Note: The following appears in the Virginia gameday football program.
For offensive lineman Cade Stewart, Clemson is home. It always has been. Now in his fifth year as a Tiger, the Six Mile, S.C. native has spent 22 years within 15 minutes of Death Valley, and he would not have it any other way.
After grappling with the urge to branch away from his hometown to attend college, Stewart said he sealed the deal with the Tigers after his official visit to Clemson and his family’s prayer at a Sunday dinner.
“In the prayer, they said, ‘God, please let Cade go to Clemson’,” recalled Stewart. “It turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life, and I’m thankful that prayer was said that day.”
His family has been tied to Clemson for decades. His father grew up in nearby Six Mile, and his mother, whom he labeled as the “athlete of the family,” was a star volleyball player for the Tigers. The Stewarts never miss a home game or the chance to host a tailgate, and John Simpson’s family used to join them.
“They would always cook an absurd amount of food,” said Stewart. “One of my favorite memories is coming over to their spot after games with John and having ribs, chicken and whatever you could think of for us to eat.”
While his family’s gameday festivities look different this season, Stewart has still felt their excitement and support, and he has still been able to enjoy their cooking.
“One of my favorite things about being close to home is the home-cooked meals. I’m a big fan of cube steak with rice and gravy, and my mom makes a dish called ‘bow ties’ with Italian sausage. Sneaking away on a Sunday evening and getting one of those…man oh man, that is great.”
As a graduate of Daniel High School, where many future Tigers have played before and after him, Stewart’s transition into the culture of Clemson football was natural, as the two football programs possess similar values.
This year, with Stewart’s role as the starting center, he is taking advantage of his well-established familiarity with Clemson’s system to lead the offensive line. Stewart viewed the time of limited campus activity at the start of the fall semester as an opportunity to concentrate on his role within the team and grow together.
“We were able to be more focused and build our chemistry as an offensive line. There are five guys who have to communicate and work as one, and we had the time to learn things about each other off the field that may even carry over onto the field.”