Safety Jax Stam, Liberty football's heart and soul, is a true student of the game

When he was 11, his parents found him one day late at night in the living room with the TV on and papers spread out all over the floor.

"We thought he was doing homework, but he was breaking down film and taking notes for his Junior Lions (youth football) game the next day," Jason Stam, Jax's dad, said.

When Jax entered Peoria Liberty High as a freshman, Jason had concerns on whether his son could handle playing on varsity football in his first year.

Then head coach Mark Smith told Jason to look at Jax's notes he had taken from the summer football camp.

"It looked like the board from the movie, 'Good Will Hunting,' " Jason said. "Very detailed. Very much a student of the game."

It's been a fast four years.

Jax Stam, a safety who was a force in the Lions' 6A overtime championship win over Mesa Red Mountain as a sophomore, and helped the Lions storm back from a 28-7 halftime deficit to force overtime against Chandler in last year's Open Division semifinals, will lead his team onto the Chandler field Saturday at 4 p.m., when the teams meet in a rematch of last year's semifinal that Chandler held on for a 35-34 win.

This will be his 48th consecutive varsity start.

It seems like Stam has been around forever, making big stops, disrupting passes, helping the Lions to big wins. But now he looks back and wonders where the time has gone.

"It seems like yesterday I was playing my first game, and now this could be my last one, but it could be my second-to-last one, hopefully," Stam said.

Don't count him out.

Chandler's a huge hurdle to get over. Liberty was tied with Chandler at 21-all going into halftime earlier in the season, before the wolves went on a 20-0 run in the second half for a 41-21 win.

Liberty builds late in the season and relishes the underdog role.

That's kind of been Stam's story. He was hoping to grow into a linebacker, but he is 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, which is maybe why Division I college coaches haven't pursued him. He's a hybrid safety, who can play close to the line of scrimmage and take care of the back end of the defense with his ball skills.

He introduced himself to Chandler Basha junior cornerback/punt returner Cole Martin last week with a big hit on a punt return, basically lifting the top-rated 2023 recruit off the ground for the solo tackle.

"He's mentally and physically one of the toughest, most intelligent kids we ever had," coach Colin Thomas said. "He's a coach on the field for us. But also he brings the type of energy that most guys can't. He's a special, special player, a special young man."

It's been special this year for Jax, because, for the first time, he's gotten to play with his brother, Keaton Stam, a sophomore linebacker, who has 32 tackles.

Jax Stam leads the Lions with 102 tackles. He has 8.5 tackles for losses, two sacks, five pass breakups, three caused fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

He believes this team will be ready for the Wolves, especially in the second half. He realized how important is to play a full game. Last year, the Lions turned it on the second half. This season, they got shut out in the second half by Chandler.

"I feel we've grown as a team," Stam said. "Some people fold and some people grow. When adversity comes, I feel we grow as a team. I feel we've gotten a lot better. Obviously, Chandler has gotten a lot better, too. We're really excited. I think we do have a great shot at pulling the upset. But we really have to play good in all three phases of the game."

Stam isn't thinking about coaching now as his future plans. He wants to see how far this game will take him as a player.

He knew, though, as he got older that football would never get out of his blood.

"At first, it was like a social thing, when you're 5," he said. "You don't understand how big the game really is to you and how much you love it. It's kind of a way to make friends.

"But like our quarterback last year, Brock Mast, I've known him my whole life. I really started finding the love the game when I got older, playing with friends and making great memories. You start watching college and NFL games and you starting seeing what they think, what got them to that level. That's always intrigued me. What does it take to get to that next level."

Recruiting has been challenging. Jason said he's been told he isn't long enough, he doesn't look the part, among things. But every week, against future Division I players, the humble Stam proves he belongs.

"There's a maturity level about him that is different," Thomas said. "He understands situations. He understands temperament. And he just has an energy that is contagious to our defense."

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Safety Jax Stam, Liberty's heart and soul, is a student of the game