Alumni: Jonathan Lewis

Varina product ready for second NFL season

by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports

The NFL is business. Big business.

No one knew that more coming out of Virginia Tech than Jonathan Lewis. He was prepared for it. So he thought.

“It was just football. You’ve gotta dedicate your time to football,” said Lewis of the one thing that surprised him his rookie season with the Arizona Cardinals in 2006. “It’s a lot of self-motivation. It’s all the glitz and glamour. But once you realize it’s still football, it’s still a game, it’s still like [recreation] ball … You’ve still gotta go out there and make the play.”

And the sixth round pick is ready to make plenty of them starting at Arizona training camp in late July.

Lewis, a 6-1, 288-pounder, has worked himself into the two-deep rotation at defensive tackle after a solid OTA (Organized Training Activites) season.

Now the former Varina High star is ready to make more of an impact after appearing in four of 16 games last season for the 5-11 Cardinals.

Jonathan Lewis

“I guess my first year went all right for a rookie,” Lewis said. “I really wanted myself to play more. Now I know some things to look for. I thought I had a good OTA. During training camp and preseason hopefully I can stay in that rotation and get a lot of valuable playing time for the Cardinals.”

Speaking of playing time, Lewis believes the NFL will continue to be packed with Richmonders, especially former Blue Devils like himself.

Lewis and Michael Robinson of the San Francisco 49ers are former Blue Devils in the league.

There are several other former Varina High or Varina recreation stars currently playing well at the college level, including Victor “Macho” Harris of Highland Springs (Va. Tech cornerback) and Alan-Michael Cash of Varina High (N.C. State DE). Not to mention Varina’s sensational Class of 2007.

“We’re going to have a lot of guys going into the league from Varina Rec,” Lewis said.

And all of the other organizations as well.

Four former Central Region standouts entered the league this offseason in Hermitage’s Fontel Mines (Chicago, TE), L.C. Bird’s Jason Snelling (Atlanta, RB), Highland Springs’ Noland Burchette (Atlanta, DE) and George Wythe’s Jesse Pellot-Rosa (N.Y. Jets, WR).

“The opportunity is here,” Lewis said. “The opportunity is now.”

Varina Alum Jonathan Lewis, 6/30/07