Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Rickshaw Redemption For Lineman
INTERNATIONAL BOWL THRILLS FARMINGTON JUNIOR
For the football player or fan dreaming of a team advancing to a postseason championship, season-ending losses are not welcome, yet Sam Stevens has experienced a rickshaw redemption.
The old saying of putting the cart before the horse or trying to power a rickshaw without a man to push can come back to bite those who pencil in a win before a game is actually played. Stevens has started at left guard for the Cardinal varsity the past two seasons and has been a fixture on Farmington’s offensive line at all levels of competition since becoming a starter as a seventh-grader. The past two high school football seasons at Farmington have mirrored in many ways recent playoff disappointments of Steven’s favorite professional football team, the Dallas Cowboys.
As a sophomore, Stevens and the Cardinals (5-5, 3-4) won their last two games of the 2015 regular season over Maumelle (42-21) and Harrison (28-25) to secure a threeway for fourth place in the 5A West only to be excused from participation in Arkansas’ Class 5A playoffs by a coin toss. That year began with the Cowboys eliminated in a Jan. 11, 2015, divisional round playoff against the Green Bay Packers, 26-21, after a controversial ruling overturned a catch by Dez Bryant at the Packer one that would have potentially set up a Cowboys go-ahead touchdown.
The ruling resulted in a turnover on downs with an incomplete pass on fourth and two — alienating many fans, some of whom quit watching the NFL — wanting no part of the politics of the game which seemed partial to favoritism.
Then there was this past football season with the Cardinals (3-7, 2-5 5A West), like the Cowboys (13-3, 9-3 conference), breaking in a new quarterback. Not long after Farmington lost their regular season finale Nov. 4 at home, 40-18, against Harrison, Stevens learned he wasn’t done playing yet as a high school junior.
He had gone home, taken a shower and was getting ready for bed when he decided to check his email. In an instant circumstances shifted. From an email, Stevens learned he was invited to participate in USA Football’s International Bowl as part of a 17 & under National Team that would compete against Japan in a game to be played at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington Tex. on Jan. 16.
Stevens leaped for joy inside himself. This was a dream resurrected at the end of a day one dream died.
“As soon as I read it, I went and got my stepdad (Jamie Burr) and I was as excited as I could be,” Stevens said. “It felt good that I stood out enough and worked hard enough to be able to achieve something that I wanted so badly.”
On a Thursday, Burr drove the 16-year-old Stevens to Dallas, leaving Farmington at 7 a.m. That evening Stevens practiced with the 17 & Under USA Football National Team. They had four days to prepare for their showdown with Japan. On Sunday, the Cowboys, having won homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, hosted Green Bay with the Packers wretchedly kicking a field goal as time expired to once more eliminate Dallas, 34-31, from the playoffs.
As frustrating as that outcome was for Stevens and Cowboys fans, America’s team would play a Monday night football game the next day, Jan. 16, in AT&T Stadium. While the Cowboys cleared out their lockers, Stevens and the USA Football 17 & Under National Team kicked off against Japan, with the Japanese making their first appearance in the International Bowl.
According to Basil Hall Chamberlain in his book, Things Japanese: being notes on various subjects connected with Japan for the use of travelers and others, published in 1891, the word rickshaw originates from the Japanese word jinrikisha, which literally means “human-powered vehicle.”
That’s what football offenses are all about.
Offensive linemen, such as the 6-feet-3, 300-pound Stevens, grind out battles in the trenches against defenses intent upon disrupting the running game. They are frequently given pass-protection duty, charged with providing their quarterback time to spot and throw to a receiver.
Stevens had an impact on the opening series for Team USA. After forcing a Japan punt to start the game, Stevens and Team USA moved the football 65 yards in five plays capped by Ray Brown’s 37-yard touchdown run. Stevens pulled from his left guard position and hit Suguru Nakatsuka, a 6-feet, 170-pound defender, springing Brown off right tackle for the run to pay dirt.
He pulled again, missing a block but making a linebacker miss a tackle as Sebastian Class scored on a 4-yard run capping a 10-play drive that covered 64 yards in 2:57 to put Team USA ahead, 14-0. Stevens sat out the next two series with the Americans extending their lead to 28-0. On their fifth possession, he recorded a pancake block two steps in front of quarterback Justin Allen, who had to step up in the pocket to avoid pressure from the outside while throwing a 6- yard touchdown to Class.
The 17 & Under National Team went on to a 44-7 victory, making the day at AT&T Stadium something of a rickshaw redemption for Stevens.
“It was breath- taking running out of the tunnel and just seeing everything,” Stevens said. “I just wanted to go out there and play for my team. It definitely left an impression. I’ll definitely remember all of this.”