Brown as the co-defensive coordinators running the show, Stewart had a chance to learn from some of the very best. Diaco himself was a former two-time All-Big Ten linebacker at Iowa.
The only downside was that the 3-4 scheme which Diaco employs is generally not an ideal fit for a traditional pro-style linebacker like Stewart. Still, he was too talented of a player to keep off the field and UConn's coaching staff found a way to make it work.
Stewart was a leader on a Husky defense which was among the best in the American conference in many key categories. When the Huskies won three straight games late in the season to clinch bowl eligibility, the defense clamped down, allowing 19 points total.
Like the basketball player who always guards the other team's best player, Stewart was usually tasked with executing the strategy behind stopping the other team's top offensive threat.
"I played a position that was in constant run/pass conflict, securing the field zone side ... It's a defense that's particularly great against the run," Stewart said.
He performed very well despite being outside of his comfort zone, making a number of big plays, including tying for the team lead in tackles-for-loss. It was clear to me from attending many practices that Diaco had a great deal of respect for Stewart as well, which was no surprise given his understanding of the game and zest for hitting people.
"I like being an enforcer," he said, in true linebacker fashion. "Those hits and the aggressive plays energize your teammates- those are the type of plays I like to make."
It is no surprise then, given his prowess on the field, in the film room, and in practice, that the coaching staff awarded Stewart with the Bleed Blue Award for embodying the spirit of what it means to be a UConn Husky. Many older players left the UConn Football program as Diaco took over, primarily because they didn't want to be part of a rebuilding project. Stewart took great pride in staying and helping to lead the turnaround.
"I'm proud to be a part of something right now that's going to be the foundation and backbone of the program going forward," Stewart said after the Huskies' win over East Carolina.
In the pros, Stewart sees his best fit in a 4-3 alignment, "playing the Mike (middle) or Will (weakside) linebacker and being a 'run-and-hit' type of player." He can also step in on special teams right away.
Many NFL teams have already made initial inquiries and will be in attendance at UConn's Pro Day. Stewart may be an under-the-radar prospect, but definitely believes he has a lot to offer NFL teams.
"I’m a high-motor, blue-collar guy who’s coachable and works very hard. I will work very hard for you. I'm a guy who fills any role and will give it my all, love and accepts taking on roles and doing different jobs... I’m a football player. I just love to play football."