COVINGTON, Ga. — As they have done for many years, Newton County’s three football coaches took the stage at the weekly Kiwanis Club meeting for their annual speaking event along with answering some questions from the audience.
Last Thursday, Alcovy’s Spencer Fortson, Eastside’s Jay Cawthon and Newton’s Josh Skelton took the stage just one day shy of week three football games.
The trio discussed and answered questions regarding multiple topics, such as the teams’ progress, Sharp Stadium and the thought of each school’s own stadium, the impact of alumni and keeping their players away from gun violence.
Skelton opened up the speaking portion of the meeting to go over his team’s early-season performance. The Rams were coming off a 70-0 win over Alcovy that moved them to 1-1 on the season.
Newton’s lone loss of the season came in week one, where they were defeated by Eastside. With a win and loss on the record, Skelton shared how losing their week one matchup is something that has only made the team stronger and more determined.
“We’ve dealt with some injuries and adversity through our first couple of games,” Skelton said. “At the end of the day, just like in the quote, it builds a great mindset. No. 1, you always have to be at your best and I think everything for us right now is a learning moment. I am thankful for everything that has gone on up till this point because it shaped our mindset. Nothing is better than humble pie.I couldn’t be more proud of the guys at this current moment.”
Cawthon used the moment to share his thoughts about his team, but more importantly the effort that the players of Newton COunty show for their respective coaches and programs.
“The reason we are in this profession is for the kids,” Cawthon said. “The season has started off well for us. We have an experienced team coming back which pays great dividends. We are looking forward to the expectations that people have for us in our region. We are in a new region this year so if we get to play some new faces. I couldn't be more proud of our guys. All three of us are going to say the same thing in — they work their tails off for us, they do everything we tell them to do. But, our main goal is making sure those young men walk across that stage and, after high school, are productive men in society.”
The Eagles began the season 2-0 — the team’s best start since 2018.
Fortson took the time toi share his thoughts about some of the priorities of his program and what they preach to their players.
“One of the biggest things I talk about is academics,” Fortson said. “That is one of the biggest things I preach to my guys because at the end of the day everyone has aspirations to play college football. But in order to get there, you academics have to be in line. We can talk about it and we can preach about it, but at the same time we have to show our guys as well. That is why when I came in and I first got the job in 2022, I started the Doctorate program as well during that time.”
The next topic centered around the Sharp Stadium and the eventual additions of on-campus stadiums for each school in the future.
To no one’s surprise, the idea of playing home games on campus is something the coaches are ready for.
“I know us three are excited and our kids, [too],” Cawthon said. “Once we see it, there is no doubt it will bring some excitement. It is a tradition for all of us to get on the bus and have to go to Sharp Stadium. I know our kids and their kids have embraced that throughout the years. Because once you're over there, you want to claim that as your home field no matter who you're playing. It is going to change the mindset a bit, but now doubt it will bring excitement to the community.”
Skelton shared the same sentiment as he highlighted the idea of seeing a sold out stadium on campus for the Rams.
“The idea of having a home field is a dream and an incredible feeling that neither one of us have experienced yet,” Skelton said. “I can’t wait. Pur guys are excited about the idea of the emotion of it. I can just imagine packed stands, it is going to be an incredible experience and I am really looking forward to it.”
The coaches were then asked about the impact of alumni returning to the school.
Each school has produced players to the college football and professional ranks, and each coach spoke about the numerous impacts they have had on their current players.
Fortson spoke about D’Anthony Bell, a former Tigers who suits up in the NFL.
Even as an NFL player, the trials and hurdles Bell had to go through to get to where he is at is something Fortson wants his team to embrace.
“D’Anthony Bell does come back. He is going into his year with the Cleveland Browns. One of my first years there he came out and spoke to the kids and one of the things he told them was, ‘Never sell your dreams short.’ You never know where you might end up. He is kind of a guy that got on as a free agent. He didn’t get drafted, he just kept on and signed as a free agent. That is the kind of motivation our guys need. When I first got there we sent about four kids to college [for football]. Last year, it was nine. We want to continue to build that up year after year.”
For Skelton, there have been multiple college and professional players that have returned to Newton to help coach and train.
Along with the idea of the alumni helping the kids, Skelton sees the return of alumni as a representation of long-term impact between the coaches and players.
“It is huge. We can all attest to our alumni coming back,” Skelton said. Just the guys I have been able to coach and guys that have come before me. We have a lot of NFL guys outside of that thatalumni bring. Those guys still train at our school, they donate things — they donated cleats this year. They donated funds. I think that’s big because it makes me feel like we did something very important while they were here. They wouldn’t come back here if we didn’t have a major part in their life.”
The meeting wrapped up with discussing the presence of gun violence and how the coaches keep their players grounded with outside factors always present.
Although each coach does things different in regards to the topic, the goal is the same for the three.
For Skelton, educating his players about it and making sure they are aware of the dangers has always been the first step in leading them down the right path.
“We have these things called ‘real talk sessions,’” Skelton said. “Which is where we bring somebody in, it can be law enforcement or someone who has had experience with traumatic things and we talk about those things. I think the first thing is education about those things. Mental health has a big part in that. We study the mental health aspect of it.
“The baseline we see to those is that those kids are going through something to where they feel like they have to act out in that way, and we get a chance as coaches to catch those things and give them an outlet to vent or something as simple as joining the football team to have structure, We feel we can limit those things and possibly provide some other outlets.”
Cawthon shared how all of his practices end with the discussion of three major points.
“We do a lot of education and talking to our guys. At the end of practice every single day I talk about discipline, grades and who you hang out with,” Cawthon said. “Those three things — if you keep telling the kids that and you get through one of their heads, you’ve done your job. Teenagers with social media — it is out of control. You may not be the guy that is doing everything with this crowd, but if you are with this crowd that does everything, you are stereotyped plain and simple.”
Along with Skelton, Cawthon discussed how just having a kid on the team — in any capacity — can change their life for the better.
“We have a lot of kids in our program that will never touch the field, and they go through every single thing that the other guys do but they love being part of something,” Cawthon said. “I always have kids during the offseason ask, ‘coach, when do you have tryouts.’ We don’t have tryouts. If you can make it through and you’re a model student and don’t get into trouble, you can be on the football team. That right there might save a kid's life — just being part of the structure.”
Fortson wrapped up the topic by discussing how his team attends a yearly event in which they talk with people who have experienced trauma and violence.
The hope is that hearing these first-hand experiences will provide the players a deeper insight to the topic, according to Fortson.
“Every summer we go to this event called ‘Men Building Men,’” Fortson said. “It happens in Eagle Rock in Rockdale and we go there every summer. We do that event and we have breakout sessions. A lot of our guys are exposed to people who have gone through violence. This past summer there was a guy that was kind of sorta in the streets, but now he is a police officer. He was explaining the different things on both sides and the things he did in the streets and things he is doing now. Just trying to lead our guys in the right way.”
