Written by Amanda Pavelka (@amandapavelka3)

Damarjhe Lewis. Silent J. Ends with “hey”.

Learn how to say Damarjhe Lewis. You’re going to hear his name a lot the next four years.

Hailing from Griffin, Georgia, Lewis is one of seven guys who joined the Hoosiers early for Spring Football, and is already bringing heat to the young defensive line. That is, before practice was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Damarjhe Lewis is one who jumps out to me both in terms of talking to the coaching staff and just what I saw.” Allen said in the signing day press conference. “Big body guy who moves extremely well. We learned last year with Matt Bedford, when you come in mid-year that increases your chances to be ready to play in the fall. So I think he's a guy who really sticks out to me and our staff as well.”

Ask him why he is so good— he’ll tell you.

“My speed is crazy for my size.” Lewis told reporters. “With how fast I run, it’s going to be a killer season for me this year.”

“Showing coaches what I can do is the main thing right now,” Lewis said.

He has accomplished exactly that so far.

“To be a 6-3 290-pound player— his get-off, his pop.” Kane Wommack said. “He’s already making plays out here on the field.”

Lewis is actually 291 pounds, and every single bit of his 291 pound hulk-like stature wants the starting job. He has seen some time in practice as first team defensive line, and apparently gives sophomore Sio Nofoagatoto’a a run for his money.

“This week it was me and Sio in the ability drill. Me and him were going at it and I had to come out on top. I just knew I had to come out on top to show the coaches I can do it because Sio was one of the players that played a lot last year. With me beating him it opened the coaches eyes,” Lewis told the media.

“I didn’t come nine hours for nothing. So I’ve got to get on the field…I’ve got to,” Lewis said.

He came early to compete, but has also found himself a second family in his first couple months at IU.

“They took me in as a little brother and I really love my D-line. They’ve been building me up after runs and sprints and stuff. They would say, “Lewis, I know you’re tired but this is how we’re going to push through when the game is on the line.” You have to work your hands when the game is on the line, so after we run we go and get some work in,” Lewis said. “CJ Person and Jeramy Passmore, they’ve been taking me in as a little brother and building me up because right now they expect me to play now because they’re out. I’m in for spring right now at second string, so it’s really on me that I came in at the right time, perfect time.”

Just another testament to the great LEO family culture Allen has built of the IU’s football program.

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Damarjhe Lewis was Primed for a Big Spring Before Cancellation

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