Column: Praise for Brentwood QB: ‘He’s very presidential.’ He’s quick too
Senior Eli Stern has 4.4 GPA and lots of speed.
If you happen to be on the campus of Brentwood School, where you can see the Getty Museum from the baseball field and where Teslas often whiz by in the parking lot, make sure you take a moment to snap a selfie with 18-year-old senior Eli Stern, the football team’s senior quarterback.
It’s going to be a valuable keepsake when he becomes a movie director, governor, Ivy League football player or all of the above.
Think Ronald Reagan or Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“We’ll be hearing about him in the future in some capacity,” Coach Jake Ford said.
With a grade-point average of 4.4 that’s almost equal to his 40-yard dash time, Stern deserves attention.
“He may be our fastest player,” Ford said.
He’s averaging 10.1 yards a carry with eight touchdowns for the 5-1 Eagles, who face Calabasas Viewpoint (6-0) on Friday in a key Gold Coast League game. He has passed for 1,365 yards and 12 touchdowns.
If you haven’t heard his name before, it’s probably because he chose the academics of Brentwood over gaining recognition for his sports skills at a larger school.
For four years, he has trained with private quarterback guru Steve Clarkson alongside such quarterback standouts as Travis Waller (Servite), Brady White (Hart) and Tate Martell (Bishop Gorman).
“I used to feel like I didn’t have the arm they had or experience,” he said. “As I’ve gotten older, I feel like I can compete with them on a daily basis. I feel I’m a different quarterback, but I can compete.”
The early signs indicate he might end up at Princeton, which is recruiting him to play receiver because of his speed. But at 6 feet 1, 185 pounds, Stern hasn’t given up on playing quarterback in college.
“They’re looking for the 6-3, 6-4 guy, and I don’t have that height,” he said. “I have the intangibles you can’t teach. I have pocket presence. I can extend the play. I think I can play quarterback, but I just want to play.”
The most intriguing part of Stern’s makeup is his personality. “He’s got great leadership capability,” Ford said.
Added Clarkson: “He can be whatever he wants. He could be running our country. He’s that kind of kid. He’s very presidential.”
Going into politics is something Stern said he might consider.
“I care about people,” he said. “I don’t know what it is, but I’ve grown up in a house that’s taught me empathy and taught me not to be judgmental. I see people for more than what they put on.”
He’s also connected to the entertainment business. His father, Jay, is a Hollywood producer (“Rush Hour”). His mother, Vicki, is a freelance journalist.
Stern recently directed and co-wrote a short student film about how technology has taken over people’s lives.
Walking around campus, you never know which son or daughter of a well-known Hollywood celebrity you might run into.
“There’s a lot of famous people who have kids that go here,” Stern said.
Getting them to support the sports teams can be difficult.
“It’s hard to get anyone to rally around a certain cause because they’re so engrossed in their futures, their academics, their SATs, their ACTs,” Stern said.
The football team’s success could change that.
Now, if only Stern can get his father to produce a football movie…
“He may get me in there somehow,” Stern said.
Twitter: @LATSondheimer
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