Second semester senior year is when the fun really starts. SATs are over, college admissions are in, teachers lay off and spring break and prom are on the horizon. But that’s not the way Dion Lewis saw it. In Lewis’ head, waking up at the crack of dawn, on cold, cold Pittsburgh mornings, to watch film… that was fun.

“Playing football is what I do,” he said, protesting with a laugh that no, he’s not nuts. Lewis left high school – and all that down time - early, deciding to enroll at Pitt in January instead. He said there was ”no disappointment in saying good-bye” to high school, he said adjusting to college classes wasn’t nearly as tough as football — “So many meetings, so much film – it’s hard to stay awake” — and he said what’s happening now absolutely proves it was all worth it.

Lewis earned Pitt’s starting tailback spot midway through camp. Two weeks into the season, he’s proving a more than able replacement for current Eagle LeSean McCoy. Lewis’s 159.5 yards per game are third in the country, behind only Purdue’s Ralph Bolden and Nic Grigsby of Arizona – and ahead of Rutgers’ and Syracuse’s entire teams. He’s doing exactly what he set out to do and he promised this is a lot more fun than any spring break trip could’ve been.

And, maybe because of that, the 5-foot-8, 195-pound New York native gamely agreed to follow Louisville’s Jon Dempsey in our Keep it Brief segment. Here at the Big East Sports Blog, we’re aiming to bring you several weekly features. Keep it Brief will give us insight into people around the league – in a very non-taxing, hopefully fun, way. So, ladies and gentlemen, Dion Lewis…

I should be on the cover of … “Sports Illustrated”

Mama always says… “Be good”

Right before leaving the locker room to take the field, I… “close my eyes and get focused.”

Best restaurant in Pittsburgh… “Primanti Brothers.”

My favorite time of day is… “The evening, or the afternoon. I’m not tired then.”

Song I don’t want to admit is on my iPod… “I’m pretty proud of all my songs. There’s nothing embarassing.”

First thing I think of when I wake up is… “I gotta go to class.”

Last thing I think of when I go to bed is… “Day’s over.”

I took my first date to… “The movies. I don’t remember which one.”

Classes at Pittsburgh are… “Not bad.”

My guitar hero/karaoke song is… “I don’t know. That’s a hard one.”

I can’t live without… “Football.”

My first car was… “An Impala. It was sort of tan-ish.”

I want to visit… “California.”

My advice to Coach Wannstedt is… ”Run the ball!”

 P.S. Do you think Lewis knew where the BCS Championship is when he said where he wants to visit?