It isn’t every day that you hear a coach talk about a player the way Steven Antoine’s coaches talk about him. If you didn’t know any better, you might think that Antoine couldn’t possibly live up to the hype, but you’d be wrong.

Antoine, a senior running back for Westgate High School, backs up all the praise heaped upon him with his quiet professionalism, both on and off the field. A football player since he was four years old, Steven has always been one of the best players in his age group.

“I’ve been seeing Steve play since he’s been with the little league,” said Westgate running backs coach Randall Antoine. “He’s always been head and shoulders one of the better guys on the team.

“The crazy part about it, I think Steve is one of the youngest seniors in the entire state. He was 13 years old when we first got him, so he got into his teenage years around high-level football.

“Everything we threw at him, he always finished and fought through everything. He’s finally becoming more vocal, he is usually a real quiet guy.”

Don’t let his age fool you though; Antoine plays like a veteran running back. The Tigers run a fast-paced offense designed to never give their opponents a chance to adjust, and Antoine is a key figure in making that system work.

“If I had to create a running back to fit within the program and the things we do, his versatility with the special teams, he even could play defense if we wanted, I couldn’t ask for a better player or a more complete football player,” Randall Antoine said.

“He can do everything on the field, and he has a bright future at the next level.”

Steven Antoine said his family connection to Westgate is extensive, but that most of his family played basketball, not football.

When asked about who his favorite football player is, he jokingly answered “me” before snapping back into his serious demeanor and answering, “Cam Newton.” Upon first glance, you may not see much in common between the two.

Newton is famous for being a larger-than-life personality, both on and off the field, with his personal drama sometimes eclipsing his playing ability. Compared to Newton, Antoine has the more professional attitude towards his sport. What makes the two similar is their confidence in their abilities, and the way that they never fail to back up all the hype.

Antoine said he plans to pursue football at the collegiate level, but has yet to commit to a program. He says he doesn’t care what level he plays at, he just wants to keep playing football. No matter where he ends up, it’s obvious that he will always be working to be the best.

“He’s leaving a great legacy for the freshmen. They follow him and that lineage is going to keep turning out some great guys,” said Antoine. “I owe a lot of things (to Steven); he made me a better man, a coach, and definitely an educator as well. I love him to death.”

Antoine and the rest of the Tigers will face off against Leesville in the second round of the LHSAA Football Playoffs today at 7 p.m. at WHS.