While he only got to play for UTSA for two seasons, current San Antonio Commanders wide receiver Josh Stewart blazed a path across the Roadrunners record book like a white-hot comet. Stewart got a late start in the game of football, really only getting in one season at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station. However, once he got on the field, his talent was undeniable.
His athleticism and size made him a three-time All-District honoree in basketball. He had a burning desire to play football though and when he got on the field as a senior, he would become an All-District performer there too. Stewart followed his younger brother Kerry Thomas, Jr., to UTSA and earned a spot as a walk-on in 2014. He sat out that transfer year and missed the 2015 season due to injury.
Once he got on the field though, he was virtually unstoppable. He would finish his Roadrunners career as the program’s all-time leading receiver with 1,200 yards and holds the record for career receiving yards per game. After being out of the sport for a year, he signed a contract with the fledgling Commanders of the new Alliance of American Football (AAF).
While his path to professional football has been an unlikely one, it is one that Stewart is determined to see through as far as he can. He recently took some time away from the season to talk about his career at UTSA, earning a roster spot with the Commanders, and what it’s like to be back home playing at the Alamodome again.
EM: Did you and your brother play together in high school too? Did y’all plan on coming to UTSA together?
JS: Yeah we did. When I decided to play he said he would give it a shot too. We played one year in high school together. He came to UTSA and I was at Midwestern State my freshman year. He’s a year younger than me so when he committed to UTSA, I told him I would walk on.
My grades didn’t qualify that first fall, so I ended up going to Blinn College in College Station. That spring semester, I was able to qualify so I came here. Having Kerry here was the main reason I came to UTSA. Him being here helped me out a lot.
EM: How difficult was it for you to basically miss half of your college playing career? You had to sit out that first season and then were injured the following year. How hard was that for you?
JS: It was really difficult for me. I knew that I had to work really hard to prove myself when I came back so, that’s what I did. I knew they knew me because of my brother, but I still wanted to prove myself to my coaches and my teammates so that’s what I did.
EM: What are your favorite memories of playing here at UTSA?
JS: Obviously, the biggest memory for me is the against A&M. (EM: Seriously, if y’all don’t remember that catch, check it out here.) Going back home to College Station and being able to pull off the game that I had in front of all my friends and family was huge for me.
The bowl game, of course, is another one. Being a part of the first bowl game in UTSA history is something I won’t ever forget. And, really, my whole junior season the way it went and to watch the program grow from where Coach Coker built it to where Coach Wilson took it was. I’m grateful to have been a part of it.
EM: How did the opportunity to join the AAF come about?
JS: It was God. I was actually done with football after I didn’t get any interest from anyone after my senior year. I was ready to hang it up. La’Kel Bass actually was the one who told me about the AAF. I was skeptical about it at first until I saw what it was all about.
They had a training camp in Houston but I wasn’t able to sign up for it to go. A couple days before it started though, they reached out and offered me a contract. It’s been a blessing from God that I don’t take lightly. I come out every day and play as hard as I can.
EM: What’s the experience been like for you with the Commanders so far?
JS: It’s humbling being around this kind of talent. I never played pro ball or anything like that and to see how guys come out and prepare every day motivates me. All the receivers, they push me to be a better player. I’m learning a lot about myself and the coaches are bringing out stuff in me that I didn’t know that I had. From college to now, I know I’m definitely improving.
EM: I know you’re not that far removed from being with the program, but what’s it been like for you to being playing at your old stomping grounds of the Alamodome again?
JS: I love it. San Antonio is my home now. There’s no other place I’d rather be than right here.
EM: Last thing for you Josh, what has being a Roadrunner meant to you?
JS: Being a Roadrunner is a lifetime thing with me. I feel like since I’ve graduated from UTSA, the things I’ve been able to accomplish are because of that school. UTSA will always have a place in my heart.
