Reintroducing Michigan great Jessica Minnfield Lewis and Her Journey: Nolan & Hobbs Ep 35

[From Crisler Center to courts around the world, they wore the maize and blue. And now they’re bringing you the game inside and out. Hail Media presents Nolan and Hobbs, the Women’s Hoops Homecourt Podcast, hosted by Maddie Nolan and Jordan Hobbs. Hello everyone and welcome back to the Nolan and Hobbs show where finally both of us are here between our busy schedules.

I’m Maddie, co-host Jordan Hobbs. Hey Jay, nice to see you again. Hi Mads. I missed I missed the podcast with you.

I missed you, too. Real quick, Jay, should we give some life updates to the people? Yes, we shall. About like a week and a half ago, two weeks, I signed a contract to play in Spain in their first league.

And we’re also in the Euro Cup. So, I’ll be playing across Europe. Actually, in our pool is Laila Phelia’s team who is in Croatia. So, I’m gonna be playing Laila, which is really exciting.

Wait, that’s so And I’ll get to see a familiar face when we play her. We play her at least twice in the fall. So, yeah, I’m really excited. I leave September 1st and I’ll be there until about the end of April.

Um, I’m in a town called Murcia in the south of Spain, close to the beach, which I’ll be really excited to travel and explore and all those things. So, yeah, it’s a big relief. I’ve been waiting for a good contract and somewhere that I really wanted to be for a while. Um, like all summer.

So, I’m relieved and excited to go in two weeks. We’re so happy for you. I’m speaking for myself and the fans because I know they’re going to be um we’re so excited for you, Jay. And also, now I have somewhere really cool and fun to visit and it seems like it all really worked out in how it’s supposed to.

So, super excited for you. I would love for you to come visit. Um, but have you have you shared with them your news? I have not.

So, as you guys know, I am hashtag retired from playing basketball, but I am moving to New York City and I’m working for Brooklyn basketball, which is the youth organization of the New York Liberty and the Brooklyn Nets. And so, basically, right now, I’m just a part-time coach and trainer, but I’m really, really excited. I’ve been wanting to move to New York for a couple years now and I’ve been training kids for like the last six years, but like for real Z’s probably for the last like three and I just absolutely love it.

I love the game of basketball. So, I’m really excited that not only do I get to stay um around the game, but I get to live in a really cool city. Um so, really excited. I’m sad to leave the kids that I train in Indiana, but they’ve all told me they’re going to come visit, so we’ll be fine.

And so will I. When I come back in May, I will be in New York. Catch me there in the Big Apple. Yes.

And Michigan plays in that like Barclays Center event like, “Hey, see you there. Can’t wait.” So, if anyone’s in New York City December 5th, let me know. So happy for you, Mads. I know this has been a dream of yours.

So, I cannot wait to see you living your best life in New York City. Literally, she’s been talking about it since I probably met her junior year of college. And she’s like, “My dream is to move to to New York.” And I’m like, “Wow, that’s impressive.” And she’s doing it. So really, really happy for you.

Blessed. Thank you, God, for both of us. Um, so other than Jordan and I’s life updates, don’t worry, we’re still going to do the podcast. We’re going to figure it out, okay?

We’re still here. We’re excited. Upcoming season is going to slay. But today we have a really special guest.

We have Jessica Minnfield. Now, Jessica Minnfield Lewis played at Michigan from 2005 to 2009. She is a dog. Like if you haven’t watched her play, look her up on YouTube.

Do it. They’re there. The whole highlight thing. Cool.

Anyway, she played in 122 career appearances for Michigan women’s basketball with 109 starts, 918 career points, 387 assists, seventh all time, 164 steals, eighth all time, and was all Big Ten honorable mention her senior year. Just a great person, really fun to talk to, and we’re really excited to share our interview with you guys. We also are really excited to announce a new sponsor of the podcast Hail Media as a whole Sheri Weintraub with the A2 HomeGirl Real Estate Group with eXp Realty.

Their primary focus is working with Michigan parents on investment properties for current students. So if that is you, if you fall under that group, make sure to reach out to them. We will have all their information in the bio and all that good stuff. So super excited to partner with them.

They are huge. Michigan fans in general. Huge Michigan women’s basketball fans and really just couldn’t be more excited to partner with Sherry and the A2 Homegirl Real Estate Group. Yes, we’re so excited.

It’s really cool for Jordan and I because we’ve both known Sherry since our freshman years. Her husband Ira, their daughter Gracie, their parents are all super fans of Michigan women’s basketball. They travel to away games. They sit front row giving Gracie knuckles before the game sometimes.

I was a little superstitious. So, if Gracie wasn’t in the front row, I’d be like, “Whoa, girl.” Or I’d have her pass me a shot. Um, pass it to me and I’d shoot two three. Um, so we’re just super excited to continue the growth of Hail Media, of the Nolan and Hobbs show, but keeping it family orientated with people that we know and trust and I feel like we’re building this out.

Um, and we’re just so excited to have them. Hey Michigan fans, we will be right back. But first, a word from our sponsor. For generations, Knight’s Steakhouse has been an Ann Arbor tradition.

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Great food, strong drinks. Ann Arbor tradition. Well, we are so excited to welcome Jessica Lewis, or as many might know as Jessica Minnfield, who was a Michigan basketball player from 2005 to 2009. 109 starts, 918 career points, seventh all time in assists, eighth all time in steals, and all Big Ten honorable mention senior year. So, I’ve got a legend in front of me, and I’m not going to fangirl because I was watching some highlights today, and I was like, “Holy crap, there was a bucket.” Um, but thank you for joining the podcast.

Thank you. Thank you for having me. This is so exciting. So exciting. [laughter] Well, we love to have alums on and hear about your story and um you know, get get you back in the Michigan talk. So, we’re pumped to have you for sure. I’m ready to be back a part of it. I’ve been gone for so long and I’m like I told Doug I’m like, “Do people even still know me?

Like, I don’t know if they remember my name.” And he was like, “Are you kidding me?” And I’m like, “Oh, maybe. I don’t know.” [laughter] Oh, he made he made us privy. And then when I was watching those highlights, I was like, “Yeah, they need to know the name.” So for fans who don’t know, they’re going to know today. But let’s just start out.

So your dad played football at Toledo and then brother played at Ohio Northern. Did How did that impact you growing up in an athletic family? Oh my gosh. That that basically was our family.

Dad was on us 24/7 with sports. Mom made sure we had the grades. Dad made sure we worked out every day. There were days where and me and my brother and my sister, she passed two years ago.

But whenever we would get together, it was you couldn’t get in the pool. You couldn’t play with any toys. You couldn’t shoot a basketball until you ran your four laps around Wilson Park in Toledo, Ohio. And then you got your shots up and then you could go get in the pool or go ride your bike.

So when I tell you sports, it was every day all day. I mean, it was it was that was our household. I mean, we were just built different. It was it was in our blood.

It was in our DNA. And my mom and dad, they pushed us to be dogs, just straight athletes. And I mean there were times where my mom and dad, we were driving back and forth to Columbus for AAU two or three times a week all during all the way up into high school and it’s like do your homework in the car, get ready to have practice, sleep on the way back, and then get ready for school and do it again the next day. So it was just something I mean it was it came so natural in our household.

My brother, my sister, it was just something something we did. Yeah. That’s awesome. When did you decide that basketball was probably going to be the thing that would would take you the furthest?

Oh my god. I can remember my dad used to coach my sister um back in like grade school and I can remember going to the gym all the time like, “Dad, I’m going to practice with you. I’m going to practice.” And I’m just dribbling around on the sideline. And then as I got a little older, being outside at night time with the garage lights on, I’m telling you, it was like father of the bride type stuff in the backyard.

It was straight lights on, spotlights on, countdown what I was going to do, my moves. And I’m like, I love it. Like I love I don’t mean to cuss, but I love this Like I had a different I had a different heart for it. And it was I ate, slept, drank everything basketball.

It was all basketball. So, and I knew I fell in love with it because it was no longer this is what I have to do. It was something that I wanted to do. Like, I wanted to work out.

I wanted to be out late at night at the parks with my dad. I wanted to do those things. So, I knew I love this. So, I’m and I think I’m pretty good at it.

So, I just kept running with it. And it I mean, it just came so natural to me. It was just something I love so much. And I miss it.

You don’t understand how much. And I tried to coach for a little bit, but that void is something different. Being a coach and being a player, no, I’ll take a player be I’ll take a player any day over being a coach. Yeah.

I just didn’t feel that void. No, that’s fair. I think that’s why I’ve kept playing after college. I’m going into my second year overseas and it’s still not the same as college, though.

Like there’s just a pride that you have when you’re like growing up and playing for your high school and then playing for your college and having your family there to watch you. Um, that’s so fun. But was was college always a dream of yours or were you kind of just like playing for fun and you would see where it would take you? Oh, no.

College was college was au I played um All Ohio Red and then I bumped up and played All Ohio Black out of Columbus. So, and we went to the best of the best tournaments. The Boo in Chicago. We went to I mean Gino was sitting on the sidelines at every tournament we went to.

So, it was like, “All right, what letter am I going to get this week?” And I mean, I just my mom just showed me not too long ago when we moved away from her house. Um, I had a stack in the attic, a huge box of all my letters. And it was just like I was getting them every week and I’m like, “Oh my god, look where I’m getting it from this week. Look where I’m getting it from this week.” So, college was always like it was exciting and I’m like, “Okay, which one am I going to pick?” Yeah.

So, yeah. So, speaking of that, could you take us through what you remember of your recruiting process at all and how you ultimately chose Michigan? So, this is funny. This is probably something no one has ever done.

Um, Michigan was the only visit I went on. Oh, wow. Michigan was my first visit and my last visit. Wow.

Um, and I, mind you, I played AAU in Columbus all the time. My AAU coach still lives in Columbus. It’s still ride or die AAU basketball. And I in the back of my mind I’m like, “Okay, maybe Ohio State.” Like, I don’t know, but I love Michigan.

So, Michigan got a hold of me. Um, we went on campus and they had it all done up. I mean, the jumbotron in Crisler Center, they had my name up there, my picture, that I walked into the locker room and on every locker, it was like a baby picture all the way up until my senior year. And it was I was just blown away.

I was blown away. and the coaching staff there. I love the coaching staff. At that time it was Coach Burnett, Coach Gage, Coach Robinson. I just loved them.

I fell in love with them. And we stayed there literally all day. Um they opened up the locker room door and it was about five different practice jerseys, five different shoes. And I’m like I looked at my mom and dad.

I said, “This isn’t real, right? This isn’t this isn’t what it’s like really? Is it is it really like this?” So then we went out to lunch and we talked and it was just a good time. Like me and Coach Burnett, we clicked.

We hit it off. And even when she came to my house when I was still in high school, she came to my house and we just clicked. Like her and my mom and dad clicked. And I’m like, I really like her and I think I, you know, I really want to be at Michigan.

And I wanted to commit on campus that day, but my mom and dad said, “Let’s go home. Let’s think about it. Let’s let’s sleep on it. Let’s talk about it.” And the day I committed to Michigan, which was probably the next day after my visit, Ohio State called me the very next morning and offered me.

No way. And I’m like, there I can’t do this. I can’t decommit. I can’t I No, I can’t.

So, I turned down that offer and I’m like, this is it. This is where we’re going. Like, Michigan it is. Let’s ride this out.

Let’s go have fun with it. [laughter] I love that. See, I’m an Ohio kid myself, and I got so much flack from people for committing to Michigan. Did you get any from being from Toledo, Ohio?

Oh my gosh. All the time. My brother still gives me crap about it to this day. He’s like, “I can’t believe you went to Michigan.

I’m a Ohio State fan. We’re from Ohio. I get it every all the time, especially when the football game, football season comes up.” Oh, yeah. Like, how how could you ever go there?

And I’m like, “Because I loved it. What do you mean? It was the best of the best. So, when you committed, were you like, “Bam, I’m a Michigan fan now.” Cuz that’s how it was for me.

I was like, “Screw Ohio State.” I was a fan Ohio State growing up and then I was like, “No, not anymore.” Yep. I’m like, “Duces, I’m out. It’s all Michigan. Ann Arbor, here I come.

Let’s go. Ride or die. Michigan fan.” I love that. See, I can relate too heavy on that one.

So, you get to Michigan and you make an immediate impact your freshman year. How did you kind of prepare for that role? And were you expecting to be such a prominent player at that early in your career? I Yes, I was expecting it on my um visit.

The talk was, you know, you’re not going to come in here. You have to earn your spot. And it like I told you, I got that dog in me. So, I was never afraid to compete.

That was something I was never afraid to do. Uh, my AAU coach JB from All Ohio Black, there were games where he got intentionally kicked out so I could run the team. I was the point guard and he said, “You got it. I’m kicked out.

I can’t call any calls. I can’t call any plays. You got it.” So, there were games where I was running the entire game just being a point guard. Timeouts, plays.

So, it was in my blood even before I got to Michigan. Yeah. Like being a leader in high school, I was always the leader. I was always the captain.

It was always, “Come on, everybody get on my back. Let’s go. I’m leading. We’re doing this.” And it was never a It was never a cocky thing.

It was always I had what it took. Like I had that I had the fight in me. And I had the leader ability to be able to bring people on, make them feel a part of the team, and just get everybody involved. It was never like this was, you know, my team.

No, this is our team. So, it was never the I approach. It was always, let’s do this together. Mhm.

So, when I got to Michigan, yeah, I’m like, okay, I got some shoes to fill, but I’m getting ready to work out. Like, I’m getting ready to bust everything I can possibly bust through hell week. I made it through hell week my freshman year. My mile, I got that down in the first time through.

I maxed out. I was one of the highest maxed out persons in the weight room. So, it was just it was it was in my blood and I was hungry. I was hungry from day one.

Yeah, that’s awesome. I feel like also just with with how you grew up with your siblings and competing with them and your dad, how how you mentioned he pushed you guys a lot probably helped as well. And that’s a really interesting and kind of awesome strategy from your AAU coach to intentionally get kicked out. Like you don’t see high school kids having to lead their teams like that and call plays.

And I’m sure that helped so much going into college. Oh yeah. The first time he did it, I’m like I looked at my dad, he was like, “You got it. what what you looking around for? Run it.

So, I’m like, “Okay, let’s go. Let’s do it.” And it just I mean, it just came natural. It really did. It came natural.

And I would It was a funny story. I was when I was going back and forth to Columbus, there were weekends when we did two a days and my mom and dad would just drop me off. I stay at my AAU coach’s house. All the girls would be up there and I was limited to five questions.

And I’m like, “Why are you limiting me to five questions?” He was like, “Cuz you asked me too many damn questions. You know, you need to grow up. You need to stop laying up underneath your mom and dad. Grow up.” And like, so AAU kind of taught me to like put your big girl draws on.

It’s time to go get a a a college offer and let’s go do it. So, AAU kind of like got me hungry, got me ready. But then my dad was always in my ear. My mom and my dad were always always in my ear like pushing me like this is nothing new to you.

Like you were born for this. like you got this. Yeah. And I mean, you can tell by how immediate of an impact you made. But you mentioned how close you were with that coaching staff that had originally recruited you and you committed to them and then you go through a coaching change to Kevin Borseth, I believe.

Was it after your sophomore year? Yes, it was. So, how can you just tell us about that transition? And I mean, I’m sure that was difficult with how close you were with that previous staff.

Oh, yeah. It was it was really difficult. It was kind of like I had a I had some doubt in my head like okay like what now? Like I don’t know what this coach is going to expect.

Like I don’t know if I’m his style of player. So it was just okay let me dig deep. Let me keep working. And when Coach Borseth came in it took a little bit for us to click but I think he seen how hard I worked and how much of a leader I was.

Me and him clicked like it came natural. And it’s funny because I still see Coach Borseth at some of the my husband’s he’s the coach at Central State. So when we go to those tournaments, I see Coach Borseth there and it’s like coach like I miss you. What’s up?

So we kind of just clicked and I think it was because I think he liked how hungry I was, how much of a leader I was and I didn’t back down from any upper classman. That wasn’t something I did. I didn’t back down. So yeah, we just clicked.

I mean he was cool, he was tough. There was um the one clip that they always show of him doing the explode at the um after after game. Literally I was standing right there beside and I’m like calm down. So when he did that big explosion and knocked the podium I’m like right there.

Me and I think it was Carly. We were both standing there like oh my god no he’s not exploding like this. So I don’t know. I loved him.

I love Coach Burnett. Like I swear my four years it was a coaching change, but I enjoyed all four years. Like they were both really really good coaches. They were really into mental getting into my head.

They pushed me. It was just It was really good. It was really good. That’s really cool, too, cuz I mean now with the landscape of college athletics, it’s like if your coach leaves, the players are probably leaving, too.

And obviously the transfer portal wasn’t as big back then, but it’s awesome to see a story that it’s like, man, I can also connect with this new coach that’s coming in and kind of even though it’s a different style, I can learn from them as well because they have valuable things to add um to my game as well, right? I mean, and his coaching staff, gez, peace, were they some hard workers. Coach Dawn, Coach Mike, I mean, they were they brought a different type of energy to practice.

I’m telling you it was coach coach Gage and Coach Rapier they had a different type of energy but Coach Dawn and coach Mike I’m telling you their their get up and when we broke down and post and guards it was it was a whole different beast with them and I loved it because it was an actual go out there and compete for your spot every practice you every practice you were competing for your spot when Coach Borseth came in it was no you were going to be set here every single day I mean I kind of knew I us because I worked hard, but it was we’re going to go out and we’re going to compete and we’re going to see which point guard or which guard is working the hardest in practice to play in the game the next game.

So, yeah, I love that. And that it’s a competitive environment and everyone gets better. So, also from sophomore to junior year, that’s when that coaching change happened, but you also took a huge jump in scoring from sophomore to junior year. Do you think because of his style of play or was there a different approach that you had maybe more confidence?

I don’t know. You tell me. So, I think it was it was it was really coach Mike. Coach Mike told me he kind of tweaked my shot.

He said, “You could be a a way better three-point shooter than what you are if you let me work with you.” So, there were times where I was staying after practice, me and Coach Mike were in the gym. He kind of tweaked my hips a certain way and it was just repetitive. And I think that’s what got me to be more hungry scoring and looking for my shot because I was so much more confident in my three-point shot. So, Coach Mike totally changed the game when it came to that aspect of my play.

Because I was never a three-point shooter when I first started off. It was always drive, kick, you know, get to the basket strong, post up. But Coach Mike, he added that extra oomph in my game. And it were I mean there were times I remember the Illinois game 25 and I think I had five threes in a row like I hit one right off the backboard and I was like no this is not how we’re going to start this game and then it was just swish swish swish.

So it’s like the three-point became a really good part of my game that I fell in love with because I was never a shooter in high school. That was not something I did in high school. That’s really surprising cuz that’s actually one of the games that I watched of your highlights. It was the last quarter they had on YouTube and I so impressed with your shot.

It looked it was so pure like I mean just textbook form and I was like wow she she had to have been a shooter her whole life but that’s crazy to say and hear that you didn’t really become a shooter until your junior year as much. Yep. Yep. That’s when it was I mean co I give all kudos to coach Mike.

He’s like, “You got to tweak up just a little bit and if you do this, it’ll be hit every time.” And it was it was Hi, Maddie. Hi. Sorry I’m late. Nice to meet you.

We’re talking a little bit about the Illinois game. So, I’m watching this game. I’m like doing research on you and it’s like YouTube. Jessica Minnfield.

I’m like, “Oh, I got to watch this.” 18 points in the last seven minutes. Like, do you even remember playing that game? Cuz did you just black out or No, I remember. I remember every every Listen, I’m telling you that was like one of my best games in my career other than the Notre Dame game when I did the reverse layup, left hand under the basket.

We went into overtime, I made the free throws, but the Illinois game, it was it was crazy. I was I think I was mad about something before the game and I’m like, this is going to be the most horrible game of my life. But then I came out like, you know what? Let’s go.

It’s time to ball. Like I said some other language in that you guys can only imagine. But I’m like, “Okay, let’s let’s do it.” My mom and dad, my sister, they were all there. And if you can if you watch it again in the corner where our bench was, if you see a girl in a white shirt jumping up after every shot, that’s where my family was.

So it was just like, “Let’s go.” I hit that first shot and it was a bank and I’m like, “Oh, it’s here. I’m ready. I’m ready.” I mean, and then it was I don’t know. Oh, it was just and Coach Borseth was just sitting back just like this.

Do go do it. So, I’m It was That was the best game. I swear if I could go back and I watch YouTube almost all the time. I show my kids that game all the time.

That it just makes me so hungry. Even though these knees can’t take that anymore, that game is like brings back so many memories. I swear to you. I think what I was most impressed, I mean, you made like four threes in the last seven minutes and they were pure, but you got down there and you were posting up.

I was like, “Oh, she’s a dog.” That’s how I knew you were a dog. Is you were down on that [laughter] block. Yep. And it’s crazy because my freshman year, my freshman year at Illinois, and they had some big big girls playing against my freshman year.

And my parents, I don’t I don’t think they were there. I think they might have been cuz my parents, they traveled to like every game. There were times when we got home off the plane and they were just getting on the road and I’m like, “Oh my god, I feel so bad.” But when we played Illinois my freshman year, I was going to the basket and I went up left hand layup and a girl came down, elbow me, my half of my bottom tooth knocked out my eye.

You can still see the scar. It slid open. They took me into the um the locker room. They sewed me up, put a band-aid on top of my eye, and they said, “Put sugar-free gum on top of my tooth.” And I went back out, and I was just sitting there, and Coach Burnett said, “Let’s go get back in.

What are you doing?” So, I played the rest of the game with half my tooth gone and my eyes stitched up. We lost, but I played. I finished the rest of the game. So, I don’t know.

It’s something about Illinois. But I was just like that that place that brings back some memories. I swear. And I just remember flying home and I had pounds of sugar-free gum on my tooth and my I had to keep changing the band-aids cuz they it was just bleeding.

And I’m like, you guys, what what’s what’s going on here? But what am I getting? When you say you’re built different, I mean, shoot, you’re built different. if you’d get back in the game and you played the whole game with something like that. Obviously, it seems like you stored up that anger maybe and let it all out the later on, right? [laughter] I did. I did playing in Illinois. I said, “I’m coming back. I’m coming.” Like, oh my gosh.

So, um obviously we just talked about like how great of a player you’ve been throughout your career. You led not only Michigan, but the Big Ten in assists and steals year after year. Did that come naturally to you? Was it something that you really focused on growing up?

Like how did you kind of get to that point? Um the assist and steals that that was something that always came natural. I did that in high school. Um I It’s funny cuz I used to come up behind somebody like full court and I used to sneak up behind them cuz I was so small and I used to tip it from behind and that’s how I would get all my steals.

I do the tip and that’s my mom always used to tell me go tip it. Go tip it. Go tip it. So, the steals and the assists, I always tried to get a crazy amount of assists.

Even in high school, it was always something getting everybody involved. Um, I remember my post player in high school, Ellen Herman. We had a thing and I was strong because I lift really heavy. I lift with the football team at in at um Central in high school and I was able to throw it from one end to the other and not have any trouble.

So, I was just launching it and all my assists were basically for her going full court and getting up to the layup. She didn’t even have to dribble because I would get it all the way down there to her. So, assists and steals were always something I had in my back pocket. That was always something I was really really good at.

Did it change how you prepared like mentally for games or like how did you attack it from a mental standpoint? I just played. Perfect. It was never like, okay, what am I going to do today?

It was just I just played. Yeah. because every team was so different. Every point guard was I mean I was the smallest person in the Big Ten at that time. I think the only other guard the only other two guards that were my height were the West Patton point guard and the Purdue and the Purdue point guard about knocked her out uh one game.

I don’t know if that was even caught on camera who played at Purdue and she just wouldn’t give me any space and I kind of just cleared her and I knocked her out one game and I mean I didn’t mean to but I just I just I was a different type of player like I didn’t prepare. It just was it was in my blood to just go out there and be a dog and to play like it’s never something I did. I never backed down and it was like all right let’s go let’s win it.

I tried to go out and win every game. I know we didn’t win a lot, but that was always my mentality. Let’s go out here, let’s play the team ball, and let’s give it all we got. Yeah, I love it.

Uh, is there a story or memory from your time at Michigan that maybe a lot of people don’t know or haven’t heard before? Oh, Lord. I don’t know. There I mean, there were so many little stories.

I mean during hell week things that we had to do being in the weight room maxing out with Jim Plocki and listening to Shania Twain and that was our like go-to song in the weight room. There was so many different things. It I told Doug before I started I said if I could go back those were the best four years of my life. Like Michigan was amazing to me.

I learned so much. I became an adult. Like it I loved it. Basketball was my everything in Michigan.

Just being in that atmosphere. I mean, I created stories every day. And if it was even riding on the blue buses to practice in class or Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

We love everything. I [laughter] mean, going in the Union late at night, being in South Quad, like East Quad my freshman year, had an apartment my sophomore, junior, senior year. Everything about Michigan was amazing. I mean, I could tell you stories for days.

It was It was just amazing. Like the mornings we had our open gyms and scrimmages on football game days. Everybody would come into the gym and watch the girls basketball team. Those were the days and then we just watched the games in the locker rooms.

I could go on and on about stories at Michigan. I had so much fun. So much fun to hear. I love that.

I love it. Is there I guess you talked about like it taught you a lot. Is there a lesson that you’ve kind of always held to your core since graduating? Um, it taught me more like being a grown-up.

It taught me how to be responsible as far as like with money because I was getting a scholarship check. I was paying my rent. I was paying my bills. So, it taught me to be responsible in that aspect to never go under a certain amount in my bank account.

And then it also just taught me be aware of your surroundings. Like, you never know what you’re going to face. You never know what you’re going to come up to. I don’t know if you guys remember, you’re probably kind of young, but there was Bell’s Pizza.

When we go out every weekend, everybody would meet up at Bell’s Pizza. So, we’d have Michigan State people, we’d have Eastern people, we’d have Michigan people. So, it was just always being aware of your surroundings. Um, just being smart about what the goal was and never losing sight of what the dream was and what the purpose was to come to Michigan.

Like, I’m coming to be an athlete. I’m coming to get a degree and I’m not doing anything to mess that up. So just always just keep your head on right. Don’t let anything come into come into play of what your end goal is and what what the dream is.

Right. So after college, what I think like nine years later, you played for a team in Toledo called the Toledo Threat. How did that come about? And can you just tell us about that experience?

That was so that was ran by AAU coaches that I played with when I was like in the seventh and the eighth grade. So they were like, “Let’s just get some people together. Let’s let’s get people that used to play together. Let’s get you guys back on the team and let’s do it.” It really wasn’t anything like serious.

I mean, it was it was crazy because some of the girls, they still held a grudge against me from high school. So, I’m like, I’m your teammate now, guys. You don’t have to hate me anymore. So, we ran into a lot of that, but then it was just like, let me just do it one more year, let my kids see me play.

So, it was I think that was my main point of doing it, just so my kids could see me play. Um, but it was just it was fun while it lasted. It was like open gym but wearing a uniform. [laughter] Were your kids like mom like you’re a bucket?

Were they like they knew cuz you’ve been showing them the YouTube? Yeah, it’s times where we play in the backyard. Like, I’ve broken nails before. Don’t you play with me.

These knees might be bad, but mama still got it. Mhm. Heck yeah. They might I might be my oldest.

He’s What is he now? 6’2. So, I’m looking up to him. Dang. I said I said you might you might be big, but listen, you better remember who your mama is.

So, they know. Google me. That’s all you got to say. Google, [laughter] right?

Google me. I love it. Yep. Did you ever consider playing professionally overseas?

So, I did get I got an offer to go, but I was scared. I should have went. It was in Israel and it was like they were offering me like 5,000 to go play to get paid a month and I’m just like I don’t I’m scared. Like they were bombing.

There was a war. Yeah. I didn’t want to do it. And I was just like I think I’m going to sit this one out.

And then I didn’t take the offer and I kind of worked with my agent and there was just other little stuff, but I’m like, you know what? No, it’s time to like figure out what I’m going to do with my life. I always wanted to be a nurse. Um I actually when I signed up to go to Michigan, I got on campus and they waited until I moved in to tell me nursing and practice and basketball, it would it wouldn’t go together.

Practice time and lab time conflict. So, you have to pick a new major. And this is after I moved on after I signed and everything. And I’m like, wait a minute.

What? I can’t do nursing. Oh my god. So, my whole mindset was to do nursing, play basketball, get my nursing degree.

So, when basketball was done, I had something to fall back on. Yeah. But I had to pick a new major because basketball times and lab times for like clinicals and stuff, it didn’t work out. So, if anything, if I could go back to my old self or to my younger self, I would say stay strong because they let the engineers do it, so why not let the nurses do it?

Yeah. You know what I mean? So, if I could tell anybody now like focus on your degree, focus on what’s going to be there after basketball and you stick to it. Make them work around you.

If they really want you as a player and you’re big time, make them work around you. whether it be practice time, lab time, clinicals, whatever. Cuz that’s one thing I do regret. Now I’m paying school loans when I shouldn’t be paying school loans. I mean, I went to the University of Michigan for free and got a sociology degree and I could have got I could have got a nursing degree.

So yeah, that’s the only thing that was only regret. That’s the only regret for Michigan. That’s fair. So you mentioned that you coached a little bit uh for a brief stint after.

What was that experience like? I know you said it’s not the same as playing, but did it fill a little bit of a void? At least it felt a little bit of void because I was able to be tough on the girls. I was trying to make them tough like me and not everybody is built like me.

So, there were times where I had to get back like, “Okay, Jess, not everybody can do what you did and not everybody can take how you’re like getting in their butt like my dad did and like JB, my AU did, my AAU coach did.” So, it was learning a different approach, but still pushing them to be the best they could. When they seen me coming, it was like, “Oh, shoot. Here come Coach Jess. I we getting ready to run.

We getting ready to condition.” And they I mean, they always knew it was nothing but we’re going to compete. We’re going to be nasty. We’re going one-on-one. And that’s probably going to be the hardest part of practice.

When I did coach at Owens and the girls, I mean, I still talk to some of the girls. They show me the utmost respect. They were like, “You gave us a run for our money. Like you pushed us to be like who we were like at that time.” So that made me feel good.

Yeah. Yeah. I feel like coaches have such a critical point in your life where they like can teach you so much and teach you so much about yourself and you just learn a ton. So I’m sure you made such a big impact in their lives that they continue to carry with them.

Yeah. Yeah. It’s a good feeling to know that you change. Even if they can call me and still reach back out, I know I did something.

I touched you in some type of way. So, for sure, I take that give myself a pat on the back for that and I just I keep it moving. Yeah. So, I don’t know if you watch like other podcast or other like reals or Tik Toks or whatever, but have you ever seen like blind rankings?

No. Okay. I’ll probably be so bad at this. No, it’s not hard.

I promise. So basically we have uh like seven spots on from the Michigan campus and we’re gonna say them in a random order and you have to rank them one through seven where you would put them but you don’t know like each what what each one is if that makes sense. So we’re going to say like you don’t know what’s coming next. Yeah.

So yeah. Okay. All right. Bear with me.

Bear with me. Yeah. Bear with us. Yeah.

Bear with us. Yeah. And if you don’t know the place, just be like pass and we’ll think of something else. Okay.

All right. Okay. So, the first one is East Quad 1 through seven. Where one being the best, seven being the worst.

Where do you rate your love for East Quad? Ooh, not very much. I was in South. So, that’s at the bottom of my Oh, okay.

Wait, should we change it to South Quad then? You live because we were in East Quad. Okay. Deny South Quad one through seven.

Where do you rank it? [laughter] Um, I would have to say one through seven. I’d say like six. Six.

Okay. Okay. So, not your favorite because I didn’t really like the dorm. It was just and I didn’t like the showers.

It was It was just Yeah. I wanted my own space. [laughter] That’s fair. Fair enough.

Uh, next is the undergraduate library. The ugly. I would have to say seven. I wasn’t really there much.

Perfect. I wasn’t either. I might have stepped in there two times. [laughter] Apparently, there was like a big spider in there one year and so I decided I would never go back in. [laughter] That’s the reason. I’ll never go back. Yeah. Okay.

Uh the big house. Oh, I would say I would say three. And I only say three because that’s where we did our worst conditioning in the big house. Oh no.

You did the football or what? We on the football field. Plocki, he made us do some of the craziest workouts on the field and they were on the hottest days of the year. So I love the big house, but I have a lovehate relationship cuz I hated being on that field cuz it was so hot.

Yeah, that’s brutal. Okay. Uh, the Brown Jug. Oh, I never went to the Brown Jug.

Oh, next. Um, we can skip that one then. What about just street in general? Just what street?

State Street. Oh, I’d say number two on that one. Okay. Yeah.

State Street and Ann Arbor taught me how to parallel park in U-turn. So true. I just told my son that the other day. We were at a little shopping area and you can only parallel park.

And I said, “You know what, son?” I said, “Ann Arbor, Michigan. This where I learn how to parallel park. Watch your mama’s skills.” And I Yep. That is a great point.

Okay. The law quad. I didn’t go over there. I went over there maybe twice.

Okay. Um, what about How about the union? That was okay. Yeah, go do the union.

Okay, we’ll change the union. That was That’s on the top of my list. Oh, that’s one. That l I don’t know if it’s one.

What am I not? Can I put that? You have four, five. You have one, four, five.

Yeah, you have one, four, and five left. Okay, I put that at four. Okay, fair enough. What did you like about the union?

Like studying there? The food? No, not studying. It was the food and meetups. [laughter] Okay. Okay. I studied, but not not in the union. It was just meetups and food and just an area just to hang and go late night when we didn’t have anything to do.

That’s real. It was under construction my first like two or three years, but when it did open fun. I know. I felt like I missed out on a lot, but I did get to have it part of senior year for sure.

Uh, so I get that place when you walked in there in between classes, it was body to body. It was it was something crazy. You seen everybody there. I mean, everybody was getting food or hanging out or football players were in the booths and the girls were in the booths.

It was it was just a hangout spot. I love it. Um um we got Crisler Center. Crisler Center number one.

I was wondering if you were going to rank something above it and then be like, “No.” Okay. No, Crisler Center for sure. Number one. Cuz even when I mean games, late night like I love a good late night workout like go up there, shoot on the gun, have my music playing the best.

I love I love that that I did that plenty of nights where uh Juan I’m sure he still works there. The facilities guy, he would let me in all the time and it was just get on the gun and let’s just shoot. Let’s turn the music up real loud. And then the locker room, it was just a home away from home.

We had our refrigerator, we had our code tubs, we had the couch in there. It was a home away from home. That’s awesome. I love that you mentioned Juan.

He is a He’s a Michigan women’s basketball staple. That’s my guy. [laughter] That’s my guy. I still see him like when I watch the games every now and then, I’m like, “Oh, there he is.

He’s on the sideline. There he is.” I love that so much. All right. The last spot we had is the diag which automatically slips in at number five.

Were you did you I mean that’s where we mostly walked to our classes. I don’t know if it was the same for you guys. Yeah, it was it was just always a crossing part and it was just like never step in the middle and it was just always a pass through for classes, but yeah. Okay, that’s that’s a good list.

I like these rankings. Is there a place that you’re like, I wish you guys would have said this, like I loved going here. Um, Belle’s Pizza, but it’s not there anymore. Yeah, we never Bell’s Pizza was a pretty hot spot on the weekends.

Um, and then like Nightlife, Studio 4, Fifth Quarter. Um, Necto. So, they still got Necto. They still Necto.

I don’t know the other two. Okay, that’s funny. Those are back in my day. Way back in my day.

It’s more, I think, upscale now. I think the last time I was in Ann Arbor. Oh my god. Years ago, Studio 4 wasn’t even there.

It was It was turned into I think fifth quarter or something. It was a different type of club. So yeah. Oh my gosh.

I love it. I had a party side. I mean, it’s missional. Balanced.

Yes. 100%. Yep. [laughter] Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining today.

It was so great to get to meet you and hear your story and you’re just such like a fun person to talk to and interview. Oh, thank you for having me. I told Doug I’m like you guys got like lit a fire like I’m I want to be on campus. I want to get back in and I was telling Jordan I’m like I didn’t think anybody remembered me.

So now that I feel like my name might get back out there. It’s just like I want to be back a part of that. Like this is a part of my life that I work so hard for, right? And I see my like I see my work ethic in my boys cuz my oldest he’s one of the top quarterbacks in Ohio right now.

So it’s like I want them to see like where I came from where mom played. Like I want them to walk around on campus and just be there with me. It would I’m want to get back on campus. I want to get back into the swing of things.

And I talked to one of the assistant coaches and she said whenever you’re ready, come to a practice, come to a game. So, I’m just glad we made this connection cuz you guys just lit a fire in me and I miss Michigan so much. I swear. Like, Coach Arico always always preaches that it’s all about the people that come before you and she she’s huge on alumni and will appreciate you coming back so much.

I think she would be so excited to to see you and absolutely um and see the girls and everything. So, it would be fun for you to bring your kids, I’m sure, as well, just so they can see the old stomping grounds and how legendary old mama stomping ground. Thank you. [laughter] Thank you guys so much.

This was amazing. This was so much fun. Thank you. Thank you.

Yeah. Thanks for taking time out of your day. And I know you’re busy, so we really appreciate it for sure. Thanks, Doug.

I appreciate you. Thanks so much. I’m sure we’ll see you at some alumni events. Yeah, stay in touch.

Sure. Let us know in Michigan. I will definitely be there this year. I promise.

I’m going to put it on my schedule and I’m going to make a point to be there. I swear I am. Awesome. All right.

So, good to meet you. All right. See you guys. Thank you.

Thanks, Doug. She rocks. Oh my gosh, that that must be like our best interview yet. Yeah, I was vibing with her heavy.

She’s awesome. She was so easy to talk to and just a great storyteller. That is all for this episode of the Nolan and Hobbs show. We absolutely loved having Jessica Lewis on the show today.

Make sure to go watch her highlights on YouTube, guys. You will not be disappointed. Make sure to catch us next week. And as always, go blue.

If you like this kind of content, please like, share, follow, and subscribe. And as always, go blue!]