NFL star Grover Stewart: “Attack the Day, or it will attack you”

ALBANY — Indianapolis Colts star Grover Stewart is home this weekend and spent part of Friday at Albany State trying to encourage hundreds of Albany youngsters in the Albany State Youth Enrichment Program this summer. Stewart was drafted by the Colts out of Albany State in 2017 and is coming off his biggest season yet with the team. Last season he recorded 70 tackles, including four quarterback sacks.

Hundreds of Albany area children packed into the Billy C. Black Auditorium on Albany State’s East Campus and at the end of the program Friday, youngsters had the opportunity to ask Stewart questions. One of the most interesting questions was “How does your career help society?”

“Well,” said Stewart. “Playing professional football gives me a big platform. That’s why I am here today. It gives me the chance to come and talk to you and encourage young people to maybe make better decisions and choices.”

Stewart had earlier told the story of how he got drafted by the Colts in the fourth round of the draft in 2017.

“When I came out of Mitchell County High School to play at Albany State, people told me I wouldn’t ever do anything,” he said. “I set in my mind that I was going to show these people what I could do. I adopted a plan to attack every day because if I didn’t attack the day, the day would attack me. And it did.”

Stewart was kicked off the team after his freshman year because of skipping practice and failing classes.

“I would skip practice and go to the mall to try to get some food to eat. After I got kicked off the team, I decided I had to do better because I didn’t want to go back to Camilla and work at the chicken factory,” he said.

“But the main thing that changed my life was the birth of my son,” Stewart said. “I knew I had to do better to make things better for him.”

Stewart got permission to rejoin the team after going to summer school and acing all of his classes and with a new determination set himself up for success.

“I stepped up to be a better father. I became a real student of football and in the classroom. I was determined I was going to be a good student and a good teammate. I worked hard and stayed after practice every day to keep working because I had a point to prove,” said Stewart.

After those choices, Stewart said he began to put up “really crazy stats” and other coaches and schools started paying attention. He said every single NFL team came to Albany to watch him and every team was there for his Pro Day. All because he had something to prove.

You can watch his Colts draft story here.

When asked about who inspired him the most, Stewart responded with his father, mother, and his high school football coach, Dondrial Pinkins.

Pinkins is again head coach at Mitchell County HIgh School and hosted Stewart Saturday for a morning football camp and an afternoon celebration “Grover Stewart Day.”

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