Gulfport High QB, Southern Miss linebacker and future surgeon: Meet TQ Newsome
Louisiana had the ball in the fourth quarter with a chance to cut what was once a 24-point deficit down to just one score.
Ragin’ Cajun quarterback Ben Wooldridge looked left and fired a short-side pass toward John Stephens, who he had connected with for a touchdown on the previous drive.
This pass, however, would not end well for the Cajuns. Southern Miss corner Natrone Brooks made a play on the ball and sent it floating through the air.
Fourth-year sophomore linebacker TQ Newsome started this play in the middle of the field. He was manning his role as the primary spell for the Golden Eagles’ middle linebackers.
Newsome was thrust into the role when injuries knocked linebackers Hayes Maples and Swayze Bozeman out for the season.
Now on the field during a critical possession against a divisional rival, Newsome’s instincts and high IQ began to kick in. A former quarterback at Gulfport High School under John Archie, he covered the middle stick route and quickly followed Wooldridge’s eyes and throw to Stephens.
That’s when the ball practically fell into his lap.
“It was amazing, everything was kind of moving in slow motion,” Newsome told the Sun Herald. “It was surreal. Honestly, Natrone Brooks made a great play on the ball. I just saw the ball in the air... I was just running to the ball, and they say when you run to the ball, good things happen.
“He was able to make a great play and get a deflection. We always have a saying, ‘tips and overthrows.’ We have to have those. The ball was in the air and I was fortunate enough to be in position to make the play. It felt amazing and I was really excited. My team was really excited for me.”
Excited may be an understatement. Newsome’s teammates swarmed him on the sideline as he held on to the ball that represented the first interception of his career, a particularly unique career at that.
Newsome began his time at USM at running back under Jay Hopson. He then transitioned to linebacker in 2020 and has stuck there ever since.
But it isn’t his on-field play that has made him a budding star at the school. Newsome is a graduate who is already working on his masters degree. He completed undergrad in just three years and received the prestigious Castaneda Scholarship from Conference USA this past summer.
Hall said Newsome has a near-perfect GPA and wants to be a surgeon when he’s done with school.
“I do have aspirations to go into medical school following my masters degree,” Newsome said. “I’m torn between orthopedic surgery or cardiology. Those are the two primary areas of interest right now for me.”
If it sounds like a lot, it’s because it is. But Newsome has his own unique outlook on the balance between a heavy workload at school and the time-intensive lifestyle of playing football.
“It’s definitely a lot, it’s a load and it’s difficult at times,” Newsome said. “One thing for me is, I’m able to compartmentalize really well. Sometimes when I’m feeling overwhelmed at football, (schoolwork) is an escape for me. When I’m feeling overwhelmed here, football is my escape. They really work well with one another. It’s a good balance... Anything worth having is going to be difficult. That’s kind of how I try to live my life.”
Newsome has been awarded an academic medal by C-USA, named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll and was on the President’s List in 2021.
It’s a balance Newsome expects to continue for at least another year. He’s got two more seasons of football left if he wants them and he says he’s definitely returning for 2023.
That’s good news for Hall and the defensive staff, who have watched Newsome blossom into a valuable contributor.
“I thought (Louisiana) was his best game, overall,” Hall said. “He continues to get better at that linebacker spot... we just really think a lot of him.”
Newsome has 24 stops this season with two tackles for loss and the interception against Louisiana. He’s well on his way to a career-high in tackles for a season, and well on his way to a trip to medical school.
This story was originally published November 3, 2022 at 3:00 PM.
