Colorado State University Athletics
Photo by: Cris Tiller
Stewart Ready to Clash with Best Friend
10/8/2019 6:00:00 PM | Football
CSU safety, New Mexico receiver have been each other's biggest supporters -- until Friday
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – They have been friends for a long time. Teammates back in high school. Confidants as each took the junior college route to chase down their collegiate football dreams.
When times were hard, they lifted each other. When things were going well, they celebrated.
Friday night, Logan Stewart and Jordan Kress will put the bond on hold for about four hours, as they share the same field at Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M. (6 p.m.; CBS Sports Network)
Wish you well, bro, just not tonight.
"We're ready to go after each other and turn it up on each other," said Stewart, Colorado State's starting safety. "Nobody wants to get outdone by the other one. There's always that competition. That's how we got here. We always feed off each other, and we always want to be better than one another."
Both played at Mountain View High School in Loveland where they starred for the football and track teams, Kress also a member of the basketball team. As valuable as they were to each of the squads, both of them had football on their minds, knowing to eventually get where they wanted, the junior college route was going to have to be their path.
For Stewart, who came to CSU as a walk-on, it was a stop at Pima Community College first, then on to Iowa Central Community College. He was awarded a scholarship this summer before he ever played a down for CSU, and he's paid back the faith by starting all six games, standing second on the team with 37 tackles.
Kress made one stop, at Butte Junior College, where he shined at receiver, leading the Lobos to sign him prior to the season. He's become a big-play target, turning his six catches into a team-leading 215 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 33.8 yards per catch.
This week's game is a dream moment. A Hollywood script would make them teammates again, but this plot twist adds drama.
"This is going to be fun," Kress said. "We've been waiting for a moment like this our whole lives. We've been dreaming about this, praying about this since day one. We tell each other, playing on the same team or against each other, it's a blessing and it's always been a dream of ours. It's going to be a pumped-up game. I think both of us are going to be coming out a little amped up and need to get the jitters out."
When Kress signed with New Mexico, Stewart hit up his friend, then they both circled the date on the calendar.
The call was just part of their weekly routine, along with the texts they send and the FaceTime chats.
"We leaned on each other the whole time," Stewart said. "I was going through it a lot of times in my transition to both junior colleges, so he was a good support. He's been my brother since day one. We both talk daily, just how we can be better men and all of that. I always lean on him.
"We always have phone calls during those times, and we'd tell each other what our goals were, what we had to do every day, and we really held each other accountable. When we came back for Christmas break, we hung out constantly and worked out with each other."
Both have always had their families for support, but as Kress said, the message from someone going through the same trying moments can hit home a little harder. The encouragement has an authentic feel to it, the message a bit more uplifting.
Whatever Kress was going through at the time, he knew Stewart had experienced the same. They'd start with a simple, what's up?', talk about the week, the day, even girls. Then the motivational turn. A reminder to hit the books, both for class and football, to do a certain drill, all with the idea being there were better days to come.
"The main message was we're in this thing together, we can't quit on each other. There were nights we were struggling, just trying to get through here and there, money and that, and shooting money back and forth through an app," Kress said. "He'd call me and say, 'make sure you're doing towel stretch, make sure you're watching film,' keeping up on the good stuff. We've always been brothers; we see each other as twin brothers. You can't quit on each other. We love each other to death. There were some dark times here and there going through the Juco route, but in the end, we made it out. We trusted in each other, we trusted in God and that's what helped us get through it."
It's a message both have brought to life. Mountain View coach Bart Mayes couldn't be prouder of them, not because the duo are his first players at the Division I level, but they return to their roots and share their story.
"It's a great deal for them, and also for our school because of the history they have here," Mayes said. "They spoke to our team this summer when we did our scrimmage. They both spoke to our team, just because it's an amazing story. They're the first to admit they didn't make the right choices and decisions academically in high school. Because of that, they really had to go the hard way, and most don't get the results they have. That's the message for our players that I really appreciated: Make the right choices, make the right decisions in school and get the grades. Otherwise you have a lot of things stacked against you."
For him, the pride comes in seeing both of them grow as men, make the hard choices and redirect themselves.
Bringing them to Friday night and a collision course. Mayes wishes he could watch, but his team kicks off an hour later at Broomfield, so he'll record the game. His rooting interest was a diplomatic, "I hope they both play well."
Stewart said there would be a bit of chirping in the build up, and Kress knew it was coming. And it's always Stewart to initiate the chatter, be it during a workout or now, when they're about to face off.
There was no denial.
"It'll happen. I know I've seen some stuff on social media," Stewart said, noting they were his posts. "I initiate a lot of that stuff. I'm ready to go after it."
Both were also busy collecting tickets, as a large swatch of their families will be on hand to watch the game. They'll arrive Friday, and Kress expects the two sides will go have breakfast, then head off to slip into either red or green.
Though not through blood, they are as close as brothers. If you look at Stewart's Twitter timeline, it is filled with Kress' big plays. But like any siblings, as proud of each other as they may be, they want to get the best of the other.
"I hope it comes down to the wire, a 50-50 ball, even an open-field situation, see who makes the play at the end of the day," Kress said. "We've both been putting in the work. It's going to be exciting. I'm at a loss of words.
"I'm excited to see what he can bring to the table, and I know he's excited to see what I can bring."
Stewart has his own hopes, and he wants the whole package.
"I'd say getting a pick on him, because that's a game-changing play, but I'm going to get a hit too, both of those things," he said.
Then, at the end of the night, they can return to being the best of friends again. At least until they play again next year.
When times were hard, they lifted each other. When things were going well, they celebrated.
Friday night, Logan Stewart and Jordan Kress will put the bond on hold for about four hours, as they share the same field at Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M. (6 p.m.; CBS Sports Network)
Wish you well, bro, just not tonight.
"We're ready to go after each other and turn it up on each other," said Stewart, Colorado State's starting safety. "Nobody wants to get outdone by the other one. There's always that competition. That's how we got here. We always feed off each other, and we always want to be better than one another."
Both played at Mountain View High School in Loveland where they starred for the football and track teams, Kress also a member of the basketball team. As valuable as they were to each of the squads, both of them had football on their minds, knowing to eventually get where they wanted, the junior college route was going to have to be their path.
For Stewart, who came to CSU as a walk-on, it was a stop at Pima Community College first, then on to Iowa Central Community College. He was awarded a scholarship this summer before he ever played a down for CSU, and he's paid back the faith by starting all six games, standing second on the team with 37 tackles.
Kress made one stop, at Butte Junior College, where he shined at receiver, leading the Lobos to sign him prior to the season. He's become a big-play target, turning his six catches into a team-leading 215 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 33.8 yards per catch.
This week's game is a dream moment. A Hollywood script would make them teammates again, but this plot twist adds drama.
"This is going to be fun," Kress said. "We've been waiting for a moment like this our whole lives. We've been dreaming about this, praying about this since day one. We tell each other, playing on the same team or against each other, it's a blessing and it's always been a dream of ours. It's going to be a pumped-up game. I think both of us are going to be coming out a little amped up and need to get the jitters out."
When Kress signed with New Mexico, Stewart hit up his friend, then they both circled the date on the calendar.
The call was just part of their weekly routine, along with the texts they send and the FaceTime chats.
"We leaned on each other the whole time," Stewart said. "I was going through it a lot of times in my transition to both junior colleges, so he was a good support. He's been my brother since day one. We both talk daily, just how we can be better men and all of that. I always lean on him.
"We always have phone calls during those times, and we'd tell each other what our goals were, what we had to do every day, and we really held each other accountable. When we came back for Christmas break, we hung out constantly and worked out with each other."
Both have always had their families for support, but as Kress said, the message from someone going through the same trying moments can hit home a little harder. The encouragement has an authentic feel to it, the message a bit more uplifting.
Whatever Kress was going through at the time, he knew Stewart had experienced the same. They'd start with a simple, what's up?', talk about the week, the day, even girls. Then the motivational turn. A reminder to hit the books, both for class and football, to do a certain drill, all with the idea being there were better days to come.
"The main message was we're in this thing together, we can't quit on each other. There were nights we were struggling, just trying to get through here and there, money and that, and shooting money back and forth through an app," Kress said. "He'd call me and say, 'make sure you're doing towel stretch, make sure you're watching film,' keeping up on the good stuff. We've always been brothers; we see each other as twin brothers. You can't quit on each other. We love each other to death. There were some dark times here and there going through the Juco route, but in the end, we made it out. We trusted in each other, we trusted in God and that's what helped us get through it."
It's a message both have brought to life. Mountain View coach Bart Mayes couldn't be prouder of them, not because the duo are his first players at the Division I level, but they return to their roots and share their story.
"It's a great deal for them, and also for our school because of the history they have here," Mayes said. "They spoke to our team this summer when we did our scrimmage. They both spoke to our team, just because it's an amazing story. They're the first to admit they didn't make the right choices and decisions academically in high school. Because of that, they really had to go the hard way, and most don't get the results they have. That's the message for our players that I really appreciated: Make the right choices, make the right decisions in school and get the grades. Otherwise you have a lot of things stacked against you."
For him, the pride comes in seeing both of them grow as men, make the hard choices and redirect themselves.
Bringing them to Friday night and a collision course. Mayes wishes he could watch, but his team kicks off an hour later at Broomfield, so he'll record the game. His rooting interest was a diplomatic, "I hope they both play well."
Stewart said there would be a bit of chirping in the build up, and Kress knew it was coming. And it's always Stewart to initiate the chatter, be it during a workout or now, when they're about to face off.
There was no denial.
"It'll happen. I know I've seen some stuff on social media," Stewart said, noting they were his posts. "I initiate a lot of that stuff. I'm ready to go after it."
Both were also busy collecting tickets, as a large swatch of their families will be on hand to watch the game. They'll arrive Friday, and Kress expects the two sides will go have breakfast, then head off to slip into either red or green.
Though not through blood, they are as close as brothers. If you look at Stewart's Twitter timeline, it is filled with Kress' big plays. But like any siblings, as proud of each other as they may be, they want to get the best of the other.
"I hope it comes down to the wire, a 50-50 ball, even an open-field situation, see who makes the play at the end of the day," Kress said. "We've both been putting in the work. It's going to be exciting. I'm at a loss of words.
"I'm excited to see what he can bring to the table, and I know he's excited to see what I can bring."
Stewart has his own hopes, and he wants the whole package.
"I'd say getting a pick on him, because that's a game-changing play, but I'm going to get a hit too, both of those things," he said.
Then, at the end of the night, they can return to being the best of friends again. At least until they play again next year.
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S
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