Everything about Jamain Stephens is massive, from the 6-foot-2, 370-pound junior's huge hands to his size-19 shoes.
Central Catholic coaches didn't expect Stephens to be so athletic, yet found that the kid everyone calls “Juice” moves well for someone his size.
“I think I caught them by surprise,” Stephens said. “Most people expected me to play center, but I love defense.”
At nose guard, Stephens is at the center of Central's defense and one of the keys to success in the PIAA Class AAAA semifinal against Cumberland Valley.
“He gets off the ball, uses his hands very well and gets good extension,” Central Catholic coach Terry Totten said. “Consequently, that makes him play well on these guys inside. They like to own the line of scrimmage. If he has a good game, that could be a big factor for us.”
If Stephens can occupy blockers — and it takes more than one to move him — it will prove disruptive to Cumberland Valley's ability to run its wing-T offense.
“We're going back to basic football, and ‘Juice' is going to be in the center of it,” Central defensive coordinator Dave Fleming said. “He'll line up over their center, who has to get a push. We're hoping to get a win there.”
The Vikings already got a win when Stephens played rugby last spring, which helped him significantly improve his stamina.
That was the black cloud that followed Stephens, whose father is a former Steelers' first-round pick who was cut after infamously failing his conditioning.
“Anytime somebody asks me my name, they always refer to my father,” Stephens said. “I'm looking forward to making my own name.”
As someone whose play on defense is as big as he is.
Kevin Gorman is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at kgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter @KGorman_Trib.
