February 12, 2007

Who ever said AC athletes don’t play professionally?

By Matt Kennedy
Sports Editor, The College World

ADRIAN, Mich.-- Former Adrian College defensive lineman and current senior Mike Lewis signed a contract to play for the Albany Conquest of the Arena Football II league. He will start training camp with the team on March 11.

Arena football is played indoors on a smaller field and takes place in the spring. Arena Football II is the minor league to Arena Football League I.

Lewis, currently an assistant coach on the Bulldogs football staff, was a standout for the Bulldogs varsity team from 2003 to 2005, including winning the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s defensive most valuable player award in 2005. Since his playing days at AC, he played semi-professional football for the Michigan Admirals last summer.

Lewis found out about Albany’s offer when he was with AC’s football team during its road trip to Westminster College in the fall. However, he did not talk that much about it as he did not want it to become a distraction to the Bulldog football team.

“I didn’t want to bring it up to anyone because I was here to coach and get my degree,” Lewis said.

As a result, Lewis has quietly gone about his business to prepare for the upcoming Arena Football league season. He said that entailed working harder than he had to before.

“When you get to the next level, you got to hit [workouts] 10 times more,” Lewis said.

“[The opponents] are monsters, so I had to step my own game up.”

Lewis said he works out between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. every day to prepare for the rigors of the season and to prepare himself to play against the high level of competition he will see.

“I think I’ve become a little more disciplined,” Lewis said.

He noted that aside from his allotted workout time, his attention is on school.

“I chose to get my education first,” he said.

His former defensive line coach said Lewis is well prepared for the arena league.

“He’s a great young man, probably one of the best athletes I’ve seen come through [Adrian College], interim athletic director Mike Duffy said. “He’s a gifted, gifted young man.”
Duffy said Lewis was a high school standout because of his quickness, which was one of the reasons he recruited Lewis to play at AC.

“He was so quick they couldn’t touch him,” Duffy said.

Duffy, however, couldn’t resist taking some credit for Lewis’ development.

“I taught him everything he knows,” he joked.

Duffy also said he was a standout basketball player in high school. Lewis played three years of basketball on AC’s squad before focusing solely on football, as well.

“Basketball is my first love,” Lewis said. “But when you don’t get to be a certain height, you got to pick up the pigskin and drop the Spalding.”

Lewis said he loves football, as well.

“Football is the most team oriented sport you’ll ever play,” he said. “It’s like recess, almost. You get to be a kid [when playing football].”

Lewis also noted his love for being around friends on the football field.

His teammates said that Lewis is a good leader.

“He’s a good leader, good teammate,” senior TJ Williams said. “He always tried to help out and always did a good job of being a captain.”

Williams was also impressed by Lewis’ athletic ability.

“He’s an outstanding athlete for his size,” Williams said. “Some of the things he could do were amazing.”

Lewis is working to dispel a perception around Division III athletics that they play for fun and do not look to become professional athletes. Lewis is looking to change that perception, especially for AC football players.

“AC has lots of talent, lots of All-Americans,” Lewis said. “There is not a doubt in my mind that all of the players I ran into can play at the next level and make a little money. Everybody is starting to believe we belong in pro sports.”

Lewis also said he expects to see other AC football players make the jump to professional and semi-professional football players.

Williams agreed with Lewis’ assessment.

“I think it opens people’s eyes because it is possible [to play professionally],” Williams said. “It opens a lot of doors for people. Just because you come from Division III doesn’t mean you have to stop playing football because college is over.”

Other Bulldog football players going pro:

Taz Wallace
Working with personal trainer to prepare for National Football League or Canadian Football League

TJ Williams
Signed with Muskegon Thunder (Continental Indoor Football League)

Lewis’ locker
Name: Mike Lewis
Position: Student at AC, player for Albany Conquest of Arena Football II league
Where he was: Defensive lineman for the AC Bulldogs from 2003-2005.
Other: Played for the AC basketball team as well as football. He also served as an assistant coach on the AC football staff last year.