Shemar Stewart is 6’5″, 267 pounds, and is built like a Marvel hero. But Stewart is no movie character. He is the real-deal edge rusher with NFL teams circling his name in red ink. He turned heads at the NFL Combine with a 4.59-second 40-yard dash, a 40″ vertical, and a 10’11” broad jump. Now, those numbers are in the Myles Garrett zone.
Despite his college sack numbers being rather dismal, with just 1.5 sacks in each of his three seasons at Texas A&M, the talent is very much there. And if he clicks at the next level, he could give Abdul Carter a serious run for best edge. But before that, what led to the creation of this athlete, and who are the people behind it?
No Miami Nightlife, Just Goals: The Parents Who Kept Shemar Stewart Locked In
Well, if history is testimony, then behind every freak athlete, there’s usually a family story. And Shemar Stewart is no different. His story begins in Miami Gardens with a football, some friends, and a mother who never wavered. Stewart was just 12 when he first touched a football at Ives Estates Park.
At first, he was just trying to keep up with his boys. But the more he played, the more he realised he wasn’t just keeping up. He was outpacing them.
Shemar Stewart was raised by his mother, Latoya Smith, in Miramar. And Stewart’s story is not the typical, dad-at-every-game kind of tale. His father, Brandon Marquez, lives in Jamaica and wasn’t a consistent presence growing up. But even from afar, his advice sometimes hit home.
When Stewart got flagged for a face mask against New Mexico, and was frustrated with himself. His dad offered a dose of perspective.
Stewart reminisced and repeated his dad’s words, “You play with people that’s 5-(foot)-8 and you’re 6-(foot)-6… it ain’t gonna work out every time.” While there were moments of support, it was Stewart’s mom and his grandmom who were the anchors.
Latoya Smith and his his grandmother in North Miami helped Shemar Stewart become the man he is. Smith did not just raise him, she helped make the biggest call of his football journey so far. She is the reason that Stewart chose Texas A&M over Miami. But why do that?
Well, as Shemar Stewart himself puts it, “My parents didn’t want me to stay at home at all. It’s Miami, you know. The nightlife can get pretty distracting. Trying to keep my head on straight.” And so, off he went to College Station, trading palm trees for tumbleweeds. That decision paid off.
Stewart’s freshman campaign landed him on the SEC All-Freshman Team. Twenty-three tackles, a sack-and-a-half, and one fumble recovery later, he was no longer just a kid from Miramar. He was a rising star. Now, as his collegiate journey ends, what’s next on his agenda?
What are Stewart’s Draft Prospects Looking Like?
Well, here is the thing about Shemar Stewart. He will either make a GM look like a genius or have them answer some tough questions. His physical profile is great. And at the Combine, he did brilliantly. But NFL teams aren’t just looking at raw numbers. They are looking at stats, too.
Now, that is an issue for Stewart, considering his stats stand at four-and-a-half sacks over 37 college games. Now, that’s pretty weak for the NFL. And yet, Stewart remains a projected first-rounder. But why is that? Well, because potential sells.
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“It opens the door for a really interesting conversation about a guy that disrupts plays but doesn’t finish plays and has the size and athleticism that you want at the NFL level,” explained NBC Sports draft guru Connor Rogers. “How high do coaches and evaluators value that?” To add on, Daniel Jeremiah even called him “the most polarizing edge rusher.”
Not everybody in the NFL is ready for the risk. Others might take a chance. With Shemar Stewart, it’s less about what he’s done and more about what he could become with NFL coaching and structure.
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