CORDELE, Ga. (WALB) — Crisp County High School senior Brody Stephens has been named the VSU Scholar Athlete of the Week. Stephens holds a 4.0 GPA and serves as a captain of the Crisp County football team, where he has embraced becoming a leader.

“It takes a good leader, of course, in your future job, and your future family,” Stephens said. “Being able to have a leadership in your life like that, it’s just something that you always want to have. You want people to be able to trust that you know what’s going on, and you know what to do, and you know how to provide.”

Involvement in Beta Club

Stephens also spends time in the Beta Club.

“It’s a really good foundational club, and they’re mainly about leadership in your community and helping your community out with whatever’s wrong,” Stephens said. “We do this thing every month where we kind of donate items, where there’s blankets, or toiletries, and stuff.”

Support from coaches and parents

Stephens said he has great guidance on his leadership responsibilities.

“Coaches, and, of course, my parents, they’ve been able to lead me through this whole way, just showing me the foundational, showing me the steps of what I need to do to become a leader, become a good man,” Stephens said.

Impact on younger teammates

Stephens, now a senior, said mentoring underclassmen has shaped his own growth as a leader.

“I feel like now being a senior, kind of helping some of these freshmen and sophomore out, I feel like it’s kind of showed me how to become a leader and kind of how to build myself up,” Stephens said.

Stephens said he has worked to stay focused through challenges.

“There’s definitely been a lot of hurdles, but I’ve been able to kind of focus on what I need to get done,” Stephens said. “I’ve been able to piece it all together.”

How others view him

Asked how he believes others view him as a leader, Stephens said he hopes to be seen as reliable.

“I hope that most people would say I’m a very dependable guy, because I always try to make myself available to help everyone that needs help and just be there for him,” Stephens said.

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