Josaiah Stewart only grasped the significance of his crucial play in the Michigan football season after the Rose Bowl, during the bus ride back to the team hotel.
The concluding scene of the Michigan vs. Alabama match undoubtedly replayed numerous times: In the critical 4th-and-goal situation from the three-yard line, Jalen Milroe received a low snap, charging straight into a crowded line of defenders. He was decisively halted, nowhere near the end zone, sealing the Wolverines’ advancement to the national championship game.
However, what led to Milroe’s stop? Even Kenneth Grant, speaking to TMI in the moments following the final whistle, couldn’t pinpoint the player responsible for the crucial play. Grant, unsure of the exact details, speculated it might have been Kris Jenkins, even though Jenkins wasn’t even on the field. It wasn’t until the bus ride home that Grant, and possibly others, recognized Josaiah Stewart, previously doubted for his size in the Big Ten, pushing the Alabama right tackle so forcefully off the line that it caused Milroe to trip and tumble onto the Rose Bowl turf.
“At that moment, you know he’s going to take that ball straight up the middle, especially with the back flaring out,” Stewart shared with TMI. “That was their primary play: the QB draw. So he ran directly up the middle. I’m just thinking the tackle hinges, so go through him and close that gap down.
“I didn’t realize who made the tackle until I got on the bus and saw him getting tripped up. That’s me, Derrick [Moore], the two D-tackles playing strong, physical. … It was a solid defensive stand.”
The right tackle in question, JC Latham, was a highly touted former five-star prospect with widespread projections of becoming a first-round NFL Draft pick. In contrast, Stewart, a composite three-star, transferred to Michigan after two seasons at Coastal Carolina.
Stewart belonged to the category of players who thrived in the Sun Belt, yet his size—measuring at 6 feet 1 inch and 245 pounds—led to doubts about his capabilities in the Big Ten and beyond. However, he silenced the skeptics against Alabama, as he consistently did throughout the latter part of Michigan’s undefeated season.
“It was truly about proving to myself that I could do it. I always believed in my abilities; it was just a matter of putting it into action. I accomplished that, and we secured the victory, and that’s what counts,” Stewart stated.
“…Don’t be denied. As a defensive player, it’s a mindset: just defeat the man in front of you. That was my mentality heading into that play.”
Stewart featured in all 15 games for the Wolverines in 2023, amassing 38 tackles, which included 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Additionally, he earned credit for 25 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, and contributed two pass breakups.
Mike Sainristil, his former teammate at Everett (Mass.) High School, played a role in recruiting Stewart from the Transfer Portal to Ann Arbor.
“I was conveying to him, ‘Josaiah, if you decide to join us here, you have the chance to transform your life,'” Sainristil reminisced about his conversation with Stewart. “If you managed 12 sacks in the Sun Belt, envision achieving seven or more in the Big Ten against the competition we face. Your potential is significant. Your future is within reach right here. Come join us, strive for a championship, and become a part of our legacy.”
Following the Rose Bowl, Stewart reflected on the messages he received from Sainristil and the Michigan team: “He informed me that I had the opportunity to play in a national championship. And look where we are now. I trusted his word. He presented a compelling case.”
While Sainristil is embarking on an NFL journey, Stewart is set to return for another year with the Wolverines. He expressed his admiration for U-M’s winning culture, emphasizing how earnestly they approach it. Stewart is eager to build on the success of a remarkable season.
“I can’t quite articulate it,” he said. “I remember my freshman year, my first-ever playing football in high school, watching Alabama against Georgia, and Bama clinching the win on that final drive to DeVonta Smith. That was an incredible experience — and now, I’m actually a part of it. … I took every possible second to soak it all in.”
