The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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reserve along the line. "There is a culture at Cass that begins with Coach Wilcher and his assistants, but the upperclassmen really own it," said Lewis. "They bring the younger guys up with an attitude that there is a tradition, history and pride to live up to. "I don't know what it's like at other schools. I know we have great talent at Cass, but they have talent at Detroit King, Southeastern, Renaissance — I think what's different is that culture. "It's passed down from class to class, and each senior class knows its reputation will be decided by how it performs on the field and how it passes that legacy on." Greer is, arguably, the top Cass Tech alumnus to compete for the Maize and Blue, ranking fourth all- time at U-M in career tackles for loss (48 from 1976-79 — he redshirted in 1975), while his 23 stops behind the line of scrimmage in 1979 rank fifth for a single season. Huckleby probably ranks second on the list of Technicians to excel at Michigan, rushing for 2,624 yards with 25 touchdowns in four seasons from 1975-78, starting 30 games at tailback. Williams (1,936 yards rushing and 68 receptions), Gordon (229 tackles) and Smith (866 yards rushing, nine touchdowns) round out the top five, and it is in that company both Jenkins-Stone and Lewis are trying to occupy a spot. However, they are both setting their sights even higher. "I want Cass Tech players that go to Michigan in the next few years to say that they want to be better than me because I was the best," Jenkins- Stone said. "Our secondary coach at Cass always asked us, 'Who will be the best player in college?' and I want that to be me," Lewis added. In the pantheon of Cass Tech alums at Michigan, Lewis has already surpassed Cissoko and could pass Gordon this fall to become the most celebrated defensive back to wear the Technicians' forest green and white, and the Wolverines' maize and blue. In 25 career contests, Lewis has made seven starts at cornerback, recording 56 total tackles, with eight pass breakups and two interceptions. The 5-10, 176-pounder plays bigger than his listed size, and he's eager to reach another stratosphere in his game, transitioning from an aggressive, inconsistent coverman into the Big Ten's most consistent and toughest cornerback to play against. "I want to make more big plays because that's what elite cornerbacks do. But my primary focus is being at my best every play because the best guys don't take plays off," he said. "Last year was a good learning experience. I'd do a few things right, but then there were mental lapses, times I was worn down physically and mentally, and that's when teams would burn me. "I want to play aggressive on every snap, but I learned that it's about your mentality. You have to be locked in 100 percent of the time." Lewis understands when he's at 90 percent, he needs to ask out of the game, if only momentarily, but