You might say Lewis has Cine a lot of things by the young age of 22.
While many of us grow up and either go to college or enter the work force in the same state we were born, the Minnesota Vikings’ first-round draft pick lived in three places before he was 9 years old. He was born in Haiti and moved to Florida just before he turned 5.
“Most people when they come from the Caribbean, Florida is the first stop,” Cine said during his introductory press conference.
When he was 8, he moved again, this time to the Boston area. After learning football there and eventually becoming the Massachusetts defensive player of the year as a junior in high school, he shipped out to Texas to live with his uncle and play at Trinity Christian School, which has six state titles since 1990 and 10 appearances in the State Finals. His assistant coach there was Deion Sanders, who Cine cites as a major influence.
“He was hard,” Cine said of playing under the Hall of Famer. “Old-school. Real old-school. ‘You got to do it. You got to do it.’ Always had a lecture. It comes from a great place, and that’s why I’m thankful for him. Really.”
Cine’s “I’ve Been Everywhere, Man” act traveled to Georgia after high school. He could have stayed in Texas and played for the Longhorns or gone back to Florida to be a Gator or returned to the northeast and starred for Penn State. He elected to head east to play for the Bulldogs, where he wore the number 16 to honor his mother having him at age 16. He also had his daughter at the same age.
“Being a young dad made me grow up fast,” Cine said in an NFL Network interview. “I had tunnel vision because a lot of the things my friends were doing, I couldn’t do because I had to grow up, I had to fend for her, work and be real focused about the things I’m doing.”
Cine became a full-time starter at Georgia in his sophomore season and quickly became a centerpiece on a monster defense. He won defensive MVP in the National Championship game against Alabama in his third college season.
The Vikings’ new safety now enters the NFL with the pressure of being a first-round pick whose team not only needs his help right away after giving up the sixth most points in the league over the last two seasons, but also intentionally traded out of the No. 12 overall pick to land him with the 32nd selection. But for him, none of this is a completely new feeling. Every time he’s moved, he’s needed to prove himself to a new group of people and adjust to another level. Haiti is different from Florida and Florida is different from Boston and football in Texas is different than Massachusetts and Georgia is different from any of those places.
“It’s a process I’ve been through so many times before, from middle school to high school to college, where you restart right back to ground zero,” Cine said. “With me, I’ve always taken it with a humble step. Coming in, learning, finding out the older vets, learning from them, trying to follow in their footsteps and how they do things the right way….take that step to see where it leads me to. And it’s always done right by me, and I don’t plan on stopping it.”
Cine made a good impression on Day 1 in Minnesota. Right off the plane, he was grinding film with head coach Kevin O’Connell and asking questions about where he fits in the scheme.
“Getting a chance to get Lew in the building today and spend some time with him in my office even watching tape with him, it confirms everything that you go through the process for to try to find a player that not only fits your culture and what you are trying to build as a team, but the physical traits,” O’Connell said. “Not only to play the position that he plays, but just be a part of a defensive style of football we want to play.”
Where he fits in will be a matter of interest this season.
Veteran Harrison Smith remains one of the better safeties in the NFL but he’s never had a partner with first-round talent. The Vikings paired Smith with two players who rose through the special teams ranks with Andrew Sendejo and Anthony Harris and then gave a short-term contract to veteran Xavier Woods last season. Last year’s fourth-round pick Cam Bynum was slated to start alongside Smith but Cine is more likely to take the starting job. Though GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s comments on draft night indicated there may be more flexibility because of their skillsets.
“We talked about the NFL and what it is now, and I’ve got Ed Donatell and Mike Pettine in the lab, and they’re going to figure out ways to use our depth, use their coverage skill sets, use them in divers ways and getting your best players on the field, and I think we’ll be able to do that,” Adofo-Mensah said.
Per PFF data, Cine played 534 snaps at deep safety, 155 in the box and 118 in the slot last season. He pointed out during his NFL Network interview that his usage was particularly diverse in the national championship game.
“That was significant for me because I played in a whole lot of different spots in that game where my job was big and I came through when I was needed,” he said.
Cine noted that he can’t wait to watch film with the All-Pro Smith because he’s heard that Smith is a “film junkie.” That might be an understatement.
Of course, the biggest adaptation for any rookie is the NFL lifestyle. When they say “it’s a job now,” they aren’t just giving a line. But Cine’s road to Minnesota, in his mind, couldn’t have prepared him any better for what’s next.
“The fact that…I’ve won in different places, I kind of understand what it takes,” Cine said. “It takes sacrifice. It takes being unselfish. It takes the late nights, waking up early even though you don’t want to. But, it’s all for a cause. Everybody wants to win, and when everyone wins, everyone is happy. So, I know what it takes. I’m ready. I’m prepared for that.”
