Southern's Stewart eyes spot in NFL draft

• By PERRYN KEYS
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Nov 17, 2009

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With two games remaining, Southern wide receiver Juamorris Stewart will probably finish with more than 1,000 yards for the second straight year.

But his greatest milestone might come after the season ends.

Stewart is angling to become the first Jaguars player taken in the NFL draft since cornerback Lenny Williams went to Tampa Bay in 2004.

Since the season opener, when Stewart burned the Louisiana-Lafayette secondary for 10 catches and 173 yards, NFL scouts have passed by the SU practice fields and coaches’ offices to get a better look at Stewart.

“I just think it’s good for the (Southwestern Athletic) Conference,” said Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow, who watched Stewart catch seven passes for 131 yards Saturday against his team. “For years and years, we’ve had good receivers who get drafted and go play in the NFL. It seemed like that had kind of fallen off here of late. I think it’s great for our conference to have a guy like Stewart, who dominates on our level, and a guy who I think can go and have an opportunity to play on the next level.”

Stewart has 930 receiving yards this season, best in the SWAC and among the top 10 of all receivers in the Football Championship Subdivision (he had 1,178 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2008, even while dealing with ankle and wrist injuries).

When the season started, NFLdraftscout.com rated Stewart the No. 69 receiver in the draft pool.

Now he’s up to No. 34.

“The kid’s had a productive last couple of years,” SU head coach Pete Richardson said. “More than anything, the thing this year is that physically, he hasn’t had any real injuries, which had really hampered him before now.”

Many coaches, including Richardson, note that taller receivers are often slower getting out of their cuts and breaks — a facet Stewart has improved over the past 12 months.

Richardson said he believes Stewart has also found the all-important extra gear in space, which allows him to gain better separation on deep balls.

“Is he perfect? No,” SU receivers coach Eric Dooley said. “There’s no question he has to get stronger, be more mature in his route-running and understanding coverages. He can continue being what I call a student of the game.”

At the moment, NFLdraftscout.com ranks Stewart as the No. 301 overall prospect.