Coach to Coach: Unplugged with Alabama State University Running Backs Coach Juwan Lewis, the driving force behind the Hornets running back room

 

By Nate McCray

When you watch Alabama State’s running backs explode through the line of scrimmage or slip past defenders with decisive cuts, you’re seeing the quiet imprint of Juwan Lewis. As the Hornets’ running backs coach, Lewis has become a rising force on the sidelines, a young coach blending old-school toughness with modern precision. Whether it’s in the film room breaking down blitz pickups or on the practice field drilling footwork until it’s second nature, Lewis has shaped his unit into one of the most disciplined and dynamic groups in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). His journey from player to coach and mentor is more than just a career path, it’s a blueprint of resilience, football IQ, and a deep love for the game.

I had the chance to catch up with Juwan this week, and after covering spring ball and summer camps, our conversation shifted to his running back room and what he’s eager to see from them this upcoming season.

“I’m looking forward to seeing our guys be extremely versatile this season — picking up right where we left off,” Juwan Lewis said. “We had a really promising year last season with a 300-plus yard game on the ground, multiple 200-yard games, and six games over 100 rushing yards. That’s the standard now. I want to see us keep building on that, stay consistent, and find new ways to impact every game, whether it’s running, blocking, or catching out of the backfield.”  Coach Lewis also had four players who were ranked in the Top 25 of the SWAC for rushing.

At the college level, developing the complete running back is essential, and a great running backs coach takes the approach of not only sharpening their skills on the field but also advising them on successful tips, from mastering pass protection to studying NFL running backs with similar styles, to help them maximize their potential and impact every phase of the game, an avenue Coach Lewis takes every day.

“I told my guys, and it’s good you brought that up, you need to stick to what you’re good at. Stick to your run style. What is your running style, and are you confident in it?” Juwan Lewis explained. “Some guys are 6-foot-2, 230 pounds and try to have a run style like Darren Sproles or Reggie Bush — that’s not you. Let me show you what your running style is. It’s not just about telling them to look up backs, it’s about looking up the right backs, the ones that suit their style. That’s one of the things we do on lighter meeting days in the evenings, I’ll pull up different running backs I feel match their game and tell them, ‘Hey man, this is your run style, study this guy.’ Because when you try to be someone you’re not, you start to get paralysis through analysis. You’ve got to stick to what you’re good at doing, that’s what got you here, and that’s what’s going to help contribute to this room. We’re a room by committee, and your one-eighth, your unique piece, is what’s going to help this offense as a whole.”

Coach Lewis’s previous experience playing the running back position in college while at Eastern Michigan University gives him a unique edge as a coach today, allowing him to teach with firsthand knowledge, design purposeful drills, and connect with his players on a deeper level by understanding exactly what they face on the field.  “Yeah, a lot of the drills and skills you see me use come from things I picked up playing at the collegiate and professional level,” Lewis said. “It’s not just about what worked for me, but also studying the movements, from my own experience, from guys I’ve coached before I got here, and from the players I coach now. That’s really the method behind the madness when I’m building a drill. The biggest thing for me is I’m not going to run a drill that has zero purpose or no connection to the movements they’re going to make on the field. I’m huge at translating drills directly to practice scenarios, so they carry over the same day. And I always ask myself, ‘Can I find this movement happening at the next level — in the NFL, CFL, or other pro leagues?’ What’s crazy is, when you break it down, you really do see those same movements. So, the icing on the cake for me when I’m developing these guys is knowing they’ll already be ready before they must get ready for that professional jump. We’re not just doing this to do it, because you’re going to see it done at the next level.”

During our meeting, I asked Coach Lewis, “What are the core fundamentals and traits you emphasize when it comes to developing a complete running back who can excel in both the run and pass game?”

“That’s a great question,” Juwan Lewis said. “For me, when it comes to building a complete running back, I always go back to the stable basics. One of the biggest things is trusting your ability and believing in what you see. I want to take all the overthinking out, I don’t want you to slow down physically, I want you to slow the game down mentally. That’s what makes your reactions smoother and more instant. I’m big on eyes and shoulders, you’ll hear me say it all the time in practice, even in the passing game: shoulders and eyes. If your shoulders are out of position, it’s harder to use your eyes effectively, and if your eyes aren’t right, your hands won’t be either. It all comes back to posture and movement. And really, at the core of all of that are your core and hips because your core and hips control how your hands, eyes, and shoulders work together. That’s the foundation I emphasize to help our guys excel in both the run and pass game.”

When evaluating high school running backs during the recruiting process, college coaches like Juwan Lewis know it’s about more than just stats on a highlight reel. While production, speed, and size are important, it’s the intangibles that often separate good prospects from great ones.  

“Yeah, character, that’s the first thing I look at,” Juwan Lewis said. “I want to know who you are, not just as a player, but as a person. I’m not just going to talk to your head coach; I’m going to talk to the lunch lady, the hall monitor, the counselor, things like that. I’m going to look at your GPA and see if you’re someone who doesn’t just check the box but goes above and beyond with character. And I want to know what kind of person you are at home, with your parents.

From an on-the-field talent perspective, I look at whether you trust yourself between the tackles, do you trust your eyes, your speed in the open field, and your ability to make a guy miss at the second level? When I see a back who’s starting and stopping too much, like a car low on power steering fluid, that’s a rigid runner. That tells me he doesn’t fully trust his speed or agility yet, or maybe those tools just haven’t been developed the right way.”

In college football, coaches establish non-negotiables, core standards and expectations that define the culture of their position rooms and the team as a whole. These non-negotiables, whether it’s attitude, effort, discipline, accountability, or fundamentals like ball security, serve as the foundation for success both on and off the field. They create clarity for players, letting them know exactly what’s required to earn trust and play time.

“Yeah, attitude, effort, fumbles, and special teams, those are my non-negotiables,” Juwan Lewis said. “Attitude and effort, they’re not coached, they’re replaced. That’s something I have made clear from day one. Since we’re a running back room by committee, if one of us does great, we all do great. We’re a selfless group, and it doesn’t matter if you’re at the top or bottom of the depth chart, you’re going to be prepared and put in the best position to succeed like you’re the guy expected to carry the ball 20 to 30 times a game. And ball security, man, we work it every single day.”

With a rich tradition in athletics, including its storied football program, Alabama State stands as a beacon of HBCU excellence, combining heritage, community, and opportunity for generations of students and athletes. Coach Lewis and I discussed what sparked his interest in transitioning to the Hornets in the spring of 2023. “Really, it was the opportunity,” Juwan Lewis said. “I’m a guy from the North, I’ve coached a lot of ball up in Ohio and Michigan, but I wanted to expand my development, not just as a position coach, but as an educator of the game down South. A lot of my roots are here; both of my parents are from the South, so to have the chance to come back and coach at a very prestigious university like Alabama State, one of the premier programs in the FCS and Division I period, was something I just couldn’t pass up.”

Fans won’t have to wait long to see Coach Lewis’s running backs put all that preparation and discipline to the test, as Alabama State opens its season under the lights on August 28th with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at the University of Alabama Birmingham. It’s a stage set for the Hornets’ backfield to showcase their versatility, toughness, and the “running back by committee” mindset Lewis has instilled. For those eager to watch a talented group shaped by high standards and relentless coaching, this season opener promises an early glimpse of just how far they’ve come, and where they’re headed.