ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Trenton Stewart was back in town from his freshman year at Stetson University and just doing what college kids do. He was catching up with friends. Staying in shape for the upcoming football season. Making some extra money as a driver for Door Dash.
In the blink of an eye, all of that changed.
Stewart was killed in a crash on Tuesday when his car was hit by a wrong-way driver. The Creekside High School graduate and Stetson defensive lineman was 18.
As word of his tragic death surfaced, Stewart was remembered as an all-around good person with a promising life in front of him.
His mother, Mandi Stewart, said he was a natural leader. Some of the words used to describe Trenton were disciplined and determined. If Trenton was told there was something he couldn’t accomplish, he worked extra to make it happen.
Mandi Stewart says her son was just two miles away from home when he was killed. She says he was the kind of son every parent wanted, describing him as extremely smart and funny.
“Trenton, first and foremost, was the absolute most incredible kid you could ever imagine,” Mandi said.
Creekside football coach Sean McIntyre said that Stewart’s tragic death was difficult to put into words. He embodied the qualities expected from a student-athlete.
“I think if we still had our current seniors that had played a lot with him, it would be a little bit more difficult to manage with our kids. But one of our coaches saw him on Sunday, saw Trenton on Sunday, and me and that coach talked about that on Monday,” McIntyre said.
“And then you get that news waking up to it on Tuesday morning...just heartbreaking, gut-wrenching. An outstanding young man who upheld all those things in that wall right there, our foundations to the highest levels, he was.”
Through her grief and heartache, Stewart opened up about her son.
He had a lighthearted personality that made him a standout star, both on the football field and off. Stewart majored in cybersecurity. He made the Pioneer Football League Academic Honor Roll after his freshman season.
“He was the most amazing son, friend, student-athlete, he was so disciplined,” she said. “And he always lived with the mantra of quitting is never an option.”
His mother said that his favorite movie was “Rocky.”
“He lived for football, he lived to get out on that field to be part of that brotherhood at Creekside as well as at Stetson,” she said.
Police said Trenton was driving eastbound on Old St. Augustine Road when another vehicle occupied by another driver slammed into Trenton’s vehicle while driving in the wrong lane. Toxicology tests are pending for that driver.
Stetson football head coach Brian Young released this statement saying:
“On behalf of the entire Stetson Football family, today is truly a sad day. We have lost a young man who exemplified what it means to be a Stetson Hatter. Our hearts go out to his teammates, family and the entire Stetson Community. We have lost a brother, teammate and a friend.”
Stewart’s mother says she wants to thank everyone who ever interacted with her son, for supporting him as he grew from a boy to a man.
“And I want to thank the entire community for helping me raise this amazing kid,” she said. “And I will do everything in my power to live out his legacy within our community as gratitude for him as well as everybody who helped shape my baby.”