Athlete of the Week: Ryan Stevens — Football

The Hopkins football team has been off to a hot start, going 2-0 over their first two games. On Saturday, Sept. 11 the team played their first home game, facing off against the Ursinus College Bears. The team won handily by a score of 49-21, capitalizing off of a 35-point second quarter. This tied the Hopkins record for most points scored in a quarter.

The team was led by this week’s Athlete of the Week, Ryan Stevens, who is the first Athlete of the Week to be named by The News-Letter since March 12, 2020. In Saturday’s game, Stevens threw for 364 yards with six touchdowns. His efficiency was incredible, completing 22 of 25 pass attempts and only throwing a single interception. The News-Letter spoke with Stevens about the game, the team’s early success and more.

The News-Letter: This weekend's game was pretty close until the end of the second quarter. How were you guys feeling up to that point and how did you turn it around?

Ryan Stevens: We were confident in our defense and knew they would make the necessary adjustments. Ursinus’ failed fake punt, thanks to our special-teams play, gave the offense the opportunity to get even and eventually on top.

N-L: You had nearly 500 total yards in the season opener and you've followed that up with another solid, nearly 400-yard performance. What has enabled you to achieve this early success?

RS: Execution. Coach Joe has prepared us well. Each guy is doing their job which makes the offense work like a machine. Nothing happens without our offensive line, and I can’t say enough about their outstanding play enabling me to have the time to make throws and our skill guys to make plays.

N-L: How does it feel to see the team at 2-0 right now? Is this the start you were expecting?

RS: It feels good to get the job done in the first two games of the season. It’s the start we worked hard for all last year and in camp. We knew we would win if we executed the game plan Coach Chimera and Coach Joe laid out for us.

N-L: What does it mean to you to finally be able to be back on the field with your team competing? How have you bounced back from losing a season to COVID-19?

RS: Last year was rough for everyone. Not getting to play was a disappointment. But as a team, the time off allowed us to dig deeper in the playbook and expand our knowledge and understanding of what the coaches wanted out of us. That extra time and focus made us better.

N-L: Either as an individual or a team, what are some of your goals for the season?

RS: Coach keeps the team focused on the game at hand, not looking back or ahead. But we know if we take care of business, we can win the conference and bring the boot back to Hopkins.