The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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He's going to make money, but he's only able to enjoy Michigan a little bit longer." When he made his decision, Lewan reaffirmed his commitment to the Wolverines and to Team 134, and he will not spend one second thinking about what could have been had he chosen a different path. "I'm here, and I'm all in," he said. "I've never been happier." The Clowney Effect In the weeks leading up to Michigan's matchup with South Carolina, scouts, reporters and fans were much more interested in a game within the game — the one-onone battle between Lewan and sophomore defensive end Jadaveon Clowney. The SEC Defensive Player of the Year, a first-team All-American and the Hendricks Award winner as the top defensive end in college football, Clowney entered play with a Gamecocks single-season record 13 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss. He was the best pass rusher Lewan had faced in three seasons as a starter, and thus required more than the typical preparation from the offensive lineman. "I studied everything about him," Lewan said. "I knew his birthday, his mom's name, his dad's name. I watched film with more purpose, pushed myself harder in bowl practices. I was not going to lose." Most experts believed Clowney would ultimately prove the victor, further cementing his legacy and establishing himself as the likely No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft (he was not eligible to declare this year). However, Lewan graded out the individual winner; Clowney did have two tackles for loss, but took advantage of blocking anomalies in which Lewan was not responsible for going head-to-head with him. "I don't know if that respect was present before the game, but definitely after the game there was a feeling from him and from his entire team," Lewan said. "He's a stand-up guy because he comes up to me and says, 'You're the best tackle I've ever played against.'" While Lewan has blocked talented defensive ends before, citing Iowa's Adrian Clayborn, Purdue's Ryan Kerrigan, Ohio State's John Simon, and Illinois' tandem of Michael Buchanan and Whitney The Wolverine 2013 Football Preview ■ 117