In the new offense that the Garfield Football team runs, they were looking for two wingbacks. They didn’t expect to find a running back with wings. Anthony “Chicken” Stewart has stepped out of Rainier Beach and his brother Nate Robinson’s shadow to run on his own for his senior year.

“Chicken brings us an incredible amount of speed and explosiveness,” said Head Coach Scott Laigo. “He fits perfectly at his position and he could be a major part of our success this year, as long as he stays committed to the system.”

Chicken enjoys the excitement and the competition, saying that it fits him perfectly.

“I am a competitor on the field,” he said. “I think of what I can do to help us win and I do it. I love to compete.”

Chicken began playing football at a very young age and was always forced to follow in the footsteps of his brother. He watched as Robinson became a superstar three-sport athlete in high school and was offered a scholarship from the University of Washington. Stewart sees himself doing some of the same things this year that his brother once did. Those include basketball and track, both of which he plans to participate in at Garfield.

“I think I bring a winning attitude to this team,” Stewart said. “I’ve not only seen my brother win and move on, I have been part of that tradition for the last couple of years too.”

His winning attitude could be a major piece of the team’s success this year, as well as his success in school.

“Everyone here is so positive and energetic,” he said. “It’s a new experience but it’s the best I’ve had in school.”

As a football player Chicken enjoys the exciting, high-energy competition on the field, but in the classroom he has a cooler head. His Creative Writing class has offered him an outlet for one of his biggest interests: poetry. He can often be found reading or writing poetry.

His competitive interests and his literary interests are usually not intertwined. Poetry is more calm and reflective while football is like fighting a battle.

“In football it’s like you’re going to war and you have an army behind you,” Stewart said. “As long as we stick together we can do everything that we want to do.”

If he can do what he wants to do, opposing teams have reason to worry. When he sees a hole in the line, get ready to watch Chicken fly.