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12/14/2016 11:00 PMFrom the moment he stepped onto the football field in his freshman year at East Haven, everyone in the Yellowjackets’ football program knew that Niam Coward would be special player. Niam started his career as an interior lineman, but when Melvin Wells took over as head coach last year, he moved Niam to linebacker and he’s played great there ever since.
“I would say for the team it was more beneficial for me to be at linebacker than defensive end because they needed a guy in that spot and I fit the bill. I just like the fast pace and hard hits of defense. It’s what I like to do, which is why I have great focus there,” Niam says. “I feel like I’ve gotten faster and stronger than in previous years and I needed to transition. There are new things with linebacker where I’m not just rushing the passer. I need to read the game and sometimes be ready to stop the pass and the run game.”
Wells watched some game film of Niam prior to becoming the Easties’ head coach. After viewing the tape, Wells knew that converting Niam to linebacker would be the ideal move for both his athlete and the team.
“We watched the film. We saw a guy running on kickoffs, punt returns, and flying all over the football field from the down lineman position. To me, it didn’t make sense,” says Wells. “We thought, if he can see the football, he could get there quicker. We did a nice job of seeing that and he was an anchor on our defense and a monster making football plays defensively.”
Wells’s decision to move Niam certainly looks like the right one based on Niam’s performance at the linebacker position. During the last two seasons, Niam made 263 total tackles and recorded 14 sacks for the Yellowjackets. This year, he earned All-SCC Division II/III honors as a linebacker.
“I think the new coaches put us in a good position to be successful,” says Niam. “They have an eye for picking the right position for the right guy.”
Niam was also named one of the Yellowjackets’ captains for his recent senior campaign. Niam’s approach to the role was to continue doing all the positive things that helped him earn that coveted position in the first place.
“I didn’t really feel a change at all. I just did the same thing I did last year when I wasn’t a captain. I stayed the same person I always was,” Niam says. “I liked it, walking out to meet other captains. It was a new experience. It wasn’t bad, but nothing really changed.”
Coach Wells felt that Niam performed well in the captain’s role and was a great player to work with throughout the last two seasons.
“Niam always has a positive attitude and is a very coachable kid. There’s no better young man out there you want to be able to coach,” says Wells. “He has that can-do approach and is always fun to be around.”
Niam, who is also a thrower for East Haven’s indoor and outdoor track squads, has been getting some looks to play college football next year. According to Coach Wells, Niam has already received an offer from Central Connecticut State University and drawn interest from a few other schools.
“It was very exciting because I personally didn’t think I’d get that much attention from college coaches because I haven’t been playing that long. I started in 8th grade and these other guys have been playing since flag,” says Niam. “I never thought it’d happen, but I’m excited. It’s a very long process and it’s very difficult.”