The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/603303
BY JOHN BORTON S ocial media often involves more noise than information, more heat than light. A certain tweet by Michigan junior cor- nerback Jourdan Lewis, though, had Michigan fans transfixed like Lewis tracking an interception. It seemed to come out of nowhere. On Oct. 29, Lewis took to Twitter to deliver a message of reassurance: "I came to Michigan to get my education not to leave in three years." Days later, Lewis snapped the U-M single-season record for pass breakups, reaching 19 in Michigan's 49-16 win over Rutgers. Afterwards he doubled down when asked about the tweet. "Yeah, I'm going to be here," he of- fered, with a grin. "In today's football, you have to re- spect the guys that realize the impor- tance of a degree because even if you make the NFL and make millions, a day comes when you have to live after football," noted former U-M All-Amer- ican Ron Simpkins. "Maybe it's not even a financial thing, but you have to ask yourself, 'What am I qualified to do without my degree?' "You see a lot of athletes that waste their money away because they don't know any better. Guys that didn't take their academics seriously, so they never developed critical thinking skills, never figured out what type of areas they enjoyed beyond football. "When you're at a place like Michi- gan, there are so many opportunities to explore different subjects and figure out who you are that has nothing to do with football. I wish more players would understand that and take ad- vantage of that." While players have been known to change their minds about such matters when decision time arrives, it rarely happens after such a forceful declara- tion. It's a big deal for Michigan, be- cause … well, because Lewis himself has become a big deal. At a modest 5-10, 175 pounds, Lewis has grown into Michigan's top cover cornerback, a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award who draws the oppo- nents' top receiver every game. The thought of him becoming a senior on a defense that could return as many as seven starters has many Michigan fans dreaming of 2016. Right now, Lewis is firmly focused on 2015 and the month of November. He has to be. Success in the moment stands waiting to be seized. Not that Lewis has often failed as an opportunist. The third-year Wol- HARD COVER Jourdan Lewis Takes On Foes' Best And Keeps On Coming