The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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those picks belonged to Lewis. The 5-10, 174-pound Wolverine ap- peared in eight games defensively last season, tallying 17 tackles and two passes broken up, and there were reports this spring he was U-M's most effective cornerback. "I wouldn't say I had a lot inter- ceptions this spring, but the offense said I did," said Lewis, who also had one pass broken up in limiting wide receiver Devin Funchess to one catch for 10 yards in the scrimmage. Lewis was flagged for two penal- ties during the practice, one for hold- ing and one for interference, and playing physical is a big part of his game, though he knows he has to be smart about it. "Getting hands on guys and trying to intimidate them," he said, in de- scribing his snap-to-snap approach. "Being physical is something Coach Manning always talks about. It's a mindset. I've always been physical, we just didn't emphasize that last year." Lewis began the spring scrimmage with the first-team defense, lining up opposite Funchess, with Taylor also on the outside and Countess defend- ing the slot receiver. He's position- ing himself to play a key role for the Wolverines this fall, as a starter or a primary backup. "Jourdan is a very gifted kid," Hoke said. "He's a talented guy, very athletic. He's getting stronger, which helps through the course of spring. Roy Manning with the corners has helped them grow. That's been a great move to have two coaches in the back end. "They are all competing. Ray and Blake have played a lot, but the en- titlement isn't there. You've got to do it every day." Stribling also saw the field exten- sively a year ago, appearing in seven games defensively, but he suffered through a few rough moments, and was a scapegoat in the loss at Penn State when a pair of passes on the Nittany Lions' game-tying, last- minute TD drive sailed through his fingers and into the awaiting arms of Allen Robinson. "I made a couple mistakes last year, and can't make the same mis- takes; I've got to make those plays," he said. "I've been working on keep- ing my confidence up, keeping my head on straight. When a bad play happens I can't keep my head down. I've got to keep it up. "This year I have to 'snap-and- clear ' and get onto the next play." FILLING A VACANCY While Michigan returns its starting cornerbacks in Taylor and Countess, and features veteran talent in Hol- lowell, Lewis and Stribling, there is less experience at safety, where Wil- DIGITAL BONUS: CLICK THE ICON TO PLAY OR STOP THE PODCAST The Wolverine talks with Marcus Ray