It took awhile for Cameron Toomey-Stout’s physical stature to equal the size of his heart.
Regardless, he had a point to make.
When Toomey-Stout entered Coupeville High School as a freshman in the fall of 2014, he was 5-feet, 2-inches tall and weighed 100 pounds.
“I had to prove all those naysayers wrong who said I couldn’t play football,” Toomey-Stout said.
The senior always had a love for the sport and always knew he was going to play high school football.
“Football is the sport in our house,” he said. “My grandfather and uncle played college football. I always had the mindset I was going to play football; there was never really any doubt.”
His love for the game and his positive attitude were fostered by his mothers Lisa Toomey and Beth Stout.
Toomey passed along her passion for football. She grew up going to San Diego State University games with her father and became a powderpuff quarterback.
“Mama Lisa breathes football,” Toomey-Stout said. “She started playing catch with me when I was little, and I have loved football ever since.”
Despite his diminutive stature in the ninth grade, Toomey-Stout signed up to play for the Wolves.
“Coach (Tony) Maggio said, ‘What the heck,’ and gave me a shot,” Toomey-Stout said. “I owe a big thanks to him.”
It didn’t take Maggio long to recognize Toomey-Stout’s passion.
“I remember Cameron as being fearless despite being the smallest player on our roster,” Maggio said.
He added that Toomey-Stout was very athletic and a joy to coach.
Toomey-Stout understood and accepted his role as a reserve as he waited to grow in size and talent.
“I was patient,” he said. “Some of my best memories come from playing on the scout team, trying to give our starting team a good look.”
Maggio saw enough in Toomey-Stout to put him on the field in seven games. Toomey-Stout caught one pass for 12 yards and returned a kickoff for eight.
Maggio resigned after that season, and the new coaching staff didn’t have the same faith in Toomey-Stout. During his sophomre season, Toomey-Stout saw his playing time dwindle to two games.
Another coaching change led to a starting spot for Toomey-Stout as a junior.
New coach Jon Atkins, like Maggio, recognized Toomey-Stout’s greatest asset.
“He has a heart twice his size,” Atkins said.
Toomey-Stout is now 5-7, 140 pounds; still not large by football standards.
“It is fun to see where he has gotten at his size after all the work he has put in,” Atkins said. “It all starts with his family; he has great support from home.”
Atkins added that Toomey-Stout not only has a big heart, but a “kind heart,” always helping his teammates.
“He is so selfless,” Atkins said. “Heart certainly matters.”
As a junior, Toomey-Stout caught 21 passes for 441 yards and four touchdowns. He also intercepted four passes, returning one for a TD, and recorded 32 tackles.
In the first two games this year, Toomey-Stout has eight catches for 116 yards and two scores. He already has two interceptions, and he returned a kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown last week.
When talking about goals, Toomey-Stout quickly defaults to a team-first attitude.
“Right now I just want to be the best I can be for my team,” he said. “We want to win conference and go to the playoffs, simple as that.”
Toomey-Stout is joined on the team by his brother Sean.
“I absolutely love playing with him — everything about it,” Cameron said. “We push each other; we give each other a boost of adrenaline.”
His sophomore sister, Maya, is also a Coupeville athlete.
In addition to playing football, Cameron Toomey-Stout is a member of the Coupeville basketball and track teams.
“To be a great football player, you have to be a great athlete,” he said. “Those other sports help; you can’t go wrong being a three-sport athlete.”
Toomey-Stout, who owns a 3.5 GPA, would like to play football for a college on the West Coast.
Some question that goal.
“When people doubt you, plain and simple you can’t listen to them,” he said. “When I went out for high school football, I wasn’t given a chance. I worked for everything I got, and I am blessed to be here. Hopefully I can prove those wrong who say I can’t play college ball as well.”
Cameron Toomey-Stout
Cameron Toomey-Stout was 5-2, 100 pounds as a freshman football player. (Photo by John Fisken)
Cameron Toomey-Stout (11) has developed into a two-way starter for the Wolves. Above, he helps bring down a Bellevue Christian ball carrier last fall. (Photo by John Fisken)
