University of North Carolina Athletics
HOT BOY: Jacque Lewis Sets Standard for Toughness and Heart.
September 20, 2004 | Football
Sept. 20, 2004
by Lee Pace, Extra Points
Jacque Lewis's left biceps muscle is emblazoned with the image of a football engulfed in flames. Above the ball are the words "UNC Football," and below the image is the inscription "Hot Boy" -- Lewis's high-school nickname taken from a favorite rap group.
Last week throughout practice and Saturday night against Georgia Tech, Lewis was indeed the Tar Heels' hot boy.
Hot with emotion in the aftermath of last week's embarrassing loss at Virginia.
Hot with desire to win after two years of steady losing.
And hot with the winning hand among the Tar Heel tailbacks as the game unfolded. Lewis rushed for 161 yards on 16 carries -- including a 40-yard jaunt around left end -- and scored two TDs to ignite the Tar Heel offense.
"That boy has a heart of gold," fellow senior Jason Brown said. "More than gold. Gold is malleable. He has a heart of steel. He's so tough. He's very, very tough. He doesn't let hard times get him down. Last week, he was so infuriated. He wanted to go out and play 10 times harder."
"Jacque Lewis is a warrior," receiver Adarius Bowman added. "He's my man. Today he said, `Hey A.D., when I hit that field, I'm going to make things happen.' He did exactly what he said. He's my player of the game. He played tough and with a lot of heart."
Lewis is small in stature, standing only 5-foot-10, but his 190 pounds are all muscle. He's got brains, strength, decent speed and good hands. He's a quality blocker in passing situations. He wants the ball as often as offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill will put it in his hands.
"Tonight I got the chance and just wanted to make the most of it," Lewis said. "The offensive line and fullback were blocking great, opening big holes. I just took what they gave me and ran as hard as I could."
Lewis is one of 14 Tar Heels still on the roster who were members of John Bunting's first recruiting class, the bridge class started by then-coach Carl Torbush and completed by Bunting. He played as a true freshman -- along with Brown, Chase Page and Jocques Dumas. Those seniors form a leadership group this year committed to returning Tar Heel football to its winning ways.
"I hate losing video games," Lewis said of his competitive nature. "If I lose a real game, I'm very upset. I've hated losing the last two years. We've had two rough seasons. But the seniors told ourselves we were going to turn it on and turn it around this year."
One of Lewis's major spheres of influence is on the punt-protect and punt-cover team. As the "personal protector" to kicker David Wooldridge, Lewis is the last line of defense in thwarting potential punt blockers. He reads the opposition before the snap, gets the Tar Heels into the proper protection, blocks and then races downfield to cover the punt. He does his job well. During last Tuesday's practice, Lewis authoritatively managed the punt unit, on one snap reacting to the opposition's formation shuffling, making an adjustment to the protection and then executing it flawlessly.
"That's what football's all about Jacque Lewis!" Bunting boomed. "Taking charge!"
On the Tar Heels' first two punts against Tech, Lewis protected for Wooldridge against a meager rush, then was involved in making the tackle downfield -- and this a player who has the furthest to run to cover a punt.
"I feel like the punt team is my punt team," Lewis said. "I'm like the Darian Durant of the offense, the quarterback of the punt team. I take charge of it. I love it. I love blocking on the punt, I love going down and making tackles. I don't get to play defense, so it's fun to run down and hit someone else."
I have gotten a steady stream of emails over two seasons now from people wanting to know why Lewis isn't the Tar Heels' No. 1 tailback, why he doesn't play every snap. The answers are that 1) Ronnie McGill and Chad Scott have some talent as well; 2) Lewis needs to be fresh enough for that key punt-team assignment; and 3) he's had to battle an assortment of minor injuries over his career. This year it's been a stress fracture in his left foot that has limited him at times. Saturday night as the game wore on, the foot became painful, and Lewis was limping noticeably.
"I've got to suck it up and play for this team," Lewis said. "I've got to keep going whether it hurts on not, keep pushing on it. It's a little sore, but it's nothing some ice won't take care of. On Monday, I'll be ready to roll."
So important was Lewis to the Tar Heels last week that Bunting named him team captain prior to the game.
"I think Jacque will be a heck of a man some day," Bunting said. "He took charge last week. That's where he excelled last week. He did a great job. He showed a lot of enthusiasm despite the fact we had a tough loss. He helped us respond and bounce back."
Send your questions about Tar Heel football to Lee Pace at lpace@nc.rr.com . Please include your first and last names and hometown. His Q&A column will appear each Friday during the season.
