Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes Jason Hewlett runs the ball during an inside run period Wednesday evening in preparation for Chaney’s season-opener Friday at Fitch. Coming from a football family, the junior has a lot of play for going into this fall.

YOUNGSTOWN — He’s given the nickname “Man” for a reason.

Wherever you look in Jason’s Hewlett family tree, there’s gridiron athletes to be found.

His father, Jason Hewlett Sr. suited up for the Rayen Tigers of yesteryear. His older brother Jaylen graduated from Cardinal Mooney, going on to play linebacker at Youngstown State, and his younger brother Jordan plays alongside him as a freshman at Chaney.

It seems only appropriate that Hewlett has been able to compete on the same hallowed ground that his father played on at Rayen Stadium, or the turf at Stambaugh Stadium that his older brother called home, during his high school and collegiate careers.

“At first, my dad made me play football, but growing up I was always a hyper kid, and I liked to run around and stuff, so why not hit people for fun,” Hewlett said. “I feel like on the field I’m a different guy, all that energy I’ve been saving up throughout the day, I just let it all out, so when I get off the field I’m tired, I’m drained.”

Two games into the season last fall, Cowboys quarterback Delshawn Petrosky was injured and Hewlett was thrusted into the action under center while still playing safety on defense.

Hewlett completed 33 passes for 589 yards last season but did most of his damage on the ground. He rushed for 570 yards on 65 carries and averaged 8.8 yards per carry. He found the endzone six times on the ground and twice through the air. He also threw six touchdowns.

It’s that type of pure athlete under center that makes Chaney dangerous when they have the ball.

“It’s something that everybody doesn’t have, I don’t want to say it’s natural, but it’s just natural for him, he just takes charge. ‘I’m the man,’ and I guess that’s why his nickname is ‘Man,'” coach Chris Amill explained. “But that’s his attitude, ‘I’m the man, give me the ball, let me make a play, let me do what I need to do to help my team win.’

The game experience gained throughout a weird and bizarre 2020 season, helped Hewlett grow and develop more as a dual-threat quarterback, being able to pull the ball more.

Hewlett has already seen his growth as he heads into his first full season as QB1.

“I got more comfortable in the backfield, and I got better with my reads, and really started being more of a leader, starting checking down to my running backs more often, and stopped forcing stuff deep,” Hewlett said. “This summer, just the little things, placement with my feet, don’t over stride when you’re throwing it, staying level with yourself, just being calm.”

Going to Cardinal Mooney games as a young man, and following Jaylen throughout his time as a Penguin, Hewlett values the importance of family and a sense of leadership that he wants to provide to his younger brother Jordan during their two years together at Chaney.

“(Jaylen) was a big brother, and growing up in this city, people don’t have big brothers like I do, and somebody to look up to,” Hewlett said. “So, seeing my brother play football, going to Mooney. playing for coach Chris (Amill), staying out of the streets, that made me want to stay out the streets. I had somebody to look up to and I strive to be better than him, and hopefully I can do that for my little brother.”

With two years remaining, Hewlett has offers from Boston College, Toledo, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, and NC State, along with making visits to Ohio State, Michigan, and North Carolina, Hewlett is excited to see what the rest of the process will hold.

“Just to see what other colleges do, and they do it all different, it’s never the same at each one,” Hewlett said, “Just to see which one I like the best and fit in the most, and it’ll be great when I finally get to commit my senior year.”

The Cowboys hit the road for the first week of the season, with a matchup at Austintown Fitch set for 7 p.m. on Friday.