Lewis: 'I went with my heart'
Shelton Lewis headed into his Pitt official visit looking to learn more about the Panthers and get a good start on his June recruiting visits.
But instead of setting the table for the rest of the month, Lewis laid the foundation for the next four years while he was in Pittsburgh as he finished the visit by committing to Pitt.
“It kind of came out of nowhere,” Lewis told Panther-Lair.com. “The feeling I got was like no other, so I went with my heart.”
This weekend was Lewis’ second visit to Pitt. He made the trip from Stockbridge (Ga.) for an unofficial visit in the spring, and while there was some overlap in what he saw on that visit and what he saw on his official visit, Lewis said this weekend gave him a complete picture of the Panthers.
“I visited in the spring and saw a lot of the same things this time, but this time my family got to vibe with the coaches and their families and I got to be with the players more, so it was the overall experience that really did it for me.
“What really stood out was interacting with the coaches and their families and seeing the coaches’ personalities and who they are; they keep it real. And me and the other recruits were vibing together. We all got along on the visit and committed together.”
Pitt got six commitments from the weekend, but Lewis and Snellville (Ga.) Shiloh cornerback Brice Pollock really did commit together.
“Me and Brice committed at the same time with Coach (Pat) Narduzzi and they were fired up,” Lewis said. “We didn’t plan it; it just played out like that. We went into his office together [Saturday] morning and we both kind of said it at the same time. It just happened.”
Lewis chose Pitt over offers from Arkansas, Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Louisville, North Carolina, N.C. State, Purdue and Vanderbilt, among others. He visited Pitt, Boston College and Indiana this spring, but his official visit with the Panthers gave him an opportunity to spend more time with players on the current roster, which made an impact on Lewis.
“I met with those boys; we were keeping it real and we vibed right off the bat,” Lewis said. “I was with P.J. (O’Brien), B-Hill (Brandon Hill), Rashad (Battle), Elliot (Donald) - I was with the whole team, really. I got to see how they act off the field, and I feel like I can do great things with them on and off the field.
“We had a players panel and I asked most of the questions. I asked what made them come to the school, what’s the feel around campus, questions like that. They kept it real. They said they feel like it’s a family atmosphere and they got a taste of the ACC championship so everybody has the mentality to go hard every rep and hold everybody accountable.”
Lewis, 5’11” 180, said the Pitt coaches are recruiting him as a cornerback, and he thinks the Panthers’ defense will be a good fit for him.
“They mix up their scheme and let their DBs get their hands on the receivers and do a variety of things so you know a bunch of different techniques when you get to the league.”