The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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son — perhaps this time about loca- tion, location, location. He drew two early pass-interfer- ence flags in South Bend, site of easy laundry drops for decades. It never shook his confidence, Lewis insisted. "It's not really frustrating," he said. "That's just the nature of the game. You know you're going to get a few flags. That was just what was called. You've just got to keep playing ag- gressive, playing your game. I can't worry about the flags." He's not even worrying about get- ting better. He's just doing it, on a weekly basis. Lewis never lacked confidence, even in the days when he sported the flags on both of his hips. It wasn't long after those days when he real- ized the game he loves would carry him far beyond Detroit. "I don't want to brag, but I saw I could play football really early," he said. "It just came natural. I knew it could take me wherever I wanted to go." He's still getting there, but he's picking up steam, and highlights, along the way. ❑ Lewis Joins Multiple-Picks Club As A Sophomore Michigan has had more than a few defensive backs see early and effective playing time over the years. Several were giving definite signs by their sopho- more season of ball-hawking abilities and a knack for creating turnovers. When U-M sophomore cornerback Jourdan Lewis raced in to pick off Penn State's Christian Hackenberg in an 18-13 Michigan win at The Big House, Lewis joined those with multiple interceptions in a true sophomore season. There are a number of Wolverines that fall into that category, and Lewis has his work cut out if he's to try and climb into the ranks of the sophomore elite. Teammate Blake Countess secured six interceptions last fall, but the U-M cornerback was performing in his redshirt sophomore campaign, because of a knee injury the year before. Here are a number of more notable Michigan de- fensive backs that picked off more than one pass in a true sophomore season. The list is not meant to be exhaustive, but top performances and many of the top all-time performers are included. 6, Ty Law, 1992 — Law played three years for the Wolverines, prior to going on to a multiple-Pro Bowl NFL career. He picked off six passes as a true sopho- more in Michigan's undefeated 1992 season, including two versus Ohio State, two against Minnesota, and one each in wins over Houston and North Carolina State. 6, Tom Curtis, 1967 — Curtis set Michigan's all-time record for interceptions with 25, and demonstrated early on that quarterbacks ought to avoid him. He intercepted six passes as a sophomore, all in Big Ten action, with three against Illinois, two versus Minnesota and one in the Indiana game.