Stone Anderson ’23 exemplifies what an outstanding Deerfield student-athlete should be: he is hard-working, humble, and always puts his teammates before himself. As a three-year starter on the Varsity Football team and in his fourth year at Deerfield, Anderson has left his mark both on and off the football field.
Anderson considers the football team to be like a “family” that is “set on one goal” and sees a bright future ahead: “The football team has a lot of great young guys…We’re gonna have a really great program in the coming years.” Both on and off the football field, he leads by example through his work ethic, contributions to the team, and interactions with others. His hard work, exemplary attitude, and dedication have not gone unnoticed, and he has recently committed to play Division 1 football as a kicker at the University of Michigan — one of the best football programs in the country.
Anderson’s introduction to football came relatively late, as he started playing football his sophomore year. Before trying out the sport, Anderson specialized in lacrosse. He switched to football from water polo halfway through the fall because he “wanted to see what it was like.”
Anderson also credits Varsity Football Coach Brian Barbato as one of the most impactful mentors in his career who “just saw something [in him] that nobody else saw.” Anderson says Mr. Barbato was there “every step of the way.” For Anderson, the hardest part of starting football so late was having to “catch up to the point everyone else [was], where all the other kids were playing since middle school.” Anderson offered some advice to athletes who, much like him, are also starting their sport late: “Work as hard as you can, and if you like it, just keep going with it.” He said, “I did it because I enjoy it. So just have fun in the process.”
Not only has Anderson had a significant impact on the Deerfield football team as a player, but he has also been an incredible teammate. One of Anderson’s teammates and a fellow kicker, Nick Gold ’25, says “he’s just more of a team player than anything.” Gold added, “he’s constantly looking out for the guys, even when there [are] low times on the field, but honestly, to me, he’s just my brother.” Gold also appreciates the mentor role that Anderson has played in helping him improve his kicking skills, emphasizing that “when I’m struggling on the field, he helps correct my every step, my footwork, and he’s always there when I need help.”
Regarding the current football season, Anderson said, “At some points in our season it hasn’t been going well, but overall, I think we just keep improving as a team every week.”
In terms of teammates who have had a big impact on his growth as both a player and person, Anderson emphasized that he doesn’t “want to leave anyone out because everyone has had a big impact.” However, Anderson added, “kind of from a day one standpoint, Christian Reavis ’23.” Anderson explained, “He’s always been there. He’s always been motivating me about getting the work and just keeps working hard and he’s such a dedicated kid on the team and such a great leader, that he kind of just pushes everyone around him to be better.”
Stone’s immense contribution, not only through his exceptional skill and dedication but also his comradery and positive impact on the team, will be greatly missed by everyone at Deerfield Football and beyond. As he gets ready to head off to Michigan next fall, Anderson currently plans to major in business at the Ross School of Business and shared he is “really excited to have the opportunity to keep playing at the next level on a bigger stage.”