The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/152358
"It was big," he said. "It was really interesting to see his perspective on it, four years ago how he felt about his situation. It was cool to see his thoughts were the same as mine four years later. "It's really good to have a guy like that to look up to. He's such a good role model." Growing Up Four years ago, few would have predicted the same would be said about Lewan. The 6-8, 315-pounder described himself as "out of control" as a redshirt freshman, more likely to elicit a laugh at a press conference than a meaningful quote. The personality hasn't changed, but the presentation certainly has. He's one of the primary reasons Michigan has a legitimate shot to win a Big Ten title. It's not just his talent, but the example he's set and the man he's matured into over the last few years that help make the Wolverines the favorite to win the Legends Division. Four years ago, he didn't give much thought to what he said before he said it. Now, though, Lewan is a mountain of a man who — though he still has his sense of humor — is more guarded in what he says and a likely choice as captain of the 2013 Wolverines. "I don't know if it's following my lead, but the guys are definitely taking the next step in learning the ins and outs of nutrition," he said. "That's huge in the game of football. I'm completely different, way more energetic. I can run a lot longer, lift more weights. I'm way stronger than I was after the season." He's improved his primary lifts by at least 25 pounds each. His 40 times ("under 5.0," he reports) are comparable to the offensive tackles who went high in the 2013 draft, one in which he might well have been a top-five pick. There were no regrets, though, when he watched his fellow linemen go in the early rounds. He was happy for them, he insisted, but more confident than ever that he'd made the right decision. "They are living the dream," he said. "Hopefully, if I do the things I'm supposed to do, I'll live that dream, too. "But I feel like all I know right now at Michigan is failure. The Sugar Bowl was great, to get a win there, but the goal and expectation at Michigan is the Big Ten championship. If it were black and white, where all you hear is you'll get multi-million dollars to continue doing what you're doing or stay and not get paid …" Then the choice would be easy. It might have been to the Taylor Lewan of old. Even his father, Dave, expressed some surprise when he informed him of his decision, Lewan said with a laugh. "He said, 'Oh? Well — okay,'" Lewan recalled. "But it was an easy decision if you buy into the University of Michigan, the program, 134 teams and the legendary guys wearing the No. 77 jersey, which in my opinion is a legends jersey of its own. I don't say I owe it to [the guys who wore it before], but I feel I need to be there