20 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015 SPORTS | KANSAN.COM Stewart emerges as the defense's quiet leader JAMES HOYT/KANSAN Cornerback Brandon Stewart runs a coverage drill in a practice session on Monday, Aug. 17. CHRISTIAN HARDY @HardyNFL On an April afternoon, Brandon Stewart sat down to talk to media at the University of Kansas for the first time. Fielding questions left and right. Stewart started the answer to every question almost the same. "Yes, sir," Stewart answered to one. "No, sir," he started answering the next. It's the way he starts almost every response — his answers typically are short and careful. Though he speaks softly, the Kansas cornerback isn't shy or afraid to look at whoever questions him. It's just the way he's been taught. His dad, Kevin Stewart, served as an officer in the Air Force and learned the importance of respect from his family, passing it on to Brandon. "He taught me everything I know," Brandon said of his dad. "The 'yes, sir, no, sir' comes from my parents. It's just being respectful, being responsible. I have to thank them for everything that I know." Brandon started playing football when he was in fifth grade while his dad was stationed at Fort Huachuca in Arizona. He was hooked immediately. He started carrying a football everywhere, he said. Hed throw it around in the house, take it to school, to the bathroom, to the dinner table until Kevin asked him to set it on the ground while the family ate — anywhere and everywhere. A year later, in sixth grade, Brandon told his father he wanted to play in the NFL and Kevin told him he could do it. Brandon played in Arizona until his junior year of high school and, for his senior year, moved to the high school football mecca: Texas. Kevin allowed Brandon to choose the school; Brandon chose Cedar Hill, where he settled in at cornerback instead of his former position of wide receiver. Brandon stayed focused on football and learned his new position, eventually earning a second-team All-State nomination in his first year at cornerback. But he never lost sight of his family and why he came to Texas in the first place. "When we moved into the [Dallas] area we thought he would want to hang out with the guys (on the team), and those kind of things," Kevin said. "He hung out with some of the guys a couple times and just noticed some things that were not acceptable as far as our family was concerned." Under the guidance of his parents, Brandon would keep his head straight, focusing on football instead, and keep getting better. The season would end up being bigger than he would know, at least until a few years down the road. --remaining schools. "When I got up [to Kansas], [the coaches] really knew me before I knew them. They're like my family, and they just welcomed me in." Kansas' co-defensive coordinator Kenny Perry got a look at Brandon in 2011, although BRANDON STEWART Kansas cornerback Perry was on an opposing sideline as head coach of Bowie High School. Now-Kansas head coach David Beaty — another Texan — was friends with Brandon's coach and had recruited Brandon when he was a coach at Texas A&M. After Brandon played two seasons at Trinity Valley Community College from 2012 to 2014, redshirting in 2013, Beaty came in with an offer late, adding to the pile of recruitment offers Brandon already had. It wasn't an easy decision for Brandon, who planned on going to the University of California before he found his grades weren't up to standards. To help Brandon decide, his father told him to make a pros and cons list of the That's one way of making a good decision," Kevin said. "I guess he did that, because he came back sometime later, and said, 'OK, I've made up my mind... I'm going to go to Kansas.'" "When I got up [to Kansas], [the coaches] really knew me before I knew them. They're like my family, and they just welcomed me in," Brandon said. "They're coaching me on the field, and they're going to have my back off the field. That's really why I came to KU" Before he ever stepped on the field, Brandon fit in well at Kansas — especially with the coaches. In the spring, however, Per ry's coaching methods broke Brandon down. Every day before practice, he sat in his room, preparing for Perry's cut-throat criticisms, which came often during practice. But Brandon learned to deal with it, eventually adjusting to Perry's coaching methods for the better. In fall camp, the 6-foot corner is No.1 at the position. "Brandon has come along just like I thought he would," Perry said. "I knew it was going to be a deal of breaking some of his bad habits that he had coming in ... He was all over the place with his eyes and his hands and he was just so twitchy. "It took him about four days, and he went in the tank on me," he continued. "You've got to break him down and you've got to build him up ... He's learned to play with a lot more patience." When Kevin asked if Brandon was coming home for the summer, he remembered Brandon replying, "No, Dad, I got goals. I have work that I have to do. I'm going to stay here and stay focused." Brandon did just that. Now, coming into the fall, he's in better shape than ever, taking one more step towards reaching his sixth-grade goal of playing in the NFL. If Brandon follows in the footsteps of past Jayhawk top corners, he'll be there in no time. Kevin said it wasn't if, but "when" he goes pro, but you wouldn't be hearing about it from him. "I felt like I was putting my social life before my football life, so I decided to deactivate [my Twitter]," Brandon said. "I just don't like all the attention. I just try to take it day-by-day until I reach my goals. "Success isn't really a set point; it's like a ladder. I'm just going to keep climbing until I become successful." What happened this summer for Kansas football CHRISTIAN HARDY @HardyNFL May 20 — Fifth-round draft pick Ben Heeney officially signs with the Raiders. Heeney recorded a team-high eight tackles in his first preseason game with Oakland. June 9 - Running back Corey Avery and wide receiver Rodriguez Coleman are officially dismissed from the team after violating team rules. Both players were considered the top returners at their respective positions and will be away from the team indefinitely. June 9 - Kansas football linebacker Jake Love retires from football for health reasons. "We are going miss his leadership and tenacity on the field, but we will also miss having a guy out there with the experience he has playing in the Big 12," Beaty said in a press release. June 11- Wide receiver Quincy Perdue announced his intentions to transfer to Kansas from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Perdue is 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds. He showed up in time for fall camp and will compete for a starting spot. July 9 - Defensive lineman Andrew Bolton leaves the Kansas football team, according to the Lawrence Journal-World. Bolton played in 11 games in 2014 and was considered one of the team's top returning players. LA PARRILLA LATIN AMERICAN CUISINE Daily Express Lunch starting at $7.49 Aug. 13 — Defensive tackle Corey King is cleared to play in 2015 after transferring from Miami (Fla.) Standing at 6-foot-1, 295 pounds, King will be back on a football field for the first time since 2013, when he played in three games at Miami. Aug. 5 - A roster update reveals expected starting guard Junior Vinicia is no longer with the team. Additionally, lineman Joey Bloomfield retired from football because of concussion symptoms. Mon - $2 Margaritas by the Glass Tues - 2 Tacos for $4 Wed - $6 Taco Salads Thur - $2.50 Beers Fri & Sat - $5 Grande Margaritas (27.6) PRIVATE DINING & CATERING AVAILABLE laparrillawrence.com Sun-Mon 11-9 724 Mass. St. | 841-1100 Tue-Thur 11-10 Aug.10 — Working his way into a starting role with the Eagles, former Kansas corner JaCorey Shepherd tears his ACL in a practice. He'll miss his entire rookie season. Real Issues for Thinking People Aug. 23: Can Your Version of the Bible Be Trusted? Aug. 30: What Men Wish Women Knew about Men and What Women Wish Men Knew about Women Sept. 6: Five Myths about God Every Sunday at 12:15 PM. Lunch provided. Lawrence Arts Center 940 New Hampshire Lawrence, KS VELOCITYCHURCH www.findvelocity.org ! www.findvelocity.org