When Clearwater Central Catholic head football coach Chris Harvey arrived at the Tampa-area school in the fall of 2016, he had no idea of the impact five brothers would have on him. But as Harvey gets ready to head into his eighth season with the Marauders, he reflects on just how lucky he was – and still is – to coach the Newton brothers. Not only have they made an impact on Harvey, they also have made quite an impression on the Marauder football program.
“The Newton brothers are the best players to have ever played at our school,” says Harvey.
But he is quick to point out that their legacy at CCC is much more than just football.
“It’s their character, their manners, and their self-respect that makes them special, and is a product of how they were raised,” he adds.
Just who are the Newton brothers of Clearwater Central Catholic? They are the sons of Jervon Newton and Jovita Rich, and starting with the oldest, their names are Jervon, Jr., and Jerquan, who are twins; and Jerjuan, Jer’Zhan, and Jershaun.
Jervon and Jerquan graduated from CCC in 2017 and, as twins often do, decided to stay together. They went on to play college football at West Florida University, where they were a part of the 2019 national championship team. They graduated from there and went on to continue their college careers at Mars Hill College, where Harvey says they recently graduated. Jervon was a running back while Jerquan played linebacker during their time at Clearwater Central Catholic.
Next was Jerjuan, who played wide receiver for Harvey and graduated from CCC in 2019. He is now at Toledo, where he is a top receiver for the Rockets.
“Jerjuan was the hardest-working brother of them all,” Harvey recalls. “He was talented, but he became a superstar with his work ethic. He’s now reaping the benefit of that hard work as a big-time college receiver.”
The next Newton brother from Clearwater Central Catholic is Jer’zhan, a three-star recruit who graduated in 2020 and is now at the University of Illinois, where he plays defensive tackle. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), he is the No. 1-rated returning DT in college football. He was a First-Team Big Ten selection last year. While at CCC, Jer’Zhan also played running back, and he was a very good one.
“As a sophomore, he was the Tampa Bay Most Valuable Player as a running back,” Harvey says.
The youngest and lone remaining Newton at Clearwater Central Catholic is sophomore Jershaun, who plays quarterback for the Marauders, and may very well be the most talented of all the brothers, according to Harvey.
“He is all four of his brothers rolled up into one,” the coach says.
Harvey says the 6-foot, 1-inch, 210-pound Jershaun is a great quarterback, but where he will play in college will depend on how much he grows over the next couple of years. But there’s no doubt Jershaun will be the next Newton brother to play collegiately.
“Every college coach that comes through my door asks about him,” Harvey says.
The coach says he will forever be grateful for his time spent coaching the Newton brothers, noting that their impact will be felt by all those who have come into contact with them at CCC.
“They have given us more than we could’ve ever given them.”
