Senior linebacker Naton Stewart has not been a member of the Colonels football team long, but both head football coach Jay Thomas and linebacker coach Steve Ellis have noticed the University of Southern Mississippi transfer’s physical play on defense.Having joined the Colonels two days prior to the start of this fall’s preseason in August, Stewart brought both mental and physical toughness that the Colonels defense needed, according to Ellis.
“(He) came from Southern Miss, a team known for defenses, and that’s (physical toughness) one thing he’s brought to us, just a championship attitude because those guys (Southern Mississippi) know how to win,” Ellis said.
Stewart also had to learn the Colonels’ defense.
“I wouldn’t say it was easy,” Stewart said of picking up the defense, “but the time you put into it is what you’re going to get out of it so I just took the time and put it into it.”
Stewart said the type of defense the Colonels and Golden Eagles have are similar, but Southern Miss would “stem” or give the quarterback different looks, which he said the Colonels do sometimes but not as often.
Thomas said his linebacker has gotten better since his arrival. He said the terminology of Southern Miss’s defense and Nicholls’ defense is different. He said many of the defensive fronts Southern Miss plays Nicholls also plays, but both fronts and blitzes are called differently.
“He’s got to know it (defense) like the back of his hand so he can cut his feet loose and he can play,” Thomas said. “You can see when he knows what to do. Early in the year he was gone, but when he was unsure, there was a little hesitation there. He’s gotten better as each ball game (passes).”
After eight games, Stewart is tied for 35th place in the Southland Conference with 4.2 tackles per game. He has totaled 34 total tackles (22 solo and 12 assisted).
Stewart said he came to Nicholls because he was searching for another school to attend, and his linebacker coach recommended Nicholls. Stewart said he liked how things were run so he came.
Stewart was not the only one to come to Thibodaux. Junior defensive lineman Greg Casanave and senior running back Anthony Harris also came to Thibodaux.
Casanave said Stewart brings fire to the defense.
“We got to be a live defense (and) fired up, and Nate fires up the defense and gets us ready,” Casanave said.
After red-shirting his first season with the Golden Eagles, the 6-4 inch, 239-lb linebacker began his career on the opposite side of the ball at wide receiver and on special teams.
He was then switched to linebacker because his offensive receiver coach said his attitude was not that of a receiver.
Stewart said the switch was simple because he had played safety on defense at Vero Beach High School in Vero Beach, Fla.
Stewart’s brother, Daleroy Stewart, an NFL defensive lineman who played with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers and is currently searching for another NFL team, has aided in his brother’s transition to the defensive side of the ball.
“I talk to him (and) ask him different stuff,” Stewart said. “If I have questions about anything, I call and ask him.
