Gameday Feature: Keavon Madison
9/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 17, 2014
One day day this past sum¬mer, Keavon Madison was walking through the SFA Field House when he caught his first glimpse at the 2014 Stephen F. Austin football poster. It was a casual glance at first, but then he had to do a double-take to make sure he had really seen what he thought he saw.
“I was like, wait, that’s me?” Madison recalled. “I had to re-look at it because I was like; there is no way I’m on the poster. There are never any pictures of me. When I realized it was me, it was a big shock to me because I never thought in my SFA career that I’d be on a poster or anything like that.”
It was a far cry from when Madison first came to SFA as a walk-on, wondering if he’d ever get a chance to suit up on Saturdays or even get his name in the program. After receiving no offers coming out of high school, Madison took a gamble on the Lumberjacks, hoping to one day make a name for himself.
In an instant, he literally became the poster child for hard work, determination and sticking it out through the tough times.
“Man, it was crazy to see that poster,” Madison said. “It made all those long days and hot workouts and early morning weights all worth it.”
It wasn’t that Madison didn’t have the resume to jus¬tify his roster spot. Playing at perennial powerhouse Houston Hightower, he never experienced losing a regular season game through three years of high school as the Hurricanes captured three-straight undefeated district championships. They advanced to the state championship his junior year, falling to Allen, and went two rounds deep as a senior as Madison notched the best game of his career in the district championship, recording six tackles and an interception for a touchdown.
“I think I had a blocked punt in that game, too,” Madison recalled. “I can’t remember.”
Still, the summer after graduation, Madison was still unsure what his future held. He had been recruited by Midwestern State, a Division II school in Wichita Falls, but an offer never came. Knowing he wanted to try and continue to play football, he started looking at schools that he felt he could try and walk-on.
Texas State was at the top of his list as his father had connections to the coaching staff and he felt that is where he had the best chance of playing. But at the urging of his then-girlfriend, Madison filled out another application. Once the fall rolled around, he found himself in Nacogdoches, trying to make an impact as a Lumberjack.
“The process was rigorous,” Madison said. “I wanted to quit so many times, too many times. Then one day I was talking to a girl (there’s always a girl) and she said it straight, saying if I love football, why give it up? I thought to myself, you’re right. I love football and I love being with the guys. I love coming to practice every day, even though I might say I don’t. I just love coming out here and playing.”
With extra motivation, Madison refocused his goals on making the playing roster. But it didn’t come easy. After leaving the team as a freshman, he had to fight for a spot back on it and was only allowed back because another player didn’t have the grades.
During the spring of his freshman year, he started to make the coaches take notice. He went through the fall camp and spring once again as a scout team player, but after another solid spring, he was rewarded with a scholarship. As a sophomore in 2012, Madison finally got the opportunity to suit up for the Lumberjacks, fulfilling a goal that had been set way back before he even set foot in Nacogdoches.
“That first game I was actually playing, I was too excited to get out there,” said Madison. “I was nervous but I was also excited when (the coaches) told me I was going to play for SFA. I was pumped to be able to actually go out there and show what I could do, because no one really knew.”
Madison played in six games as a sophomore, including notching his first career start against Southeastern Louisiana. He matched that total as a junior, seeing action in six games for the Lumberjacks with a pair of starts while setting a new career-best with 34 tackles and an interception.
But as he went through the highs and lows of earning his spot on the SFA roster, he kept remembering back to those days at Hightower and remembering the highs and lows he went through back then. He remembered the day as a sophomore when he was called into the coaches office and told that he was too small to play running back, the position he had played since he was eight years old.
Madison then remembered the high of making the varsity roster as a sophomore as a newly-converted cornerback, playing a key role in Hightower’s success. But more than anything, he remembered the words of his coaches emphasizing what truly was important in life - something that sticks with him to this day.
“Their big emphasis was on education and making sure that no matter what happens on that football field, you get your education,” said Madison. “They wanted us to graduate high school, and then they wanted us to go and graduate from college. It was above football. They put a big emphasis on as long as you get your education, they can’t take that away from you. Football won’t al¬ways be there, but the knowledge you gain will be.”
It was a lesson that Madison took to heart, earning his bachelor’s degree in finance in August. Now regardless of what is football career has in store, he understands why it was something that was so important to his high school coaches.
“Ultimately, I want to own my own business,” Madison said. “I’d like to open up a certain type of gym that caters to middle-class people. I also wouldn’t mind working in a bank or for an oil and gas company. Something where I can make a name for myself once again and help propel me to what I want to do in the future."
But before that future comes, Madison has one final season in a Lumberjack uniform – one that he earned through his own efforts and his determination. With his likeness in full display on the 2014 schedule poster, he wants to use these final few months to be a leader both on and off the field, especially for those who are in the same situation he used to be.
“No matter what, don’t give up,” Madison counsels. “Have the utmost confidence in yourself. People don’t take practice squad guys seriously, but go out there hard and make the coaches notice you. If you go out there and show that you can play, eventually someone will notice it and you’ll get your shot. Don’t get discouraged looking at how many people are in front of you. I know I felt like that, but just keep pushing and you’ll be alright.”
-SFA-
Each home game, the Lumberjack Game Day program will feature one of the SFA players, giving fans an inside look at one of their favorite Lumberjacks. For the game against Incarnate Word, Lumberjack Game Day featured senior linebacker Keavon Madison. Be sure to pick up your copy of the 2014 Lumberjack Game Day program each home game.
One day day this past sum¬mer, Keavon Madison was walking through the SFA Field House when he caught his first glimpse at the 2014 Stephen F. Austin football poster. It was a casual glance at first, but then he had to do a double-take to make sure he had really seen what he thought he saw.
“I was like, wait, that’s me?” Madison recalled. “I had to re-look at it because I was like; there is no way I’m on the poster. There are never any pictures of me. When I realized it was me, it was a big shock to me because I never thought in my SFA career that I’d be on a poster or anything like that.”
It was a far cry from when Madison first came to SFA as a walk-on, wondering if he’d ever get a chance to suit up on Saturdays or even get his name in the program. After receiving no offers coming out of high school, Madison took a gamble on the Lumberjacks, hoping to one day make a name for himself.
In an instant, he literally became the poster child for hard work, determination and sticking it out through the tough times.
“Man, it was crazy to see that poster,” Madison said. “It made all those long days and hot workouts and early morning weights all worth it.”
It wasn’t that Madison didn’t have the resume to jus¬tify his roster spot. Playing at perennial powerhouse Houston Hightower, he never experienced losing a regular season game through three years of high school as the Hurricanes captured three-straight undefeated district championships. They advanced to the state championship his junior year, falling to Allen, and went two rounds deep as a senior as Madison notched the best game of his career in the district championship, recording six tackles and an interception for a touchdown.
“I think I had a blocked punt in that game, too,” Madison recalled. “I can’t remember.”
Still, the summer after graduation, Madison was still unsure what his future held. He had been recruited by Midwestern State, a Division II school in Wichita Falls, but an offer never came. Knowing he wanted to try and continue to play football, he started looking at schools that he felt he could try and walk-on.
Texas State was at the top of his list as his father had connections to the coaching staff and he felt that is where he had the best chance of playing. But at the urging of his then-girlfriend, Madison filled out another application. Once the fall rolled around, he found himself in Nacogdoches, trying to make an impact as a Lumberjack.
“The process was rigorous,” Madison said. “I wanted to quit so many times, too many times. Then one day I was talking to a girl (there’s always a girl) and she said it straight, saying if I love football, why give it up? I thought to myself, you’re right. I love football and I love being with the guys. I love coming to practice every day, even though I might say I don’t. I just love coming out here and playing.”
With extra motivation, Madison refocused his goals on making the playing roster. But it didn’t come easy. After leaving the team as a freshman, he had to fight for a spot back on it and was only allowed back because another player didn’t have the grades.
During the spring of his freshman year, he started to make the coaches take notice. He went through the fall camp and spring once again as a scout team player, but after another solid spring, he was rewarded with a scholarship. As a sophomore in 2012, Madison finally got the opportunity to suit up for the Lumberjacks, fulfilling a goal that had been set way back before he even set foot in Nacogdoches.
“That first game I was actually playing, I was too excited to get out there,” said Madison. “I was nervous but I was also excited when (the coaches) told me I was going to play for SFA. I was pumped to be able to actually go out there and show what I could do, because no one really knew.”
Madison played in six games as a sophomore, including notching his first career start against Southeastern Louisiana. He matched that total as a junior, seeing action in six games for the Lumberjacks with a pair of starts while setting a new career-best with 34 tackles and an interception.
But as he went through the highs and lows of earning his spot on the SFA roster, he kept remembering back to those days at Hightower and remembering the highs and lows he went through back then. He remembered the day as a sophomore when he was called into the coaches office and told that he was too small to play running back, the position he had played since he was eight years old.
Madison then remembered the high of making the varsity roster as a sophomore as a newly-converted cornerback, playing a key role in Hightower’s success. But more than anything, he remembered the words of his coaches emphasizing what truly was important in life - something that sticks with him to this day.
“Their big emphasis was on education and making sure that no matter what happens on that football field, you get your education,” said Madison. “They wanted us to graduate high school, and then they wanted us to go and graduate from college. It was above football. They put a big emphasis on as long as you get your education, they can’t take that away from you. Football won’t al¬ways be there, but the knowledge you gain will be.”
It was a lesson that Madison took to heart, earning his bachelor’s degree in finance in August. Now regardless of what is football career has in store, he understands why it was something that was so important to his high school coaches.
“Ultimately, I want to own my own business,” Madison said. “I’d like to open up a certain type of gym that caters to middle-class people. I also wouldn’t mind working in a bank or for an oil and gas company. Something where I can make a name for myself once again and help propel me to what I want to do in the future."
But before that future comes, Madison has one final season in a Lumberjack uniform – one that he earned through his own efforts and his determination. With his likeness in full display on the 2014 schedule poster, he wants to use these final few months to be a leader both on and off the field, especially for those who are in the same situation he used to be.
“No matter what, don’t give up,” Madison counsels. “Have the utmost confidence in yourself. People don’t take practice squad guys seriously, but go out there hard and make the coaches notice you. If you go out there and show that you can play, eventually someone will notice it and you’ll get your shot. Don’t get discouraged looking at how many people are in front of you. I know I felt like that, but just keep pushing and you’ll be alright.”
-SFA-
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