Jerjuan Newton is Toledo's North Star, on and off the field

The box score from the University of Toledo’s 38-23 win over Massachusetts on Saturday told an incomplete story.

Yes, Jerjuan Newton had one reception for 40 yards — a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him touchdown. But his value to the Rockets runs much deeper than a touchdown pass.

The senior wide receiver was elected a team captain for the third time this season, becoming the first three-time captain during Jason Candle’s head-coaching tenure.

Why?

“That young man walks with a purpose,” Candle said. “He doesn’t say a whole lot. But when he says it, it carries a ton of weight because everybody knows that he’s a self-starter and he’s internally motivated to be great. Many young players are externally motivated to be great. We can’t walk out to the field, we can’t walk off the bus, we can’t walk to the hotel, we can’t go get our snack after the game without some camera being in somebody’s face taking some picture to post on some mythical place that somebody’s supposed to like and enjoy, and that's the world we live in.

“That guy doesn’t care about any of that. That guy cares about being the best version of himself each and every day. Our players respect that.”

The ballot box from UT’s captains’ vote tells a complete story. Newton had a Reagan-Mondale landslide, securing votes from all but “one or two” players, according to Candle. Leadership has been an everlasting characteristic for Newton, who served as captain at Clearwater Central Catholic in Florida.

Newton was not destined to chart a similar course at Toledo, especially after three unremarkable seasons: 29 receptions, 368 yards, three touchdowns. Being one of the best players on the team — or even the best player at your position — is not a prerequisite for captaincy, although it creates an impressive resume.

Still, when the names were tallied in the fall of 2022, Newton was among the highest vote-getters.

“I really didn’t expect it at all,” he said. “I had made a few plays here and there. I stepped up and said things. I guess I was the leader of the receiving room, but that first time was very shocking. I mean, that probably meant more to me than being a three-time captain.”

In the past two seasons, Newton backed up the off-field accolades by performing at his highest on the field with consecutive All-Mid-American Conference honors. He led the team in 2022 with 53 receptions and ranked 19th nationally with nine touchdown catches, elevating his play in the MAC championship game and Boca Raton Bowl. Last year, Newton had a team-high 52 receptions and a MAC-best 696 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

On Saturday, he became the 14th UT receiver to record 2,000 career receiving yards.

The trust teammates have shown Newton is what he’s most grateful for. His father, Jervon, has held Jerjuan to a high standard throughout life, so Newton isn’t new to that side of being a captain. But even if slices of the assignment aren’t foreign, it doesn’t mean it’s effortless. Motivating yourself, motivating others, and being an endless source of encouragement can be taxing.

Newton, however, wouldn’t want it any other way.

“It comes natural,” he said. “Sometimes being a leader, you have to say and do things that you don’t really want to do. But I know certain things need to be said in order for us to go where we want to go. Sometimes, man, I might have to yell at some of my teammates, even though I don’t want to. But I know it’s going to make them better.

“Some guys can do it and some guys can’t. It’s just second nature to me at this point. And I know that deep down inside, my teammates know that me and the other captains come from a bad place when they yell at you or they send a message about getting better. We all want everybody to succeed.”

Growing up in Tampa, across the bay from Newton’s hometown of St. Petersburg, Tucker Gleason knew the name Jerjuan Newton. How could he not? Newton had nearly 2,000 total yards during his junior and senior seasons.

“I knew he was a big-time high school football player,” Gleason said.

But they never met each other until Gleason transferred to Toledo after one season at Georgia Tech. And it didn’t take long to form a connection, even though Gleason was the backup. When he rescued the Rockets last year for the second consecutive season, it was Newton who extolled the QB’s flair for the moment.

Their relationship is as strong as ever, with little doubt about Gleason’s vote.

“I mean, you can’t say enough about the guy,” Gleason said. “He’s an outstanding worker, an outstanding friend, an outstanding football player. He comes from a great family, and it just shows every single day he comes into work. He’s actually has gotten a lot more vocal over the years. But he puts his head down and he comes to work every single day. And I’ve got a massive amount of respect for him.”

So does UMass coach Don Brown. He’s celebrated for his confusing blitzes, and it was Newton who the 43-year coaching veteran was most worried about Saturday.

“He’s a guy who has movement skills. He’s got some shake,” Brown said. “Obviously, he can catch it. That’s the biggest piece. You have to be at your best in terms of coverage.”

And when he’s not making players miss en route to the end zone, Newton is making an impact somewhere else. He was nominated for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award, presented annually to the player who has demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity, and sportsmanship both on and off the field.

“I could go on for days talking about him because he means a lot to our football team on the field,” Candle said. “But probably more off the field.”