Former Everett, Georgia star Lewis Cine headed for NFL – Boston Herald

Lewis Cine was more than happy to bask in the glory of winning a national soccer championship.

He found that that was just part of the celebration.

As he took the podium with the rest of the Georgia Bulldogs, the former Everett star was told he was named Defensive Player of the Game after registering seven tackles in a 33-18 win over Alabama.

“I was honestly shocked when the reporter came up to me and shook my hand and told me,” Cine said. “I figured one of my teammates, Nakobe Dean or Jordan Davis, would get it. I’m still stunned about it.”

The championship game capped a great junior season for the hard-hitting 6-foot-1, 200-pound safety. Cine led the Bulldogs in tackles with 73 to go along with an interception and nine passes defended.

While Georgia went undefeated in the regular season, everyone assumed that a losing Alabama team was still the team to beat. That performance was reinforced when the Crimson Tide tore apart the vaunted Bulldog defense 41-24 to win the Southeastern Conference title.

As much as the loss hurt, Cine and his teammates knew the setback would not define them. They earned one of four spots in the college football playoffs, defeating Michigan 34-11 in the semifinals to earn a second chance at Alabama.

“We really haven’t changed all that much since the first game,” said Cine. “We kept things simple, worked on the basics like our men’s coverage and it worked.”

Things have generally worked out for Cine since he was in Everett high school. Former Crimson Tide coach John DiBiaso, who makes no outlandish claims, said early on that Cine had all the tools to play Sundays in the future.

He was part of a pair of Div. 1 Super Bowl champion (2016 and 2017). As a junior, he recorded 65 tackles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions as the Crimson Tide went undefeated.

“Playing at Everett helped me develop the toughness I needed,” said Cine. “We played hard, played against top teams like Xaverian and we had a great coach.”

Cine left Everett after his junior year and moved to Texas where he played with Trinity Christian. One of his coaches there was Deion Sanders, who helped hone Cine’s impressive skills.

At Georgia, Cine cracked the starting lineup at the end of his freshman year and stayed there for the duration of his collegiate career.

After Georgia reached the peak and won the school’s first national championship since 1980, Cine faced a choice – should he stay or get his name in the NFL Draft? Cine chose the latter.

“Personally, I felt ready for it. I spoke to my family and friends and everyone agreed that this is the best option,” said Cine, who is expected to advance to the first two rounds. “I feel like I’m mentally and physically ready to make a difference for a team.”