By Aaron Allen
The Seattle Medium
The Garfield High School Basketball legacy is second to none. With 14 state titles and eight second place finishes, the Bulldogs have long list of exceptional players who have contributed to the legacy of the Dog house.
Jaylin Stewart, a 6’5” freshman forward for the Bulldogs, might not be a household name right now but he certainly has the potential to one day be mentioned among the greats who have come through the program.
The son of former Rainier Beach basketball star and McDonald’s High School All-American Lodrick Stewart and Sherrill Jones, and the nephew of former Garfield and University of Washington basketball standout Tre Simmons, Stewart has basketball in his DNA and is a unique talent in his own right. An assistant basketball coach at Garfield, Tre Simmons has witnessed the growth of Stewart from his early years to the present.
“He has always been special since he was little,” recalls Simmons. “He was always an intelligent kid, very smart.”
According to Simmons, Stewart may be blessed with natural talent, but it is his mental approach to the game that makes him so special.
“His basketball IQ is what separates him from other players, even older players,” says Simmons with a prideful look about him. “His basketball IQ is crazy.”
His father, Lodrick, agrees.
According to Lodrick Stewart, his son has shown a keen sense for the game since her learned how to walk and the basketball stuck to his hip since the age of two has never left his side.
“I [realized his passion for the game] when he was about two years old,” says the elder Stewart.” He would never put a basketball down. [It was then that] I knew we were on to something special.”
The oldest of six kids, Stewart is the first in what could be a long-line of family members that head up the next generation of basketball players in his family.
“All of his brothers and sisters are following in their big brother’s footsteps. But this is my son’s time and I am proud that he is keeping the Stewart name alive,” says Lodrick Stewart.
As a young child, Stewart was always the biggest kid on the block and when basketball knowledge is fed to you by former All-Americans and professional basketball players like Simmons, Will Conroy, Brandon Roy, and let alone your father and father’s twin brother, Rodrick Stewart, who was also a McDonald’s High School All-American, college and professional basketball player, a young Stewart’s direct access to mentors, tutors and role models is a who’s who of basketball talent.
Despite all of his success on the court to date, Stewart’s transition into high school basketball hasn’t been easy as he is discovering the physical difference from youth basketball to high school basketball. A soft-spoken big man Stewart, who is a good scorer, is game ready. As a freshman on arguably one of the top teams in the state, Stewart has yet to assert himself into a leadership role giving deference to the upperclassmen.
“I need to be more aggressive, I’m too passive right now,” is the way Stewart describes his role on the court. “My maturity is there, but my leadership, I have to work on that.”
“I have always been kind of quiet, I just need to open up more,” says Stewart.
In his youth basketball experience, there were times when Stewart’s leadership was needed and he possessed the ability to take over games. At the high school level, he still has the ability to do so, but the physical difference in the game is something that he is still getting used to, as he no longer has the luxury of being biggest kid on the court. A transition that Stewart believes will make him even better in the long run.
“Last year, I was bigger than everybody so I could just take over the game whenever I wanted to,” says Stewart. “Now there are people that are stronger than me, faster than me so I can’t really take over like that, so I have to rely on my teammates more.”
As a freshman, Stewart has been productive. A starter, who has helped his team to 9-3 record overall and 7-1 record in Metro, Stewart is averaging around 8 points, 4 assists, and 5 block shots per game and is making his presence known.
The team is a contender to compete for the state title, and the team’s defense is what appears to be the key to their pathway to get there.
According to Stewart, the teams’ defensive philosophy fits right into the way he likes to play and allows him to do what he does best – get after teams on defense and turning that defensive energy into offense.
“My strength, and my team’s strength, is in defense,” says Stewart. “A lot of steals and fast breaks, defense turning into offense.”
In talking to Stewart, the one thing that is apparent is his commitment to academics. It is important to him that he is not seen as just a basketball player but the as a complete student athlete. Yes, his career is young, just starting if you will, at the age of fourteen Stewart is a man child and his future is bright with possibility.
“I am not just a basketball player, I am a student athlete,” says Stewart. “I am good on the court, but I am also good in the classroom and that is important to me.”
Stewart’s goals for his future of course revolve around basketball from playing college ball to hopefully a professional career. And when his jerseys are hung in the rafters for posterity, Stewart hopes to remain involved in the game of basketball on some level.
Basketball is not for everyone, collegiate and professional sports is definitely for only a chosen few and Jaylin Stewart if he remains focused, continues to utilize his work ethic and look to family for guidance, possesses the potential and the promise to be all that and more.
