“I rode everywhere with them on the bus,” he said.
As it turns out, more than simply being a little tagalong, he was getting on-the-job training — as a touchdown slinger, not a “Come-to-Jesus” singer.
In his first season playing indoor football, Sawyer has quarterbacked the Dayton Silverbacks to an 8-0 record, best in the Continental Indoor Football League. Going into Friday night’s regular-season finale against the Saginaw Sting in Michigan, he is one of the CIFL leaders in nearly every offensive category.
When the Choraleers perform now, one of the most requested songs still is his 83-year-old grandmother’s version of “Prayer Room.” But when he takes the stage — at least where Silverbacks’ opposition is concerned — it’s been more like “you don’t have a prayer.”
The Silverbacks have won most of their games this season in routs, and Sawyer has played a big part in them. In the two games against Indianapolis, he threw for six touchdowns in one and ran for four scores in the other. Against Chicago he ran for three TDs and threw for two more, and against Port Huron he threw for three touchdowns and ran for another.
Before the Silverbacks, Sawyer prepped at Jefferson High School, then played at Morehead State, where, during his redshirt sophomore season, he came into Welcome Stadium on a cold, windy day and though not supposed to play because of a severe knee injury, a broken rib and a sprained ankle, came off the bench and threw a late-game TD pass to upset Dayton, 14-13.
“The two-minute drill in college is when I was on the money, and now the indoor game is the same thing,” he said. “I’m a fast-paced type quarterback. It’s all about rhythm. You could call me a rhythm quarterback.”
Then again, how could he be anything else with his background?
“My whole family is very musical,” he said. “Everybody sings in a gospel group or plays an instrument. Going back with my grandmother and her sister, the Choraleers have been around like 62 years. My mom works for the FAA — she’s run air traffic control towers all around the country — but when she retires, she’s talking about getting a tour bus and taking the Choraleers on the road again.”
His grandfather Elester Sawyer was with several gospel groups, including the West Coast-based Chosen Gospel Singers, and sang with Lou Rawls, Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke. His late father, Howard Stokes, was in gospel groups, as have been his uncles and his brother, who plays drums, bass and keyboards.
“I never was that musical,” Sawyer admitted. “I did play the drums when I was little and I was in a couple of talent shows. One was at the University of Dayton and I did pretty good, but football was my thing.”
Even so, he said he still loves music, and it factors into how he plays quarterback.
“Before every game I listen to my iPod and I’ll find one song that really sticks,” he said. “Once the game starts, I’ll just sing it over and over and over in my head. Sometimes it’s rap, sometimes R&B, sometimes even electronic-techno. Whatever it is, it just carries me along and helps me stay in the rhythm. It calms me down and keeps me focused and helps me play at a pace.
“Even when I watch a basketball game or a football game at home, I’ll listen to music and just find a rhythm in it.”
Selling him short
Coming out of Jefferson, where he started at quarterback for three seasons after transferring from Chaminade Julienne, Sawyer had two strikes against him. The always under-manned Broncos won few games while he was there, and he said many recruiters thought he was too short to play quarterback in college.
“I talked to several schools — Toledo, West Virginia, Memphis, Ball State, a lot of D-II schools — but it always came down to a height issue,” he said. “I’m 6-foot-11/2 now, but coming out of high school I was 5-10, and I always seemed to be a school’s second choice. Ball State flat out told me they were going with Nate Davis because he was taller.
“Well, I don’t think height always matters as much if you can throw the ball, if you have the smarts to play quarterback and the heart. Look at guys like Drew Brees, Michael Vick, Doug Flutie. There are plenty of quarterbacks in college and the pros who are under 6 feet or 6-1.”
He said Morehead State was the only school that offered a scholarship. His one standout season was 2008 when — even though hampered by injuries — he threw for 1,369 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine games and ran for 281 yards and another score.
Relegated to a backup role as a senior, he graduated and returned to Dayton. Last year he was a volunteer football and basketball coach at Jefferson, played semi-pro ball for a Centerville team and now works for Prime Time Party Rental.
On the football field, he’s made it a party as well for the Silverbacks. The franchise has never won this many games and its June 2 playoff game at Hara Arena will be the first the club has hosted.
“When he showed up at our tryouts this year I didn’t know who he was, but he caught my eye right away,” said Silverbacks coach James Scott. “He was THE bright spot in camp. He’s just gotten better and better as the season has gone on.”
While the Canadian Football League has shown some interest in him lately, Sawyer hasn’t totally forgotten music.
“I’ve got a guy who’s going to teach me the guitar now,” he said with a grin. “And I can carry a little tune. But I’ll be the first to admit, I’m no Luther Vandross or Usher, nothing like that. I’m pretty much just an average guy.”
Until he pulls a Silverbacks jersey over his pads and puts a song in his head.
Then, whether he carries a tune or not doesn’t matter, because he’s shown he sure can carry a team.
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