The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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back. Burbridge certainly did some damage, catching nine skillfully placed passes by MSU quarterback Connor Cook. But Lewis smacked away six more, recording a career high in pass break- ups. He also posted a career-best seven tackles in that game, a contest the Wolverines had in hand until the final, devastating 10 seconds. Michigan's other secondary coach, Mike Zordich, insists Lewis demon- strates the perfect attitude for his posi- tion. There's plenty of swagger, not a hint of shying from a challenge and sufficiently truncated memory banks. In other words, when Lewis said Michigan could feature the top sec- ondary in the country this year, he meant it. When it doesn't appear so on a particular day, he quickly moves on. "That's what we want them to think," Zordich said. "Certainly, their work and what they produce has to match that. But we absolutely want that kind of attitude among those guys. Their position requires that kind of attitude. "They've got to have a short mem- ory at that position, put things aside and go play the next play. It's all about attitude. It's all about challeng- ing yourself every day, and trying to get better and win every play." Lewis in particular gets high marks from Zordich in terms of his mental approach. Whether battling with Bur- bridge or Minnesota wideout speed- ster KJ Maye, the U-M junior fights to the finish. "The kid's a competitor," Zordich said. "I enjoy coaching him and enjoy watching him play. We match him up against the best receiver every week, and he embraces it. He's fun to watch and fun to coach. "He's had his share of really good plays — a lot more than bad. That's just the nature of that position. "What's great about him is he dusts it off, forgets about it, and goes and plays the next play. That's how you have to be there. That says a lot about him." One of the biggest smiles Lewis flashed all season involved a picture from Michigan's 38-0 whitewash of Northwestern at Homecoming. The junior helped put the Wildcats away with an astounding interception and 37-yard touchdown return. One minute, the Northwestern side- line denizens could be seen leaping up and down, sure the Wildcats had com- pleted a long sideline pass from their own end zone. They next minute the same celebrants looked on, stunned, while Lewis literally stole the football from the receiver's hands, pinned it to himself and took off for a back- breaker of a pick-six. That alone could produce a grin and an all-time highlight. Lewis beamed the most, though, when he saw a photograph of the return, with fellow Cass Tech grads Delano Hill (a junior safety) and Royce Jenkins- Stone (a senior Buck linebacker) ahead of him, leading the blocking. "It was an amazing picture," Lewis said. "That's one of those lifetime pictures. Just to capture that moment … it was beautiful." Lewis savors those moments, but he doesn't dwell on them any more than when he's beaten on a play.