"Along the West Bank of the Mississippi, directly across the way from downtown New Orleans, there's a levee that rises up beside the riverbank. At the top, about 40 feet up a steep, grassy hill, the skyline of the French Quarter unfurls into clear view over the river. To run up the levee and gaze upon that view of downtown was something of a rite of passage for kids in the neighborhood. But to the boys trained by Clyde Alexander, it was sacred ground."
"Six years ago, before he was seen as a budding star at USC, Jahkeem Stewart stood at the base of that levee in Algiers on a muggy day, drenched in sweat. He was only 12 years old at the time, much younger than any of the other kids Alexander was training. He also happened to be 6-foot-4 and 360 pounds, bigger than any kid he'd ever seen at that age."
"But Alexander saw enough talent squandered in New Orleans to know that size and strength alone couldn't ensure a ticket out. It's why he was skeptical when a local travel coach contacted him, raving about a huge sixth grader he knew had the tools to be great. Video clips showed Stewart's combination of size, strength and speed was unstoppable. "The one thing you can't teach on Planet Earth is size," Alexander says. "What he has, that's just God-given.""
A levee along the West Bank opposite downtown New Orleans served as a training ground where Clyde Alexander's boys ran steep drills beside an abandoned Mardi Gras warehouse. Local kids treated the hill as a rite of passage, but Alexander considered it sacred for building toughness and technique. Twelve-year-old Jahkeem Stewart arrived at six-foot-four and 360 pounds, immediately noticeable for his rare size. Scouts later labeled him a generational defensive-line prospect, but Alexander remained skeptical that size alone would suffice. He used uphill pass-rushing drills to test conditioning, effort and the intangibles required for true football advancement.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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