Former Alabama receiver gives back while battling adversity
The man peering through the fence bore little resemblance to the one patrolling Alabama’s sidelines with an ax two years ago. For a few hours last week, former Alabama receiver ArDarius Stewart took a break from his role as a hard-nosed receiver, showing his softer side by making a visit to the Boys and Girls Club of Wayne, N.J.
These are trying times for Stewart. The former third-round pick in 2017 was released by the New York Jets last week after the two sides agreed on a settlement for his injured ankle. It was the second time Stewart has been released since serving out a two-game suspension last month for violating the league's Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances.
Faced with the most significant adversity he’s encountered in his career, the former Crimson Tide standout took some time to reflect. Things aren’t going according to plan at the moment, but Stewart is the first to admit his road to the NFL has been blessed. During a conversation with current Alabama walk-on Mac Hereford, Stewart decided it was time to pass that blessing on to others.
“I came to the realization then that I have a platform, and God had blessed me with so much,” Stewart told BamaInsider.com. “I just felt like I needed to get out there and let people know more of my story and where I came from. Maybe it can be more motivation for these young guys coming up. I know at some point in their lives they are going to come up on adversity. You never know if kids have a role model at the house or not, so I just wanted to get out there and let them know anything’s possible.”
A few phone calls later, the 6-foot-1 receiver found himself shyly approaching a recreational football field roughly an hour away from his house, not knowing what to expect.
“When he first came, he was standing at the fence,” said Mike Crystal, the head football commissioner of Wayne’s Boys and Girls Club. “I was looking for him because I was waiting for him to call me. I walked over and said, ‘What are you hiding behind the fence for? I know who you are.’”
Crystal, a longtime Jets fans jumped at the opportunity to have Stewart speak in front of his teams following practice. However, not even he realized how much of a hit the former Alabama receiver would be. Sharing everything from touchdown dances to life lessons, Stewart had his audience locked into every word.
“The guy really did a good job,” Crystal said. “For a guy who used to carry around an ax, he’s got a great personal side. The kids really appreciated that. He was talking, and they were listening. I got to tell you; they don’t even listen that well when the coaches talk.”
Stewart stuck to the basics, reminding kids to listen to their parents and coaches and keep up with their school work. However, his biggest message centered around self-belief.
“I told them one specific story of me in seventh grade,” Stewart said. “My teacher told me to make more realistic goals for myself. It was my English teacher, and I got an F on a paper because I wouldn’t put something else other than that I wanted to play in the NFL. I was determined to do that. I told the kids, ‘Whatever they tell you, it doesn’t matter. You can do anything if you put your mind to it.’
“That in itself is one of the biggest things that drove me. Instead of having that pushing motivation from an older adult, I had negativity. I had to find a way to change it to something positive. I was trying to teach them that any negative they face, they have to change it to a positive.”
That’s where Stewart finds himself now. At a crossroads in his career, the receiver says he plans to live out his message by continuing to fight for his dream no matter how difficult the road ahead.
“There’s a lot that I’ve learned, and there’s a lot that I’m still learning,” Stewart said. “I’m human, but my head is in the right place. I’m focused, and I’m not going to let anything stop my drive. I know what I want to do, so I’m not going to let anything get in front of that. I’ve been like that my entire life. I’ve had adversity, and I’ve always beat it. So why stop now?”