Avengers Stewart Stays Focused On Defense
Mike Chanpong
Wednesday May 16, 2007
Jason Stewart has been on a tear lately.
During the Los Angeles Avengers last two games against Las Vegas and Tampa Bay, the burly defensive lineman registered 3.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for a loss and a forced fumble that led to a safety. To the untrained eye, those might not seem like gaudy football statistics, but for a nose tackle in the Arena Football League, those are some pretty impressive numbers.
So impressive, in fact, that Stewart was honored by the league as the ADT Defensive Player of the Week following his 4.5 tackle, 2.5 sack performance against Las Vegas. It's the first time this season that an Avengers player has won the award.
"Basically I just come out with my team and go through what we work on in practice," Stewart said of his success. "Being physical and being fundamentally sound and working on my technique is what it's about. I feel I have to bring my A game every play."
Stewart attributes much of his success to his work ethic. “I work hard and I just come out here prepared,” he shrugged. “In my mind it's a war every snap, every play, every down and every second. I strive to be the best. I'm not looking to place third or second, I'm here to be number one.”
Stewart also gives credit to his teammates for helping him become a defensive force. "Reggie Rhodes, Josh Jefferies, Silas Demary, we all feed off each other," he explained. "Silas has taught me so much. He taught me how to stay up the hashes, and how to play the game right."
According to Stewart, 'playing the game right' this time of the season is about being mentally focused above anything else. That means being focused on playing four quarters of football, not three and a half quarters as they did in their heart-breaking 40-37 loss to Tampa Bay. "Camp is over and that's where the physical part was,” he explained. “Now it's about being mentally focused and playing four quarters of football, dominating the situation on the clock, and knowing what we've got to do at all times."
Stewart felt that the Avengers lost to Tampa Bay because they didn’t play as a team. "When you come out and play as a team, the outcome speaks for itself. When you don't play as one, you lose and I think that's what happened."
If the Avengers are going to make a strong run at the playoffs, the defense will have to get adjusted to some newly acquired players, such as defensive backs Terrance Joseph and Eddie Canonico. The fact they gave up only 37 points to the Gladiators and 40 points to the Storm these last two weeks shows they're not far off. "They (Joseph and Canonico) are great players and the chemistry is going to come along. It's only been two weeks," reassured Stewart. "When the chemistry clicks - when everybody clicks - we're going to be a heck of a football team."
