'More Than Just a Name': Arch Manning's Coach Sees Greatness In Longhorns Commit
Isidore Newman School in New Orleans has harbored some of football's most recognizable names over the years. The private prep school has seen names like legendary quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, along with star NFL receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Coach Nelson Stewart has been there to see it all. He was a part of the football program in 1991 as a teammate of the third Manning brother, Cooper, who was a star in his own right despite not finding the same NFL success as his siblings.
Now as the head man at Newman, Stewart has been responsible for coaching arguably one of the most famous high school sports stars since LeBron James. But even with all the bright lights and expectations surrounding Cooper's son and newest Texas Longhorns 2023 quarterback commit, Arch Manning, Stewart said in an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated recruiting director John Garcia Jr. that the maturity level for the 18-year-old is off the charts.
"The biggest thing is Arch is such a good kid," Stewart said. "He really has handled it with a great deal of maturity. He has no ego, he's not arrogant, he likes all of his coaches. He enjoys everybody, enjoys his teammates. I just try to let him have a normal teenage existence at Newman."
"He's a very special athlete and is much more than just 'a name.' He's an elite talent for sure."
Especially in the age of social media, any big-name high school star would likely feel a major injection of confidence with all the attention. A little bit of cockiness never hurt anyone, right?
"I was so blessed to coach Odell Beckham and I thought that was crazy," Stewart said. "But I had no idea. This is a whole different deal."
But Stewart was adamant when describing the kind of kid, teammate, and worker Manning is. Some might call it "coach speak", but being arguably the best recruit in the class of 2023 isn't a label that writes itself.
"He's an awesome teammate, an incredibly hard worker," Stewart said. "Arch likes being a teammate, he likes being a part of a team, he likes competing. He's just a nice regular kid. He's a blessing to coach, it's an honor to coach him."
And look out. Stewart said Manning "is probably our fastest player." At 6-4, 215, and only room to grow, Texas fans will find it even more refreshing to hear that Stewart has to remind Manning that there is such a thing as days off.
"(Arch) enjoys the training, the extra work and going in early," he said. "Sometimes I gotta remind him that it's a day off for a reason, but he doesn't take it. He's expanded and got better probably than I ever could've imagined."
Manning's humbleness was highlighted when he first stepped onto campus as a freshman. Stewart says that an incumbent senior was in line to win the starting quarterback job with Manning as his top competition.
It's probably no secret now that Manning won the job. But even during a heated position battle, the freshman's maturity shined in unique ways.
"Some of the neatest parts of it going in were you know he's a good kid when the kid he's competing with is driving him home every day. When I saw that, I felt like 'this kid gets it.'"
Just like he watched Manning's uncles in the SEC, Stewart will now look on as Arch competes at the college football's highest level once Texas makes the switch to the conference sometime before 2025.
"I love him like he's my son and I just want what's best for him."
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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