When he started coming to the Under Armour Performance Center this spring, Lowery didn’t know any of his teammates. Now he’s in daily secondary meetings with Kyle Hamilton, Jaire Alexander, Marlon Humphrey, and Nate Wiggins, soaking up knowledge and playing with confidence.
“It’s insane. I grew up watching Marlo and Jaire, and I’m a big fan of K-Ham,” Lowery said. “You walk into the room, it’s like, ‘Man, this is crazy.’ But at the same time, you have to step into reality and play your role. Trust that you bring a value and skillset to the room. Serve the guys around you and see where you can help out and fit in.”
Lowery wasn’t a heavily recruited player coming out of Hillgrove High School in Powder Springs, Ga., but playing at a prep football factory helped his development. He’s used to being around big-time talent. Current NFL players who went to Hillgrove include Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl linebacker Bradley Chubb, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy, and Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram.
Some colleges were wary of Lowery’s size and shied away from recruiting him. But he attended a summer football camp at Tennessee-Chattanooga and the coaching staff was sold immediately.
It wasn’t just Lowery as a football player that impressed Head Coach Rusty Wright. It was Lowery the person.
“He’s 100 times better a person than a player,” Wright said. “And he’s a heck of a player.
“He understands the schematics of a defense, how the other team is trying to attack you. He’s not the biggest guy, and it never mattered. He played corner and nickel for us and there’s no doubt in my mind he could’ve played safety. We blitzed him off the edge. He wasn’t scared to take on an offensive tackle. With him, what you see is what you get, and it’s pretty special.”