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http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2015/08/after_slow_start_at_alabama_ev.html
The praise was unprompted.
Nick Saban's post-scrimmage news conference Saturday began with an opening statement, a rundown of some of Alabama's coach's primary observations from the session.
Shortly after beginning, Saban brought up ArDarius Stewart, the latest indicator of the redshirt sophomore wide receiver's readiness to be a top playmaker for the Tide's offense this season.
"I thought ArDarius Stewart had a really good day today," Saban said. "He had eight catches and made some really good catches — adjusted to the ball well, made some contested plays — which was good to see."
A decorated dual-threat quarterback and safety at Fultondale High School, Stewart struggled with his transition to Alabama and wide receiver.
Stewart's primary recruiter — former Tide outside linebackers coach Lance Thompson — regularly called Richie Busby during Stewart's redshirt season in 2013, encouraging Fultondale's ex-offensive coordinator and current head coach to check on his former star.
Two years later, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Stewart is in line to be a top option for a passing game replacing its top three wide receivers, including Heisman Trophy finalist Amari Cooper.
"He's probably been our most consistent guy out there in terms of ability to execute," Saban said in early August. "He's making plays every day. I think his confidence is growing, and I think he's the next guy that we need to sort of be the man when it comes to playing receiver and playing with consistency. Quarterbacks can develop confidence in some guys that they can go to, and he's certainly done a good job of that so far."
Multi-position standout
Ranked by Rivals as a high-end four-star recruit and the third-best athlete in the 2013 recruiting class, Stewart accounted for 138 career touchdown passes, runs and catches at Fultondale, the third-highest total in state history.
Stewart ran for 1,923 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior in 2012 while averaging 10.2 yards per carry. Stewart threw for 1,034 yards and 11 scores. He also caught two touchdowns.
At safety, Stewart was an explosive hard-hitter and playmaker.
The first two clips of Stewart's senior highlight tape show him flying up from the back-end of Fultondale's defense and delivering full-speed, running shots into opposing ball-carriers that sent both several yards either backwards or out of bounds.
"He would come up from safety and hit people. And you'd see him come out of the corner of your eye — and me also being the offensive coordinator — I'm thinking 'please don't get hurt' because you're only averaging about four touchdowns per game. That would probably do some damage to our offense," Busby said of Stewart, who had 55 tackles and two interceptions as a senior. "He could come down from the middle of the field and wreak some havoc."
Alabama originally recruited Stewart as a safety and briefly experimented with him at the position during his redshirt season before moving him back to wide receiver.
"He's just so explosive. Coach Saban, the thing he explained to me was he thought he was an NFL-type body and NFL-type explosiveness from a safety," Busby said. "And coach is going to put him where he feels like his future is best at. But it wasn't in ArDarius's heart. He wanted to play offense in college.
"And we were all on board trying to say 'Hey, coach thinks you need to play safety. You need to listen to him. He's the best defensive mind in college football. You might want to listen to him.' But I guess he knew better than us."
Carving out playing time
Stewart became a significant part of Alabama's wide receiver rotation midway through last year, starting twice late in the regular season and finishing with 12 catches for 149 yards.
After starting against Mississippi State and Western Carolina — and making a combined seven catches for 76 yards in those two games — Stewart did not catch any passes during the Tide's final three games after suffering an MCL injury against Western Carolina.
"Unfortunately, sometimes [players] don't prepare the same way until they're really playing, as much as we tell them to," Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said. "I think we saw ArDarius kind of make a transition in a year there. ...
"He got injured and didn't end up finishing the year like we'd [have] liked. But ArDarius is as talented, probably the most talented guy that we have, and has made some significant plays even in games or during the spring."
'Such a competitor'
Stewart posted the second-fastest 40-yard dash time among wide receivers during the Tide's spring testing (4.57).
Up 25 pounds or so after arriving to college weighing around 180 pounds, Stewart also recorded the second-best bench press among scholarship wide receivers (355 pounds) while his 275-pound power clean was tied for the best by a receiver.
While many of Stewart's offensive highlights from high school show him using his speed to run around and away from defenders, Stewart once ran a defender over so violently and in such a way that the player spent several weeks in intensive care, Busby said.
"He doesn't like to hear the story," Busby said, "but he's just a violent, explosive player."
Busby also described Stewart as tough and "such a competitor."
Stewart's sternum once "popped out" during a high school game, Busby said.
"The bone had come out of its socket I guess, and it literally looked like he had a little man under his chest, this bone trying to come out of the skin," Busby said. "It was disgusting. The doctor was literally on the table with two hands pushing down like he was giving him CPR, and a 190-pound doctor couldn't get it to go back in."
The doctor told Stewart, "You're not playing anymore."
Stewart's mother — who was in the locker room — added, "You don't need to play."
Stewart responded defiantly, "Oh, I'm playing."
The doctor eventually told Stewart he could play if he could do a pushup.
Stewart did 25, went back in the game and scored three second half touchdowns.
Stewart accounted for five touchdowns the next week with the bone still sticking out, Busby said.
The injury was no longer an issue after the following Wednesday.
Stewart missed school that Monday and Tuesday because he was having trouble breathing, Busby said. Driving to school Wednesday, Stewart coughed while sitting at a red light. When he did, Busby said, "the bones slide back together in his chest, and it just goes back into its little pocket."
"He's never had another problem with it," Busby said.
'Everything's just clicking'
Early challenges for Stewart at Alabama included route running and reading coverages after playing quarterback in high school.
Now, Busby said, "in talking to him, everything's just clicking."
Stewart and fellow wide receiver Robert Foster were co-MVPs of the Tide's spring game in April.
Stewart got behind defensive back Maurice Smith deep over the middle for a 40-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-14 before later beating cornerback-turned-safety Eddie Jackson for a 29-yard touchdown on a deep corner route out of the slot.
Stewart finished with eight catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns, a strong scrimmage performance like the one he delivered Saturday.
"We really felt like last year he sort of came into his own toward the end of the season, and then had some bad luck with some injuries," Saban said. "To see him come back, I think he just shows more maturity. I think he's got more confidence in what he's doing. He's playing faster and making more plays."
The praise was unprompted.
Nick Saban's post-scrimmage news conference Saturday began with an opening statement, a rundown of some of Alabama's coach's primary observations from the session.
Shortly after beginning, Saban brought up ArDarius Stewart, the latest indicator of the redshirt sophomore wide receiver's readiness to be a top playmaker for the Tide's offense this season.
"I thought ArDarius Stewart had a really good day today," Saban said. "He had eight catches and made some really good catches — adjusted to the ball well, made some contested plays — which was good to see."
A decorated dual-threat quarterback and safety at Fultondale High School, Stewart struggled with his transition to Alabama and wide receiver.
Stewart's primary recruiter — former Tide outside linebackers coach Lance Thompson — regularly called Richie Busby during Stewart's redshirt season in 2013, encouraging Fultondale's ex-offensive coordinator and current head coach to check on his former star.
Two years later, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Stewart is in line to be a top option for a passing game replacing its top three wide receivers, including Heisman Trophy finalist Amari Cooper.
"He's probably been our most consistent guy out there in terms of ability to execute," Saban said in early August. "He's making plays every day. I think his confidence is growing, and I think he's the next guy that we need to sort of be the man when it comes to playing receiver and playing with consistency. Quarterbacks can develop confidence in some guys that they can go to, and he's certainly done a good job of that so far."
Multi-position standout
Ranked by Rivals as a high-end four-star recruit and the third-best athlete in the 2013 recruiting class, Stewart accounted for 138 career touchdown passes, runs and catches at Fultondale, the third-highest total in state history.
Stewart ran for 1,923 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior in 2012 while averaging 10.2 yards per carry. Stewart threw for 1,034 yards and 11 scores. He also caught two touchdowns.
At safety, Stewart was an explosive hard-hitter and playmaker.
The first two clips of Stewart's senior highlight tape show him flying up from the back-end of Fultondale's defense and delivering full-speed, running shots into opposing ball-carriers that sent both several yards either backwards or out of bounds.
"He would come up from safety and hit people. And you'd see him come out of the corner of your eye — and me also being the offensive coordinator — I'm thinking 'please don't get hurt' because you're only averaging about four touchdowns per game. That would probably do some damage to our offense," Busby said of Stewart, who had 55 tackles and two interceptions as a senior. "He could come down from the middle of the field and wreak some havoc."
Alabama originally recruited Stewart as a safety and briefly experimented with him at the position during his redshirt season before moving him back to wide receiver.
"He's just so explosive. Coach Saban, the thing he explained to me was he thought he was an NFL-type body and NFL-type explosiveness from a safety," Busby said. "And coach is going to put him where he feels like his future is best at. But it wasn't in ArDarius's heart. He wanted to play offense in college.
"And we were all on board trying to say 'Hey, coach thinks you need to play safety. You need to listen to him. He's the best defensive mind in college football. You might want to listen to him.' But I guess he knew better than us."
Carving out playing time
Stewart became a significant part of Alabama's wide receiver rotation midway through last year, starting twice late in the regular season and finishing with 12 catches for 149 yards.
After starting against Mississippi State and Western Carolina — and making a combined seven catches for 76 yards in those two games — Stewart did not catch any passes during the Tide's final three games after suffering an MCL injury against Western Carolina.
"Unfortunately, sometimes [players] don't prepare the same way until they're really playing, as much as we tell them to," Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said. "I think we saw ArDarius kind of make a transition in a year there. ...
"He got injured and didn't end up finishing the year like we'd [have] liked. But ArDarius is as talented, probably the most talented guy that we have, and has made some significant plays even in games or during the spring."
'Such a competitor'
Stewart posted the second-fastest 40-yard dash time among wide receivers during the Tide's spring testing (4.57).
Up 25 pounds or so after arriving to college weighing around 180 pounds, Stewart also recorded the second-best bench press among scholarship wide receivers (355 pounds) while his 275-pound power clean was tied for the best by a receiver.
While many of Stewart's offensive highlights from high school show him using his speed to run around and away from defenders, Stewart once ran a defender over so violently and in such a way that the player spent several weeks in intensive care, Busby said.
"He doesn't like to hear the story," Busby said, "but he's just a violent, explosive player."
Busby also described Stewart as tough and "such a competitor."
Stewart's sternum once "popped out" during a high school game, Busby said.
"The bone had come out of its socket I guess, and it literally looked like he had a little man under his chest, this bone trying to come out of the skin," Busby said. "It was disgusting. The doctor was literally on the table with two hands pushing down like he was giving him CPR, and a 190-pound doctor couldn't get it to go back in."
The doctor told Stewart, "You're not playing anymore."
Stewart's mother — who was in the locker room — added, "You don't need to play."
Stewart responded defiantly, "Oh, I'm playing."
The doctor eventually told Stewart he could play if he could do a pushup.
Stewart did 25, went back in the game and scored three second half touchdowns.
Stewart accounted for five touchdowns the next week with the bone still sticking out, Busby said.
The injury was no longer an issue after the following Wednesday.
Stewart missed school that Monday and Tuesday because he was having trouble breathing, Busby said. Driving to school Wednesday, Stewart coughed while sitting at a red light. When he did, Busby said, "the bones slide back together in his chest, and it just goes back into its little pocket."
"He's never had another problem with it," Busby said.
'Everything's just clicking'
Early challenges for Stewart at Alabama included route running and reading coverages after playing quarterback in high school.
Now, Busby said, "in talking to him, everything's just clicking."
Stewart and fellow wide receiver Robert Foster were co-MVPs of the Tide's spring game in April.
Stewart got behind defensive back Maurice Smith deep over the middle for a 40-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-14 before later beating cornerback-turned-safety Eddie Jackson for a 29-yard touchdown on a deep corner route out of the slot.
Stewart finished with eight catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns, a strong scrimmage performance like the one he delivered Saturday.
"We really felt like last year he sort of came into his own toward the end of the season, and then had some bad luck with some injuries," Saban said. "To see him come back, I think he just shows more maturity. I think he's got more confidence in what he's doing. He's playing faster and making more plays."
