As a running back, James Lewis is usually the one being chased and tackled.
The Eastern Greene grad is one of a handful from his school of fewer than 400 with a chance to play college football. That wasn’t enough.
He spent two years at NCAA Division III Manchester in northern Indiana, becoming a full-time starter at running back his sophomore year, piling up over 500 rushing yards and seven touchdowns and catching 38 passes for another 287 yards. It wasn’t enough.
“I definitely had fun and got some experience and playing time,” Lewis said. “It’s a big thing to get that experience at the college level. And I met a lot of good people.
“It was definitely a good experience to get my foot in the door. But it’s just something where I wanted to chase something else, to give myself a chance to put my foot in the door and look for bigger opportunities.”
He had a dream and he would have to run it down to make it happen. He had interest from other D-III schools and heard from FCS school Idaho. But closer to home is where he landed. From Little Cincinnati to big Cincinnati, as a member of the Power 4 Bearcats’ Big 12 program.
“When I entered into the portal, I was in communication with a few other schools,” Lewis said. “I had started talking with one coach from Cincinnati, but he left. So during the process, I felt a little stuck. So I reached out to their running backs coach and let him know the situation.
“We kept in contact, he saw the film, saw what I could do. I was able to talk to them about potentially being a walk-on if I had the numbers. I had the numbers so I was able to come in this summer.”
Coming out of Eastern, trying to gain the attention of Division I coaches is tough for Class 1A players, even one such as Lewis, a near 11-flat sprinter who rushed for 1,634 yards and 27 touchdowns and doubled up as a defender with 57 tackles. He once had seven TDs in a single game.
Two years later, he had grown, put on weight and proven he could play college football. He’s halfway to his degree in exercise science and his future as a chiropractor. And he’s teammates with former Bloomington standout Jalen Williams. Still, it’s a big leap, and a big leap of faith he had in himself.
“It was definitely still a nervous thing,” Lewis said. “It’s a really big jump. They have big dudes and they’re very fast. Everybody is bigger, faster and stronger.
“But I feel that as long as I believe in myself and put in the work as I transition into it … I’m really not that far off. I have to to get bigger and stronger, but they have the resources for you to do that. If you do well, the coaches will buy into you.”
So it’s time to sell himself again and make sure he’s paying attention to all the details, from what he eats to how he recovers from workouts.
“Really, just trying to stay as consistent as possible,” Lewis said. “I made a big jump my first year. I went from 160-170, up to 190 (pounds) right before last season. So just staying consistent in weight room, building good habits, that will carry me a long way.”
At the same time, Lewis is not intimidated. He went to Cincinnati because he felt he belonged and that’s how he feels as summer workouts get going.
“Initially, I’m thinking, I was at a D-III school and you look at D-I being so different,” Lewis said. “But really, they’re just like you. They’re bigger and faster, but they’re all still 18, 20-year-olds. They’re all cool. I’m not being treated like an outcast, or anything.
“There are other walk-ons there in the same situation, so I’m not alone in the whole process. There are definitely challenges with the portal. We brought in a majority of our running back out of the portal, so there’s some adversity. But I feel as long as I do what I know I can do, I believe in myself.”
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Former Eastern Greene football star makes ‘big jump’ to Cincinnati
Reporting by Jim Gordillo, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jim Gordillo, The Herald-Times | USA TODAY Network
