Lewan Named Sporting News First Team All-American

Submitted by Cold War on

University of Michigan football fifth-year senior left tackle Taylor Lewan (Cave Creek, Ariz./Chaparral HS) was named today (Friday, Dec. 13) as an All-America first team choice by the Sporting News. Lewan becomes the first two-time All-America selection at Michigan since Jake Long in 2006-07.

For the second consecutive season, Lewan was selected to the All-Big Ten first team by the league's coaches and media and was named the Big Ten Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year. A 2013 Rotary Lombardi semifinalist, Lewan also this week was selected as an All-America second team choice by the Walter Camp Football Foundation...

 

http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121313aaa.html

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LSAClassOf2000

December 13th, 2013 at 11:02 AM ^

Congratulations to Taylor Lewan on some well-deserved honors here and adding to the stories that some of those who have worn #77 have brought to Michigan. Of note, the #77 jersey has now been worn by five All-American selections in Michigan history - Jon Jansen, Jake Long, Paul Seymour and Arhtur Walker are the others. 

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Wolverine Devotee

December 13th, 2013 at 11:09 AM ^

Finally! Snubbed by USA Today and Walter Camp.

 

With Sporting News (TSN) down, Lewan just needs two more organizations to select him for him to be a consensus All-American. The teams yet to be released that could get him the consensus honor are the AFCA, AP and the FWAA.

The last consensus All-American was Dave Molk. Taylor Lewan is the first player to be named an All-American in back-to-back seasons since Jake Long in 2006-2007 when he was a unanimous AA in both years.

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DCAlum

December 13th, 2013 at 11:10 AM ^

Taylor, thanks for coming back.

 

It seems fairly likely at this point that he sacrificed a pretty decent amount of money by deciding to come back this year, and that is more and more rarely seen in the college sports world these days. Respect.

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Space Coyote

December 13th, 2013 at 11:19 AM ^

That everyone needs to remember: no one really watches the OL. It's about perception.

In ways that helps Lewan, because he's been said to be a really good OT that will be selected high in the draft. In ways that hurts Lewan because Michigan's OL was bad and that doesn't make sense as far as perception to outsiders (HAHA BUT MICHIGAN'S OL WAS TERRIBLE!).

I take every All-American OL thing with a huge chunk of salt (unless, of course, a Michigan player gets first team, then I just nod my head stoically and confidently and stare off into space pondering whom amongst us will be next).

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Section 1

December 13th, 2013 at 11:24 AM ^

Taylor Lewan's post-season accolades are, I think a lot more significant than almost all of the other All American and All Big Ten honors that frequently come to seniors in the Michigan football program. The reason is that beginning with the ABC/ESPN broadcast of the UM-MSU game in early November (and before, in some corners of the Internet), there has been a loosely organized campaign to paint Lewan as a dirty player. And in fairness to the television producers (I think they have led the way in this campaign), I don't think they ever doubted Lewan's effectiveness and power at the tackle position. They just wanted another story; some other edgy narrative. And so they put a couple of iso cameras on Lewan for every play, looking for any and ever grab, hold, face mask touch, etc. And replay all of it in slo-mo packages. A visit to any of our rivals' football blogs will inform as to how effective this campaign has been. I am always happy to see Michigan guys win All-American honors; I am taking very special pleasure in Taylor Lewan's honors.

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Space Coyote

December 13th, 2013 at 11:31 AM ^

Rivals tried to paint Long the same way, but frankly Long was just so damn good that they couldn't gain the traction with that.

That said, Lewan does need to watch his hands. It's not that he's necessarily dirty (dirty is a relative thing, the face mask twist was stupid, agree, but dirty things happen all over the place when you have zoomed in cameras and stuff) but it's just something that he lets get too high too often. They'll call hands to the face more often in the NFL, and he's got to work in his pass set to keep that hand in the shoulder pads.

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Section 1

December 13th, 2013 at 8:34 PM ^

But as Denarad Robinson said (remarkably cheerfully) after the 2010 game in E. Lansing; "It's a dirty game."  It's a very dirty game, with MSU.

I was there too.  And like you, I didn't see the facemask twist.  I did see the kerfuffle that drew the 15-yard Unsportsmanlike call on Lewan (his only penalty in the game, right?), and it was a really laughable soccer-like dive and some worthless chippiness on the part of Sparty.  

People who watched the game on tv got a very different impression, from people who were there in person.

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beevo

December 13th, 2013 at 11:36 AM ^

You can make the argument that the "77" is more worthy of legacy status than the "2" or the "1".  Just between Long and Lewan you have serious equity.  

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beevo

December 13th, 2013 at 1:13 PM ^

Recruits are aware of the "stars" that came before them.  If you are a HS OL and follow UM in the slightest degree....that "77" jersey means something.  We have been very lucky to have the blind side protection that we have had over the past 10 years...hell, and beyond (I'm the same age as Jansen so I very much remember his days).  I don't think the 77 should be be worn next year....let's give it a year off to see how things settle out on the OL.  If Braden doesn't have the elite feet to be a LT it looks like he will settle as our RT and Mags takes over as LT.  I sure would like to see Mags add 25-30lbs this offseason.

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LB

December 13th, 2013 at 2:48 PM ^

but they have a lot to learn. Oh, Jake Long, mission accomplished. Hopefully Lewan can pass the legacy along to the next #77.

"Taylor's mindset was all about Taylor. How quickly could Taylor start? How quickly could Taylor be an All-American?" his father, Dave, said. "Coach Hoke was letting Taylor know, 'There have been great players that have worn No. 77, and there are going to many more great player that wear No. 77 again. Michigan football is big, the tradition is big, the legacy is important.' "

Jake Long, Jon Jansen -- former Michigan left tackles -- those guys had played for their teams.

The first time Lewan met Long, Long told him, "You better do something with that number." Lewan knew he hadn't.

He knew he had played selfishly. He described his own play as a mix between blazing guns and irresponsible intensity. Lewan had let his team down and promised Hoke he wouldn't let that happen again.

"I want this team to be successful," Lewan said. "I want all the offensive linemen who've ever worn No. 77, all the linemen that have ever played here to look at Michigan now and say, 'That left tackle is doing his job and I'm proud.' "

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tybert

December 13th, 2013 at 5:34 PM ^

He had a couple of false starts and I believe one PF, got booed, and got yanked.

Matured and developed and persevered through a very tough season.

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