Kornacki: How Lewis Joined Michigan's Best Defensive Backs
12/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Steve Kornacki
MIAMI -- Jourdan Lewis has been a University of Michigan football fan for as long as he can remember. He's followed his heroes in the winged helmets and studied their accomplishments. So, when told he was joining Dave Brown (1973-74), Tripp Welborne (1989-90), Charles Woodson (1996-97) and Marlin Jackson (2002, '04) as the program's fifth two-time All-America defensive back, it created a special moment.
"Wow, man," said Lewis, a reverent tone in his voice. "Being a Michigan fan my whole life, and growing up seeing what great players those four guys were and the respect they demanded on the field, it's very humbling to be in that category, I'm just truly blessed."
He also was one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, going to the nation's top defensive back, and the winner of the Tatum-Woodson Award as the Big Ten's top secondary performer.
Not bad for a guy some considered too small to do big things at 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds. But the senior from Detroit Cass Tech with an insatiable desire to be great became a difference maker.
Lewis can wear a receiver like a suit, covering so tightly that quarterbacks only throw his way one time per quarter while completing one pass per game.
Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus had this to say about Lewis in his look at projecting NFL Draft first-round picks:
"He'll get the 'undersized' label coming out of the draft, but Lewis has the man-coverage skills to stay with the better route-runners the NFL has to offer. He's gotten his hands on as many passes as the receivers he's covered this season (two interceptions and eight pass breakups vs. 10 receptions allowed on 34 targets), and his 39.8 passer rating allowed over the last three years is the equivalent of throwing the ball into the dirt on every pass."
When that was read to Lewis at Monday night's (Dec. 26) team outing at the Dave & Busters at the Dolphin Mall near the team hotel, he chuckled and shook his head.
"Oh, wow," he said. "That's a great feeling just to know that you have an impact on the game like that. It's crazy. It's eye-popping, and I'm just happy that everything I've been through and all the hard work that I've put in, to see that translate on the field, I'm just excited about that."
Opposing coaches and quarterbacks pay him the ultimate respect by avoiding the receiver he's covering.
"That's a great feeling," said Lewis. "You work so hard to be recognized for what you do, and you want to be the best at what you do, and to finally get that recognition is an unbelievable feeling."
Of all that Lewis does so well, what does he believe is his best ingredient in coverage?
"Just my preparation really," he said. "Before I ever line up against a guy, it's knowing what his tendencies are and knowing what he likes to do. It's just understanding what I need to do in relation to my technique, and what he likes. That's the main ingredient to me.
"Yeah, there's a lot of film work. We talk as a secondary about what they like to do in their route concepts and what they do when they get off the line and stuff."
What's the most important thing he's learned from secondary coach Michael Zordich, who focuses on working with cornerbacks?
"Just to get grounded in technique," Lewis said. "No matter what the situation, just understand that what got you there is why you're dominating and why we're so dominant. Just don't try to make the hero plays and be out of position on plays. Just play your technique and knowing that that's what's going to let you make the plays that you want.
"(Zordich) never wants to take our playmaking ability away but just wants us to understand we have a technique to follow."
The play Lewis will always be remembered for came this season against Wisconsin, when he stayed stride for stride with Badgers receiver George Rushing on a deep route, jumped forward, reached high, snatched the ball with his right hand, came down with it against his thigh, gathered it into his midsection and popped up with the ball.
"Honestly," said Lewis, "I just should've knocked it down (supplying Michigan better field position after the fourth-down play with 2:15 remaining in a 14-7 victory). And Strib (Channing Stribling) had the really big game in that game. It was a career game for him and he was going to be the man, but I stole his shine a little bit. That was his game, and what I did in that one moment didn't top it. Without Channing's two interceptions, we don't win that game."
Though, Lewis very nearly topped that interception with what would've been the play of the year in college football. Lewis took a kickoff return 45 yards on the final play in regulation of the double-overtime loss at Ohio State and nearly went the distance.
"I came extremely close, man," said Lewis, pursing his lips together for an instant. "I should've just bounced it outside. I had more effort in me to go. I shouldn't have let it get into the hands of overtime and just ended it there."
The despair he brought opposing passing combinations is what he'll be remembered most for at Michigan.
Nobody has ever broken up passes for the Wolverines like Lewis, whose 44 career pass breakups moved him one ahead of 2006 All-American Leon Hall for the top spot. Lewis set the single-season pass breakup record of 22 in 2015, when he tied Marlin Jackson's single-game mark of six against Michigan State.
He joined his boyhood heroes as one of the best the Wolverines have ever had in the secondary, and he was one of the best in the nation.
Southern Cal's Adoree' Jackson won the Thorpe over Lewis and LSU's Tre'Davious White, and tweeted from @adoreeknows: "Again, shout out to my boys @TreWhite16 and @JourdanJD Award could have went to any of us. Keep doing y'all thing!"
Lewis was touched by the bouquet Jackson tossed their way.
"It was amazing," Lewis said. "We've known each other since high school and competed against each other (in all-star games) and it was a great experience, seeing how much we'd grown over the years, and going to a ceremony of that magnitude, and being able to experience all of that together. It was a great experience, and then we counseled kids at 'The Opening' for Nike (in Beaverton, Oregon) and it was amazing, just unforgettable."
Lewis has his nickname, J.D., in his Twitter handle and said it was given to him by a junior football coach nicknamed "Rock" on the West Side Cubs in Detroit. His first and middle names are Jourdan Julian, but the assistant coach decided there were too many J.J. nicknames around.
"It just stuck," said Lewis.
He has one game remaining in college, and it comes Friday night (Dec. 30) in the Orange Bowl against Florida State.
"It's going to be competitive," said Lewis. "But we know how to prepare, and we know how to win, and we're just going to go out there and compete. The guys want to get this job done and go out there and compete. We had a practice (Monday) that was pretty good."
Lewis, being projected as a first-round pick by Pro Football Focus and many other media outlets, could've gone pro last year.
"All the accolades stacking up were a great feeling," said Lewis, "and I am happy I came back. I made the right decision."
He cemented his spot in Michigan football lore.
