Dion Lewis

Dion Lewis
refer to caption
Lewis with the Tennessee Titans in 2018
No. 33 – Tennessee Titans
Position: Running back
Kick returner
Personal information
Born: (1990-09-27) September 27, 1990
Albany, New York
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight: 195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school: Blairstown (NJ) Blair Academy
College: Pittsburgh
NFL Draft: 2011 / Round: 5 / Pick: 149
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 4, 2018
Rushing yards: 1,727
Rushing average: 4.6
Rushing touchdowns: 11
Receptions: 106
Receiving yards: 833
Receiving touchdowns: 5
Kickoff return yards: 1,307
Return touchdowns: 1
Player stats at NFL.com

Dion John Lewis[1] (born September 27, 1990) is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. With the New England Patriots, he won Super Bowl LI over the Atlanta Falcons in 2017. Lewis was also briefly on the rosters of the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts, but never appeared in a game situation for either team.

Early years

A native of Albany, New York, Lewis attended Albany High School, from which he transferred to the Albany Academy and later to Blair Academy, where he led his team to a 17-1 record (.944) his final two seasons, including two MAPL championships and a New Jersey Prep state title.[2][3][4] He averaged 12.4 yards per carry as a junior, rushing for 979 yards on 79 carries with 14 touchdowns. As a senior at Blair Academy, Lewis averaged an astounding 14.1 yards per carry, rushing for 1,243 yards on 88 carries. He eclipsed the 250-yard rushing mark four times and scored 26 total touchdowns, including 23 rushing, two on punt returns and one receiving. Lewis was also a three-year letterman in track & field at Blair Academy, where he competed in sprints (11.09 100m and 23.06 200m), long jump (20'2") and relays (44.29 4x100).

College career

Lewis attended and played college football for the University of Pittsburgh from 2009–2010.[5]

2009 season

During twelve regular season games of the 2009 season at the University of Pittsburgh, Lewis accumulated 1,640 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.[6][7] He rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns in an October 2009 victory over Big East rival Rutgers for which he was named Big East Conference Offensive Player of the Week and featured in Sports Illustrated.[8][9] Following this and later performances, he was mentioned in several news outlets as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate.[10] Lewis had his sixth 100-yard plus rushing game of the season against Syracuse.[11]

He rushed for more than 1,799 yards during the 2009 season and broke Craig Heyward's record at Pittsburgh for rushes in a single game with 47 against University of Cincinnati in the Big East Championship game, totaling 194 rushing yards, three touchdowns, as well as five catches for 34 yards.[12]

Lewis was the only freshman and one of four running backs named among 15 "Players to Watch" for the 2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year award.[13] He was also among 16 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award,[14] and was one of ten semifinalists, and the only true freshman, for the Doak Walker Award.[15] Lewis was also honored as a "Midseason All-American" by CBSSports.com and SI.com.[15]

Lewis set the Big East freshman rushing record previously held by Tony Dorsett.[16] The lightly-recruited running back was third nationally in rushing (1,799 yards, 5.5 avg), broke LeSean McCoy's record for most points by a Pitt freshman in the Big East championship against the Cincinnati Bearcats,[13] and Dorsett's record for most rushing yards by a Pitt freshman during the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl, after which he was named the game's MVP.[17]

Following the conclusion of the regular season, Lewis was named the National Freshman of the Year by the Sporting News and CBSSports.com,[18] as well as the Offensive Freshman of the Year by College Football News.[19] He was also named a second team All-American by the Associated Press, Sporting News, CBSSports.com, Sports Illustrated, Rivals.com, and Scout.com.[20] Lewis was the only freshman named to the first or second AP All-American team.[21] Lewis was named both the Big East Conference Rookie of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year[22] as well as the Eastern College Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.[23]

Lewis in college.

2010 season

Heading into 2010, the Sporting News, in its 2010 College Football Yearbook, called Lewis "the game's most complete runner" and listed him as one of the five leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy.[24] The Sporting News also listed Lewis as a first-team preseason All-American.[25] Lewis failed to live up to these lofty expectations. After 75 yards in a disappointing loss to unranked Utah,[26] he struggled with just 27 yards against Division II New Hampshire while teammate Ray Graham had 115,[27] suffered an upper-body injury after compiling 41 yards to Graham's 100 in a loss to Miami,[28] and sat on the bench while Graham compiled the second-most rushing yards in school history against Florida International.[29] Though he had more carries than Graham the rest of the season, the two split rushing duties and it wasn't until the team's seventh game he broke 100 yards rushing (against Rutgers).[30] By far his best game of the season was the regular season finale, where he had 42 carries for 261 yards and four touchdowns, including a 76-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter.[31][32] He also had 105 yards and a touchdown in Pitt's BBVA Compass Bowl victory over Kentucky.[33]

In early January, Lewis declared that he would enter the 2011 NFL Draft and forgo his junior and senior seasons.[34]

College statistics

YearTeamAttYardsAverageTDsReceptionsYardsTDs
2009Pittsburgh3251,7995.517251891
2010Pittsburgh2191,0614.813272160
College Totals5442,8605.330524051

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Ht Wt Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert jump Broad BP
5 ft 7 in
(1.70 m)		 193 lb
(88 kg)		 28 1⁄8 in
(0.71 m)		 8 3⁄4 in
(0.22 m)		 4.57 s 4,18 s 6,90 s 34 1⁄2 in
(0.88 m)		 112 17 reps
All values from NFL Combine.[35]

Philadelphia Eagles

Lewis was selected with the 149th pick in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.[36] He was the 19th running back selected in that year's draft.[37] He was signed to a four-year contract worth $2.2 million on July 27, 2011.[38] Lewis spent his rookie season as the Eagles kick returner. He was third on the running back depth chart behind LeSean McCoy and Ronnie Brown and saw little playing time, not carrying the ball more than two times per game until the last game of the season, when he had 12 carries for 58 yards and his first career touchdown.[39][40]

Lewis's role for the Eagles in 2012 was similar to his 2011 role, as a kick returner primarily. He was once again third on the running back depth chart, behind McCoy and rookie Bryce Brown. He saw no carries prior to Week 12, when the team began giving him some role in the running game, though never touching the ball more than five times in a game. His lone rushing touchdown came in Week 16 on a 17-yard run against the Washington Redskins.[41][42]

Cleveland Browns

On April 11, 2013, Lewis was traded to the Cleveland Browns for linebacker Emmanuel Acho.[43] He missed the entire season due to a fractured fibula. He was cut by the Cleveland Browns on August 30, 2014.[44]

Indianapolis Colts

Lewis signed with the Indianapolis Colts on September 9, 2014.[45] He was released on September 16, and would not play again in the 2014 season.[46]

New England Patriots

2015 season

On December 31, 2014, the New England Patriots signed Lewis to a future/reserve contract.[47] Lewis made the team's 53-man roster and saw his first game action on September 10, 2015, in the Patriots' 28–21 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, after two years of not playing.[48] Starting for the first time in his career in place of a suspended LeGarrette Blount, Lewis recorded 120 yards from scrimmage.[49] Despite facing competition from Blount, Lewis continued a successful start to the season with 138 and 67 total yards respectively in Weeks 2 and 3 against the Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars.[50][51] Week 2 also saw Lewis score his first touchdown as a Patriot and record six receptions.[52]

On October 8, 2015, after just three games, Lewis signed a two-year contract extension with the Patriots, running through the 2017 season.[53] The contract included a $600,000 signing bonus and $1.8 million in incentives in 2016 and 2017. In his first game after signing the contract, a 30–6 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Lewis rushed six times for 34 yards and caught eight passes for 59 yards and a touchdown.[54][55] On October 29, in a 36–7 win over the Miami Dolphins, Lewis rushed five times for 19 yards and caught six passes for 93 yards and a touchdown.[56] On November 8, Lewis suffered a torn ACL against the Washington Redskins, causing him to miss the remainder of the 2015 season. He was placed on injured reserve on November 9, 2015.[57] He finished the 2015 season with 234 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 36 receptions, 388 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns.[58]

2016 season

On August 30, 2016, Lewis was placed on the Reserve/PUP list to start the 2016 season after requiring a second knee surgery.[59] He was activated to the active roster on November 12, 2016 prior to Week 10 against the Seattle Seahawks.[60] On January 14, 2017, in the Patriots' 34–16 Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans, Lewis became the first player in the Super Bowl era to score touchdowns on a run, a reception, and a kickoff return in the same postseason game.[61][62][63] In the AFC Championship against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was limited to only 19 scrimmage yards in the 36–17 victory.[64] On February 5, 2017, Lewis was part of the Patriots team that won Super Bowl LI. In the game, he had six carries for 27 yards and a catch for two yards as the Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34–28 in overtime.[65] The Patriots trailed 28–3 in the third quarter, but rallied all the way back to win the game. The Super Bowl featured the first overtime game and largest comeback in Super Bowl history.[66]

2017 season

Lewis with the Patriots in 2017

Lewis began the 2017 season as a reserve running back, with new acquisition Mike Gillislee taking the majority of snaps on first and second downs, and receiving specialist James White serving as the primary third-down back. With new acquisition Rex Burkhead also getting playing time, the Patriots were deep at running back, and frequently distributed carries among all four of them. Lewis was named the team's primary kick returner.[67]During the first four games, Lewis never carried the ball more than four times in a game, and never ran for more than 18 yards. He also caught a smattering of passes, lining up both in the backfield and split wide. His only touchdown in that stretch came in a 33–30 loss to the Carolina Panthers.[68]

His role on the team changed starting in Week 5, with Gillislee shifting to a short-yardage specialist role, and Lewis becoming the primary first- and second-down runner. In each week from Week 5 to Week 8, he saw his number of carries increase to 15 per game, and his rushing yardage also increased, frequently accumulating more than 50 yards per game. In Week 10, Lewis had a 103-yard kickoff return touchdown against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football, earning him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.[69][70] In Week 12, Lewis ran for a career-high 112 yards in a 35–17 win over the Dolphins.[71] In Week 16, Lewis ran for a new career-high 129 yards and two touchdowns, his first career two rushing touchdown game. He also caught five passes for 24 yards and a touchdown in the 37–16 win over the Buffalo Bills on Christmas Eve.[72] His performance in Week 16 earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week.[73] He closed out the regular season with 93 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown, six receptions, 40 receiving yards, and a receiving touchdown in the 26–6 victory over the New York Jets.[74] The 2017 regular season was the first time he appeared in all sixteen regular season games, and the first time since his rookie season he appeared in more than nine games in a season.[75] In the playoffs leading up to Super Bowl LII, he was the Patriots top rusher, amassing 101 yards on the ground over the course of two games.[76] He had a key 18-yard run on third-and-9 late in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship game against the Jaguars, gaining a first down and allowing the Patriots to run out the clock to preserve a narrow 24-20 win.[77] In the Super Bowl, Lewis recorded 9 carries for 39 yards, but the Patriots lost 41-33 to the Philadelphia Eagles.[78]

Tennessee Titans

On March 15, 2018, Lewis signed a four-year $20 million contract, with an additional $3 million in incentives, with the Tennessee Titans.[79][80][81] In this Titans' debut in the season opener against the Miami Dolphins, he had a solid game with 16 carries for 75 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown to go along with five receptions for 35 yards in the 27–20 defeat.[82]

Career statistics

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GPGSAttYardsAvgLngTDRecYardsAvgLngTDFumLost
2011PHI 150231024.42011–3–3.0–3011
2012PHI 9013695.317122412.028000
2013CLE 00DNP
2014IND 00DNP
2015NE 76492344.81323638810.840221
2016NE 75642834.415017945.516010
2017NE 1681808965.0446322146.720300
2018TEN 22301173.92616366.013000
Career56213591,7014.74411947538.040542

References

  1. ↑ "2010 Football Roster: 28 Dion Lewis". www.pittsburghpanthers.com. Pittsburgh Panthers. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  2. ↑ Blum, Sam. "Patriots' Dion Lewis adds Albany flavor to Super Bowl". Troy Record. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  3. ↑ James Allen Lewis commits to play for Pitt The Times Union June 20, 2008
  4. ↑ Brendan Prunty Blair Academy product Dion Lewis making instant impact for Pitt The Star-Ledger October 12, 2009
  5. ↑ "Dion Lewis College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  6. ↑ "Dion Lewis 2009 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  7. ↑ "Dion Lewis". ESPN.com.
  8. ↑ Tom Canavan Dion Lewis rushes for 180 and 2 TDs as Pittsburgh finally beats Rutgers October 17, 2009 AP
  9. ↑ Beech, Mark (2009-10-26). "Highlight Show". Sports Illustrated. 111 (16). Retrieved 2009-10-30.
  10. ↑ Paulk, Ralph (2009-10-22). "Pitt's Lewis ignores Heisman hype". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved 2009-10-30.
  11. ↑ "Syracuse at Pittsburgh Box Score, November 7, 2009". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-12-25.
  12. ↑ Box Score ESPN
  13. 1 2 "Lewis Named Walter Camp Award "Player to Watch"". Pittsburgh Panther Official Athletic Site. 2009-11-17. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
  14. ↑ Dunlap, Collin (2009-11-04). "Pitt's Lewis, WVU's Devine both Maxwell semifinalists". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  15. 1 2 Paulk, Ralph N. (2009-11-12). "Pitt's Dion Lewis semifinalist for Doak Walker Award". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  16. ↑ Bennett, Brian (2009-12-02). "Pitt's Lewis defies all freshmen standards". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  17. ↑ Zeise, Paul (2009-12-27). "Meineke Bowl Notebook: Lewis named MVP, tops freshmen rush list". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA.
  18. ↑ Cirminiello, Richard (December 8, 2009), "2009 CFN All-Freshman Team: Offense", College Football News
  19. ↑ "Football Continues to Garner Impressive Postseason Individual Honors". Pittsburgh Panthers.com. 2009-12-15. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
  20. ↑ CBSSports.com 2009 All-America Team, CBSSports.com, archived from the original on 2012-10-11, retrieved 2009-12-08
  21. ↑ Zeise, Paul (2009-12-16). "All-America Team: Pitt's Lewis honored by AP". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
  22. ↑ "Pitt garners top Big East football honors". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. 2009-12-09. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
  23. ↑ "Pitt's Dion Lewis gets another honor". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. 2009-12-18. Retrieved 2009-12-31.
  24. ↑ "Sporting News calls Dion Lewis "game's most complete runner"". PittsburghPanthers.com. 2010-06-01. Retrieved 2010-06-02.
  25. ↑ "Pitt's Lewis, Pinkston and Penn State's Wisniewski garner All-American honors". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. 2010-06-10. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
  26. ↑ "Pitt at Utah Box Score, September 2, 2010". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  27. ↑ "New Hampshire at Pittsburgh Box Score, September 11, 2010". College Football at Sports-Reference.com.
  28. ↑ "Miami (FL) at Pittsburgh Box Score, September 23, 2010". College Football at Sports-Reference.com.
  29. ↑ "Dion Lewis Still A Starter; Dave Wannstedt Struggles With Clock Management". SB Nation Pittsburgh.
  30. ↑ "Rutgers at Pittsburgh Box Score, October 23, 2010". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  31. ↑ "Pitt at Cincinnati Box Score, December 4, 2010". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  32. ↑ "Pitt at Cincinnati Box Score, December 4, 2010". College Football at Sports-Reference.com.
  33. ↑ "BBVA Compass Bowl - Pitt vs Kentucky Box Score, January 8, 2011". College Football at Sports-Reference.com.
  34. ↑ Moran, Kevin. "Dion Lewis to enter NFL Draft". Troy Record. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  35. ↑ http://www.nfl.com/player/dionlewis/2495469/combine
  36. ↑ "2011 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-12-25.
  37. ↑ "Draft Finder Query Results". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  38. ↑ Caplan, Adam (July 27, 2011). "Adam Caplan's Twitter account". Twitter. Retrieved 2011-07-27. I'm told the Eagles and 5th rounder Dion Lewis reached 4 year deal worth just over $2.2 mill.
  39. ↑ "Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles - January 1st, 2012". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-12-25.
  40. ↑ "Dion Lewis 2011 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  41. ↑ "Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles - December 23rd, 2012". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-12-25.
  42. ↑ "Dion Lewis 2012 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  43. ↑ "Browns acquire Lewis from Eagles".
  44. ↑ Cabot, Mary Kay. "Browns RB Dion Lewis cut, rookie back Isaiah Crowell could be safe". cleveland.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  45. ↑ Gantt, Darin. "Colts sign Dion Lewis and Chris Carter to active roster". Pro Football Talk. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  46. ↑ Reiss, Mike. "Dion Lewis' short stint with Colts forgettable for all involved". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  47. ↑ Kyed, Doug. "Patriots Sign Three, Including RB Dion Lewis, To Future Contracts". NESN. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  48. ↑ "Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots - September 10th, 2015". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  49. ↑ Reiss, Mike (September 11, 2015). "Dion Lewis' high snap count clarifies Patriots' picture at RB". Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  50. ↑ "New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills - September 20th, 2015". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-12-25.
  51. ↑ "Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots - September 27th, 2015". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-12-25.
  52. ↑ "Dion Lewis". NFL.com.
  53. ↑ "Dion Lewis Signs Two-Year Contract Extension With Patriots". NESN.com. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  54. ↑ "New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys - October 11th, 2015". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  55. ↑ "Sports Illustrated".
  56. ↑ "Miami 7 - 36 New England: Final - 2015-10-29 - National Football League - Yahoo! Sports". Yahoo Sports.
  57. ↑ Hanzus, Dan (November 9, 2015). "Patriots RB Dion Lewis out for season with torn ACL". Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  58. ↑ "Dion Lewis 2015 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  59. ↑ "Patriots make roster moves to meet 75-man limit". Patriots.com.
  60. ↑ "Patriots activate Dion Lewis to 53-man roster; Make practice squad transactions". Patriots.com. November 12, 2016.
  61. ↑ "Divisional Round - Houston Texans at New England Patriots - January 14th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  62. ↑ "Watch all three touchdowns from Dion Lewis' historic playoff performance". Boston.com. 2017-01-15. Retrieved 2017-01-15.
  63. ↑ Reiss, Mike (January 15, 2017). "Patriots' Dion Lewis scores return, receiving and rushing touchdowns". ESPN.com.
  64. ↑ "AFC Championship - Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots - January 22nd, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  65. ↑ "Super Bowl LI - New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons - February 5th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  66. ↑ Wesseling, Chris. "New England Patriots win Super Bowl LI". NFL. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  67. ↑ "2017 New England Patriots Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  68. ↑ "Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots - October 1st, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  69. ↑ "New England Patriots at Denver Broncos - November 12th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  70. ↑ Maya, Adam (November 15, 2017). "Tom Brady, Cam Newton among Players of the Week". NFL.com.
  71. ↑ "Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots - November 26th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  72. ↑ "Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots - December 24th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  73. ↑ Maya, Adam (December 27, 2017). "Todd Gurley, Dion Lewis among NFL Players of Week". NFL.com.
  74. ↑ "New York Jets at New England Patriots - December 31st, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  75. ↑ "Dion Lewis 2017 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  76. ↑ "Divisional Round - Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots - January 13th, 2018". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  77. ↑ "2017 Jacksonville Jaguars Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  78. ↑ "Super Bowl LII - Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots - February 4th, 2018". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  79. ↑ Wesseling, Chris (March 13, 2018). "Titans expected to sign RB Dion Lewis to 4-year deal". NFL.com.
  80. ↑ Jim Wyatt (March 15, 2018). "Titans Reach Deal with Former Patriots RB Dion Lewis". titansonline.com.
  81. ↑ Tyler Sullivan (March 13, 2018). "Particulars come in on Dion Lewis' contract with Titans". 247sports.com.
  82. ↑ "Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins - September 9th, 2018". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
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