It’s been a steady climb for Lewis, who said he often thinks about his decision to join Rutgers.

That became even clearer for Lewis at his mother’s funeral as buses filled with Rutgers players, coaches and personnel arrived. That level of support, Lewis said, was meaningful. “I had no words,” Lewis said.

“I started crying when I saw all of that. I’ve never felt support like that. Everybody was there to support me in one of the darkest times in my life.

” But for his teammates? There was no question they would be there. “Obviously when one of our brothers is going through something, we’re going to be there for him,” linebacker Deion Jennings said. “And A-Lew is a good guy.

Just by meeting him, just by talking to him, he’s really somebody that you want to be behind. Going to his mom’s funeral and being there for him, I know it helped him out. But it also helped our team out, growing closer.

That was really a special moment. ” The NFL will almost certainly come calling for Lewis at some point in the future. But Lewis said if ever gets distracted by that thought, he utilizes a breathing technique he learned at Rutgers and remembers Schiano’s reminder to “be where your feet are” to bring himself back to the present.

Lewis said he wants his focus to be with his teammates, his coaches and the 2023 season. He made a life-changing decision to join Rutgers. Whenever he thinks about his mother, he knows it was the right choice.

“Her getting to see me these last couple years was honestly one of the biggest blessings of my life,” Lewis said. .