Iron Horse football star enrolls at Georgia Tech

Philip Simmons High School football player Troy Stevenson enrolled at Georgia Tech last week to get a jump on the educational aspect of the next phase of his life.

 

Turns out it was a smart decision.

 

There’s plenty to learn in the academic arena. Just ask any young adult who is about to embark on the matriculation process.

 

But Stevenson’s learning experience also includes the football field because he’s switching positions now that he’s a member of the Yellow Jackets grid squad.

 

Stevenson played cornerback at the prep level. The next time he hits the field, he will be a nickelback.

 

“I’m just, mainly, trying to get better and study the playbook,” said the 6-1, 180-pounder who will go down as the Iron Horses’ first big-time, blue-chip athlete in any sport. “That playbook is thick. It’s a lot different and a lot more intense than a high school playbook.”

 

Stevenson, who began his senior season at Philip Simmons as one of the top 10 recruits in the Palmetto State, played offense and defense for coach Eric Bendig’s squad.

 

Now, he’s slated to play nickelback, a position in a defensive backfield that includes five players in the secondary, hence the term nickel.

 

Typically, a defense employs two safeties and cornerbacks. But when it comes to passing situations, typically on third down, the nickelback comes in to defend.

 

If you’ve watched the NFL and college games evolve to the point that the pass is the primary choice of the attack, you could argue the nickelback is the most important player on defense. If you don’t have a good nickelback, your defense isn’t going to get off the field in third-down situations.

 

Stevenson lived up to the hype of being a blue-chip recruit his senior season. He collected 557 all-purpose yards and scored nine touchdowns on offense. He tallied 32 tackles on defense and recorded two interceptions, as opponents didn’t challenge his pass coverage skills too often.

 

While he is slated to play defense in college, he finished as the Iron Horses all-time receiver with 1,020 yards and 17 touchdowns in his career.

 

Throw in his strong performances at the South Carolina High School League’s State Track and Field Championships, and Georgia Tech is getting one tremendous athlete.

 

“I’m looking forward to college, but it’s hard to believe my high school days are over,” Stevenson said. “This is a dream come true, but when I began my career, I didn’t know I would make it this far.

 

“College is going to be different,” Stevenson added. “It’s played at a much faster pace, and the players are faster, too. You even have to think faster, make those decisions.”

 

Stevenson, who is one of the top recruits in Georgia Tech’s recruiting class, hopes to use the first weeks of the season to make the adjustment. He hopes to see more playing time by the sixth game of the season, when coaches begin making adjustments to the depth charts.

 

Stay tuned.