Between the Hashes: The Relentless Identity of Juwan Lewis’ Backfield
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Week after week, the backfield set the tone, controlling
tempo, finishing drives, and closing out tight contests with disciplined
execution. It was a season defined by
toughness, versatility, and the kind of consistency that positioned Alabama
State as one of the most complete teams in the conference.
I recently reconnected with Coach Lewis this past week,
picking up our conversation right where we left it the summer of 2025, to get a
pulse on his offseason schedule and simply catch up on life beyond the field. Between clinic presentations, podcast
appearances, and the early phases of offseason conditioning, his calendar is as
active as his backfield. Yet in the midst of the grind, the conversation
reflected the same grounded perspective he brings to coaching, intentional
growth, relationship-building, and steady preparation for what’s next.
As Coach Lewis continued his preparation for his upcoming national
speaking circuit this weekend at the Glazier Clinic in Nashville, Tennessee. His philosophies will be covered center stage
at the upcoming clinic, where Lewis will present on “just pure running back
play,” diving into scheme diversity, positional detail, and the multiplicity
that made Alabama State’s backfield “extremely multiple and versatile”
throughout its 2025 campaign. We also
talked about his previous appearances on the Coach and Coordinator Podcast, and
Lauren’s First and Goal Clinic, which displays that he isn’t just reflecting on
last season, he’s refining it.
Inside Alabama State’s offensive architecture, the running
back room carved out an identity rooted in adaptability, toughness, and trust. “We were extremely multiple and versatile,”
Lewis emphasized, reflecting on a unit that embraced shifting roles within the
scheme and executed them with discipline. Whether tasked with downhill gap schemes,
perimeter stress concepts, or protection responsibilities, the backs answered
the call. “They did a tremendous job
with the different roles that I asked of them,” he added, underscoring the
accountability embedded in the room.
With roster turnover comes evolution. “It is no secret we had a couple guys leave,
but we also got some great additions”, yet the standard remains unchanged. The mandate moving forward is clear, “Continue
to be multiple and keep running hard when it’s hard to run,” a mindset
reinforced daily through conditioning as the group prepares for the long haul
of spring ball, summer development, and the grind of a championship pursuit.
Year after year, production has not just been a benchmark
for Coach Lewis’s running back room since his arrival, it has been the
expectation. “I say this all humble, every
coach wants to be able to keep up with their production,” Lewis shared,
pointing to a steady upward climb from 2023 through the 2025 season. “The room has consistently gotten better, and
that’s all with numbers, guys who are versatile and willing to be multiple.”
The results are undeniable as 33 of Alabama State’s 35
rushing touchdowns came directly from the running back unit, fueling a ground
attack that eclipsed 2,600 rushing yards and approached 40 total scores. Yet Coach Lewis was quick to deflect
individual praise. “That came from the
room with the help of a tremendous offensive line and coaches that run that
room,” he noted, crediting offensive line coach Johnathan Carr, tight end and
offensive tackle coach Ashton Green, now the offensive coordinator at Clark, and
offensive assistant coach Asad Muhammad, for building what he calls a room with
“NFL productivity.” It is a blend of
humility, collaboration, and relentless standards that has transformed
consistent improvement into sustained dominance.
When asked where the biggest leap occurred from the previous
year to the 2025 campaign, Coach Lewis didn’t hesitate, the growth was in
dominance and identity. “I think we were
really, really dominant,” he said, pointing not to a schematic overhaul but to
refinement. “I think we were just
really, really good at staying consistent with what we were good at
scheme-wise.” That consistency
translated into a physical edge that opponents felt snap after snap. “We’re bred off of being extremely tough,
extremely physical, and extremely violent,” Lewis emphasized, describing a
backfield that embraced contact, imposed tempo, and wore defenses down over
four quarters. The evolution wasn’t flashy,
it was forceful, disciplined, and relentless.
The film told a deeper story than yards and touchdowns, it
revealed a backfield operating with advanced ownership and precision. “What validated it,” Lewis explained, “is the
fact they were extremely player-led with the coaching points I gave throughout
the year.” Pressing the line of scrimmage with patience, manipulating
second-level defenders with disciplined eyes and tempo, the group executed with
a shared language. “It’s awesome when
you get guys literally coaching each other up, using our offensive terminology
and the drill manual,” he added, underscoring a room that translated classroom
detail directly onto game film. The
backs became “extremely savvy at what they were good at,” mastering leverage,
timing, and spatial manipulation, without trying to be someone else. “They
didn’t try to be the next guy. They were just good at being themselves.” In
that authenticity and collective accountability, their technical growth became
undeniable.
In the crucible of high-leverage third downs, Coach Lewis’
backs proved they were more than ball carriers, they were protectors of the
offense. “They did a great job,” he said, describing a pass-protection mindset
built on being “violent but under control.” The emphasis was not just physicality, but
operational precision, detailed eyes, clean assignments, and constant
communication with the offensive line to neutralize pressure and sort out late
“glitches” in the box. “We did an
amazing job working hand in hand,” Lewis noted, pointing to weeks where the
quarterback operated untouched, a testament to collective ownership. From a box-play perspective, the backs didn’t
just survive pressure looks; they mastered them, hammering down on technique
and turning third-down protection into a competitive advantage.
When asked which individual backs made the biggest jump in
football IQ and situational awareness, Coach Lewis widened the lens. “I think
we all did,” he said, pointing to a unit shaped by collective growth rather
than isolated flashes. “We’re an
extremely well-coached team as far as field awareness and knowing what’s going
on as the game flows.” That awareness was not accidental; it was drilled
relentlessly. “We did a tremendous job
as a staff expressing that over and over through practice, through meetings, as
far as what situational football is, and it showed on game day.” The result was a backfield that understood
down-and-distance, clock, field position, and defensive intent instinctively.
“Things like that were taken very personally,” Lewis added, underscoring a room
that internalized detail and turned situational mastery into a competitive
edge.
Inside the “334 Stable,” leadership wasn’t assigned, it was
lived. “Everybody was accountable to
each other and coachable,” Lewis said of a room he describes as “extremely
close.” Built on a family foundation,
the standard transcended the depth chart. “No matter where you’re at,
everybody’s going to prepare like they’re the starter,” he emphasized, a
mindset the backs hold “near and dear to their hearts.” That internal ownership
shaped weekly preparation, where peer-to-peer accountability reinforced
coaching points and eliminated complacency. The room became what Lewis calls a “true
melting pot of different backgrounds,” unified by intentional connection, learning
each other’s styles, motivations, and triggers. In that culture of shared responsibility and
relational intelligence, preparation wasn’t a task; it was a collective
commitment.
If Coach Lewis had to distill the entire 2025 season into one guiding principle for his running backs, it would be direct and uncompromising. “Every rep counts and every rep matters.” For Lewis, that mantra is more than a slogan, it is the blueprint for endurance. “You’re going to really see guys truly endure… endure a season as a whole, endure their process,” he said, emphasizing that growth is individualized but the standard is universal. Each rep in winter conditioning, each snap in spring ball, each detail in meetings compounds into durability and discipline when the season tests resolve. “Everybody’s process is different,” Lewis noted, “but you’ve got to embrace and trust the process.” In that mindset, maximizing every repetition, the offseason becomes not just preparation, but transformation.
When it came to his position group’s film study, Coach Lewis
was clear, sharp instincts don’t happen by accident, they’re taught. “That’s something you’re always going to have
to teach, exactly what to look at,” he said. “If I’m not teaching it, how is a
kid going to know what they’re looking at?” For Lewis, film literacy is predicated on how
the room is run, detail, structure, and intentional instruction across every
learning modality. From grease board
sessions to film breakdowns, lectures to walkthroughs, the goal is
comprehensive coverage. “It all comes
hand in hand with how detailed you are,” he explained, emphasizing that each
player processes information differently. By attacking every learning curve and defining
precisely what the eyes should see, front structure, linebacker flow, safety
rotation, the backs didn’t just watch film, they learned how to study it with
purpose.
The synergy between Coach Lewis and Offensive Coordinator Chris
Barnett is no accident, it is alignment by design within Alabama State
University’s offensive framework, that translates into high productivity from
the running back room. “He’s a very hands-on guy himself, and I’m a hands-on
guy,” Lewis explained, describing a shared coaching DNA rooted in
accountability and connection. “I’m a
coach’s son… so it’s loving mixed with tough foot on neck, mixed with helping
them realize their potential.” That
balance of detail and development created cohesion between the run game and
overall scheme. “If you don’t have a relationship with your
players, then there is going to be no productivity,” Lewis noted. The philosophy is clear, relatability plus
confidence equals trust. Operating hand
in hand, that trust translated into a backfield whose productivity was not just
statistical, but schematic, intentional, and fully integrated into the game
plan each week.
For Coach Lewis, the offseason doesn’t begin with generic
workouts, it begins with player development. “That’s more so based on
self-scout,” he explained, outlining an individual development model rooted in
film accountability. As a room, they
rewatch every game from the previous season, forcing honest evaluation. “As you see yourself on film, you’re
correcting what you should have done in those moments, how your body moved, how
your body responded in certain moments, your base.” From there, the blueprint becomes
personalized. Drill tape and the drill
manual are constructed directly off those corrections, transforming past reps
into future refinement. It’s a
deliberate process where film dictates footwork, leverage, pad level, and
decision-making, ensuring each back enters spring not just conditioned, but
technically recalibrated for growth.
When asked who shaped him most as a coach, Lewis didn’t
point to a single mentor, he pointed to a network. “My biggest influence is really my coaching
family as a whole,” he said, referencing conversations that stretch from the
JUCO ranks to the FBS level. “Each of those guys helped me in different areas, mainly
being a sponge. You just never know what
a coach can teach you.” That mindset
shows up daily in how he runs the running back room, open-minded,
detail-driven, and relentlessly evaluative. Even challenging encounters become
lessons. “You take a mental note of what
you want to continue to do and what not to do,” he explained, particularly as
he aspires to one day sit in the coordinator’s and head coach’s chair. Whether it’s something as nuanced as teaching
outside zone progression or managing personalities in a diverse locker room,
Lewis believes rigidity is a liability. For
a coach who views growth as a responsibility, openness isn’t optional, it’s
foundational to leadership and longevity.
For Coach Lewis, relationship-building isn’t networking, it’s
professional survival. “I’m going to be real, that’s the quickest way for you
to really be deleted out of my phone,” he said bluntly when asked about coaches
who fail to cultivate genuine connections. “You have to be friendly to every person you
see. I don’t care if you’re just
crossing paths.” His philosophy is rooted in long vision; today’s Division III
assistant could be tomorrow’s head coach. “You never know, and he’s going to remember
your encounter.” Every interaction,
Lewis believes, shapes your professional nucleus, the circle of coaches you’ll
hire, mentor, lean on, or grow alongside. “You have got to be willing to dissect every
interaction,” he added, emphasizing intentionality in communication. For a coach who aspires to lead at the highest
levels, openness and generosity aren’t optional traits. “I’m big on helping
people,” Lewis said. “When I meet people
that don’t want to help other people, they’re deteriorating this coaching
profession.”
When asked if there was a conversation he had with a player
this past season that reminded him of why he gets up every day to coach, Coach
Lewis responded quickly “I have conversations like that with players in and out
of my room every single day,” he said, reflecting on the reminders that fuel
his passion to teach life through football. He revisits his videos from his playing days,
tracing his journey from his first snap in 2003 to the present, sharing it with
his players and on social media as a testament to preserving the “innocence” of
the game. “You have to keep that innocence, so it doesn’t turn into black and
white,” he explained. Coach Lewis is
always resetting perspectives, revisiting his own youth and high school
highlights, the moments of pure joy, smiling ear to ear after a touchdown,
locker room laughter, sideline conversations with coaches and family.
“It always comes back to why you love the game so much.” Even now, he studies his clinic tapes,
embracing growth while remaining in his element. For Lewis, coaching is about sustaining that
childlike passion while guiding young men to find theirs, a balance of
nostalgia, knowledge, and relentless self-improvement.
When asked to define his legacy in one sentence, Coach Lewis
didn’t reach for statistics, titles, or accolades, he reached for identity. “Run hard when it’s hard to run.” It’s a mantra that transcends the box score,
capturing the physical and mental standard he demands from his backs. In short-yardage moments, late in the fourth
quarter, when defenses know what’s coming and adversity tightens its grip, that’s
when character is revealed. For Juwan Lewis,
the legacy is not about yards gained, it’s defined by the toughness and
resilience his players put on display consistently.
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