Jeff Lewis- 4.17.1973 - 01.05.2013
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| courtesy geocities.jp MSP courtesy sportsblink.com |
I was, for a short time, the media contact for the Arizona Adrenaline of the IFL- During a road trip for the opening game of the 2011 season, I submitted a sort of On the Road blog for the Prescott E-News- this is one of the post that unfortunately never made it to the web- I have posted today in memory of Coach J. Lew:
The end of the trip- good to be home
After too many hours on the bus, the first road trip for the
AZ Adrenaline ended in the pre dawn hours this past Monday.
I would have submitted this earlier, but I just woke up.
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| MSP |
I would like to conclude our road log with a few remarks
from Adrenaline Assistant Coach Jeffrey Lewis or as he’s known to the team,
Coach J. Lew. For no other reason than
everyone associated with any sports team is required to have a nick
name.
Lewis spent several years in the NFL, most notably as a
backup QB behind John Elway with the Denver Broncos, where Lewis earned 2 super
bowl rings.
Lewis’ subdued coaching style compliments Head Coach Drew
Moore’s, shall we say, enthusiastic (?) style nicely. But we should never
mistake his demeanor as “laid back”. His passion and search for quality go
unmatched.
In my short visits with him, what shined through was not
just his efforts to mold the young offense on the field, but to stress to the
Adrenaline players under him the need to use their experiences to better
themselves as persons, as men in the community.
Lewis’ desire was especially evident during the ride out to
WA. When most on the bus took the opportunity to rest up, he constantly
reviewed his playbooks, offering advice and counsel to the players, and even
familiarized himself with the defensive plays to better understand the iron-man
style of play so important in the IFL.
While admirable, this dedication and lack of sleep made for
more than a few comical moments. I don’t want to dwell too much on these,
a sort of what happens on the bus stays on the bus philosophy, but I will say this-
remember kids, don’t try and drink water while comatose, granola bars are best
eaten while conscious, and cold pizza should never be used as a pillow.
I asked Lewis about his first NFL game and he was able to
relay, play by play, his time on the field against the 49er back in ’96.
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| MSP/Jeff Lewis (R) and QB Jaime Cota (L) during pre game lunch on the road in WA |
“I was thinking to myself ‘this is the NFL- can I do this?
These guys are stronger than me, they’re faster than me, bigger than me’. But
we were able to march down field in the fourth with only a couple of minutes
left in the game, and I started to feel good. Then, after a missed run play, we
found ourselves third down with 12 yards to go for the first. I ran it up the
middle and lost my right shoe. There I was, running down field wearing only one
shoe. But I got the first and connected with Rod Smith for the TD and we won.
“And I thought to myself ‘this is the same game we played as
kids. The same football we played in the park growing up’. I was able to relax
a little bit and enjoy the win. That’s what I want these guys to take from the
game. It’s football. You’ve been playing it all your life. Enjoy it.”
On his two Super Bowl rings, Lewis said “They’re beautiful,
but I try and remember that they are made up of many separate diamonds. Each
diamond is gorgeous on its own, but together they make a beautiful ring. That’s
like a team. Each diamond, each player, is unique. They all have different
qualities, different shapes and colors. Each player has their own talents and
contributions to the team. Looking back, some 10 years later, I have a better
appreciation for the guys I played with. I want this Adrenaline team to
appreciate what opportunities they’re given.”
After the loss to the Fever, it would have been easy for the
guys to feel discouraged, a little disappointed. But we as a community, we as
fans, should remember- these guys have been given an opportunity to play
football- to be professional athletes.
And diamonds aren’t created over night- it takes time,
patience, and more than a little pressure.
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| MSP/ (L-R) Defensive Coordinator Kurt Dembaugh, Head Coach Drew Moore, Defensive Assistant Coach Larry Scott, and Jeff Lewis, Offensive Assistant Coach on the field during pre game warm-ups in WA |
posted by M. Santos at 13:07
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