SPORTSBEAT by Peter Jakey

Andy Lewandowski of Rogers City wishes he could be on the sideline of the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California, but there’s always next year. The 2002 RCHS grad is in his junior year at the University of Michigan and is studying to be a pharmacist. It’ll help Andy make a comfortable living some day, but hitting the books in Ann Arbor hasn’t been the glamorous part of his life on the Michigan campus. Serving as a strength coach has. “I’m kind of like a personal trainer for the football team,” said Lewandowski Tuesday in the RCHS gym, after watching his brother David play for the St. Ignatius seventh grade basketball team.

“THE GUYS will come in, print out their workout off the computer and I’ll spot their workout.” And Andy makes sure the athletes perform their workouts correctly. “It’s a great experience because on top of getting to know the whole team, I get many privileges like being on the sidelines for all of the games,” he said. “When I go into the building everybody knows me. I get a lot of respect from the players because they want to get better.” The Wolverines will be playing Texas in the Bowl Championship Series game Saturday, but only three strength coaches were able to make the trip and Andy was fourth on the list. “They are looking at Texas being a very solid team,” Lewandowski said. “They did a lot of prepping a couple of weeks before they left. We lifted extra hard and we conditioned hard.”

THE TRIP to the Rose Bowl would have been another opportunity for Michigan fans in Rogers City to see Lewandowski on national TV. Many people have told him

they’ve seen him on the sidelines during games. Lewandowski said he doesn’t have any assigned responsibilities during games, but he does try to keep the players off the field so the Wolverines are not penalized.

“Everything about it is fun, because I love football,” said Lewandowski, who was a linebacker for the Hurons. It’s no surprise that one of the best players on the 2004 Michigan football team is one of the strongest, Andy said. “Pound for pound it’s probably Braylon Edwards,” said Andy. “He can rep 225 (pounds) on the bench press, 30 times.”

Lewandowski looks forward to continuing his duties during spring football and into next fall. A year from now, he would like to be in Pasadena, rooting on the maize and blue as they shoot for a national title.