Jamal Lewis
Encyclopedia
Jamal Lafitte Lewis is a former American football
running back
in the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens
fifth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Tennessee
.
After spending his first seven seasons with the Ravens, Lewis signed a free agent
contract with the Cleveland Browns
prior to the 2007 season
.
. Lewis was rated the top RB prospect in the nation by Super Prep. Prep Star rated him as the No. 2 southern RB. Lewis rushed for 1,716 yards and 25 TD as a senior and earned AAAA All-State and All-City honors. He was named MVP of the Georgia-Florida All-Star Game with 137 yards on 11 carries (12.4 avg.) and 2 TDs. Jamal gained 1,923 yards and scored 28 TDs as a junior and 1,240 yards and 15 TDs as a sophomore. In his 3 years as a starter, he rushed for a school-record 4,879 yards and 68 TDs, plus had a 9.7-yard average per carry.While at Douglass, Lewis went from a fullback
to starting at running back, and also participated in track and field.
, Lewis rushed for 2,677 yards and accounted for 3,161 all-purpose. Lewis stands third on the university's list of all-time rushers and fourth in all-purpose yards. As a freshman in 1997 Lewis rushed for 1,364 yards and seven touchdowns. In 1998, Jamal suffered a torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee and missed the rest of the season. For his efforts, he was named first team Freshman All-America by The Sporting News and second-team All-SEC by the Associated Press. He was an arts and science major.He also got to play with Colts Quarterback Peyton Manning.
by the Baltimore Ravens
. In his rookie season, he rushed for over 1,300 yards, supplanting Priest Holmes
as the team's starting running back. On November 19, Lewis became the youngest player since 1960 to record 200 yards from scrimmage (21 years, 82 days). The Ravens' running game and punishing defense earned them their first World Championship when they defeated the New York Giants
in Super Bowl XXXV
. Lewis rushed for 103 yards and scored a touchdown
in the game, becoming only the second rookie ever to rush for over 100 yards in a Super Bowl and the youngest player to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl (21).
In 2003, Lewis nearly set a new NFL single-season rushing record by rushing for 2,066 yards, leading the league. He fell just 39 yards short of the all time single season rushing record, which remains Eric Dickerson
's 2,105 yards in 1984. Lewis joined Dickerson, Terrell Davis
, Barry Sanders
, and O.J. Simpson as the only backs in the 2000 rushing yards club
. In 2009, Chris Johnson
of the Tennessee Titans
, would also surpass the 2,000-yard mark by rushing for 2,006 yards.
On September 14, 2003, Lewis also broke Corey Dillon
's single game rushing record of 278 yards by running for 295 yards against the Cleveland Browns
. Lewis was rewarded by being named NFL Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press
. Lewis's single game rushing record was later broken by Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings
on November 4, 2007, when he ran for 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers
.
After the 2005 season, the Baltimore Ravens declined to place the franchise tag
on Lewis, making him an unrestricted free agent after the end of the season. This move was seen by many as a formality in letting Lewis move to another team. Popular speculation blamed Lewis' steadily declining performance since the 2003 season. Lewis had also voiced displeasure during the 2005 season over the team's failure to sign him to a long term deal. Despite these events the Ravens re-signed Lewis on Monday, March 13, 2006 with a three-year deal, despite having signed former Denver Broncos
running back Mike Anderson, who was widely thought to be Lewis' replacement. On November 19, 2006 Lewis rushed for a season-high three touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons
. He ended the season rushing for 1,132 yards, and 9 touchdowns. On February 28, 2007, the Ravens announced that they released Lewis. However, general manager Ozzie Newsome
pointed out that they hoped to re-sign him but that changed on March 7, 2007, when Lewis signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns
.
, Lewis became the team's starting running back. Lewis had his first 1,300+ yard season since 2003 in his first season with the Browns, rushing for 1,304 yards and 9 touchdowns.
On November 8, 2008, The Plain Dealer reported that Lewis was dissatisfied with the performance of his teammates in the Browns' recent loss to the Denver Broncos
. Lewis stated, "this is the NFL, you can't call it quits until the game is over." Lewis went on to say "it looks to me like some people called it quits before that. Denver was down, but they didn't call it quits. They kept their heads up and they finished. We didn't do that two weeks in a row - at home." Without naming names, Lewis said: "Some people need to check their egos at the door and find some heart to come out here and play hard. This is a man's game. The way we went out there and played two weeks in a row, finishing the same kind of way, it's not there. I think there are some men around here that need to check theirselves, straight up. That's it." On November 2, 2009, Lewis announced he would retire after the 2009 season. Late in the 2009 season, Lewis was placed on injured reserve
, ending his season. On February 17, 2010, the Browns released Lewis.
In February 2004, it surfaced that Lewis had been involved in talks about a drug deal. Lewis was charged with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms of cocaine and using a cell phone in the commission of the first count. In February 2005, Lewis began his four-month prison term for trying to set up the drug deal As part of his sentencing, Lewis resides in Atlanta and gives weekly sermons at the Ahavath Achim Synagogue.
Lewis currently lives in New Jersey
, USA and owns a trucking company. He was present during the Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowl XXXV
reunion in 2010.
On October 31, 2011, Regions Bank filed suit against Lewis over an unpaid $660,000 loan.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
fifth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft
2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15–16, 2000...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
.
After spending his first seven seasons with the Ravens, Lewis signed a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
contract with the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
prior to the 2007 season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
.
Early years
Lewis attended Douglass High School in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Lewis was rated the top RB prospect in the nation by Super Prep. Prep Star rated him as the No. 2 southern RB. Lewis rushed for 1,716 yards and 25 TD as a senior and earned AAAA All-State and All-City honors. He was named MVP of the Georgia-Florida All-Star Game with 137 yards on 11 carries (12.4 avg.) and 2 TDs. Jamal gained 1,923 yards and scored 28 TDs as a junior and 1,240 yards and 15 TDs as a sophomore. In his 3 years as a starter, he rushed for a school-record 4,879 yards and 68 TDs, plus had a 9.7-yard average per carry.While at Douglass, Lewis went from a fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
to starting at running back, and also participated in track and field.
College career
In his three year career at the University of TennesseeUniversity of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, Lewis rushed for 2,677 yards and accounted for 3,161 all-purpose. Lewis stands third on the university's list of all-time rushers and fourth in all-purpose yards. As a freshman in 1997 Lewis rushed for 1,364 yards and seven touchdowns. In 1998, Jamal suffered a torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee and missed the rest of the season. For his efforts, he was named first team Freshman All-America by The Sporting News and second-team All-SEC by the Associated Press. He was an arts and science major.He also got to play with Colts Quarterback Peyton Manning.
Baltimore Ravens
Regarded as the best available tailback alongside Thomas Jones, Lewis was the fifth pick overall in the 2000 NFL Draft2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15–16, 2000...
by the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. In his rookie season, he rushed for over 1,300 yards, supplanting Priest Holmes
Priest Holmes
Priest Anthony Holmes is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Texas.Holmes earned a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV...
as the team's starting running back. On November 19, Lewis became the youngest player since 1960 to record 200 yards from scrimmage (21 years, 82 days). The Ravens' running game and punishing defense earned them their first World Championship when they defeated the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
. Lewis rushed for 103 yards and scored a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
in the game, becoming only the second rookie ever to rush for over 100 yards in a Super Bowl and the youngest player to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl (21).
In 2003, Lewis nearly set a new NFL single-season rushing record by rushing for 2,066 yards, leading the league. He fell just 39 yards short of the all time single season rushing record, which remains Eric Dickerson
Eric Dickerson
Eric Demetric Dickerson is a former professional running back in the National Football League who in his career played for the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons.-College career:...
's 2,105 yards in 1984. Lewis joined Dickerson, Terrell Davis
Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis is a former American football running back who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League from 1995 to 2001. Davis was drafted by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Davis is the Denver Broncos all-time leading rusher, with 7,607 rushing...
, Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Sanders left the game just short of the all-time rushing record...
, and O.J. Simpson as the only backs in the 2000 rushing yards club
2000 rushing yards club
In the National Football League, there have been six running backs in the history of the league that have run for at least 2,000 yards in a single season. O. J. Simpson of the Buffalo Bills was the first player to accomplish the feat, rushing for 2,003 yards in 1973...
. In 2009, Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson (running back)
Christopher Duan Johnson is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League...
of the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
, would also surpass the 2,000-yard mark by rushing for 2,006 yards.
On September 14, 2003, Lewis also broke Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school...
's single game rushing record of 278 yards by running for 295 yards against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Lewis was rewarded by being named NFL Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. Lewis's single game rushing record was later broken by Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
on November 4, 2007, when he ran for 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
After the 2005 season, the Baltimore Ravens declined to place the franchise tag
Franchise Tag
In the National Football League, the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has access each year to only one franchise tag and one...
on Lewis, making him an unrestricted free agent after the end of the season. This move was seen by many as a formality in letting Lewis move to another team. Popular speculation blamed Lewis' steadily declining performance since the 2003 season. Lewis had also voiced displeasure during the 2005 season over the team's failure to sign him to a long term deal. Despite these events the Ravens re-signed Lewis on Monday, March 13, 2006 with a three-year deal, despite having signed former Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
running back Mike Anderson, who was widely thought to be Lewis' replacement. On November 19, 2006 Lewis rushed for a season-high three touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He ended the season rushing for 1,132 yards, and 9 touchdowns. On February 28, 2007, the Ravens announced that they released Lewis. However, general manager Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome Jr. and a 1974 graduate of Colbert County High School in Leighton, Alabama, is a former American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns, an inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the current General Manager of the Baltimore Ravens.-College career:Before his NFL career,...
pointed out that they hoped to re-sign him but that changed on March 7, 2007, when Lewis signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Cleveland Browns
After joining the BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Lewis became the team's starting running back. Lewis had his first 1,300+ yard season since 2003 in his first season with the Browns, rushing for 1,304 yards and 9 touchdowns.
On November 8, 2008, The Plain Dealer reported that Lewis was dissatisfied with the performance of his teammates in the Browns' recent loss to the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Lewis stated, "this is the NFL, you can't call it quits until the game is over." Lewis went on to say "it looks to me like some people called it quits before that. Denver was down, but they didn't call it quits. They kept their heads up and they finished. We didn't do that two weeks in a row - at home." Without naming names, Lewis said: "Some people need to check their egos at the door and find some heart to come out here and play hard. This is a man's game. The way we went out there and played two weeks in a row, finishing the same kind of way, it's not there. I think there are some men around here that need to check theirselves, straight up. That's it." On November 2, 2009, Lewis announced he would retire after the 2009 season. Late in the 2009 season, Lewis was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
, ending his season. On February 17, 2010, the Browns released Lewis.
Career statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Attempts | Yards | YPA | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 2000 NFL season The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000... |
Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his... |
16 | 309 | 1,364 | 4.4 | 6 |
| 2002 2002 NFL season The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each... |
Baltimore Ravens | 16 | 308 | 1,327 | 4.3 | 6 |
| 2003 2003 NFL season -Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *... |
Baltimore Ravens | 16 | 387 | 2,066 | 5.3 | 14 |
| 2004 2004 NFL season The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005... |
Baltimore Ravens | 12 | 235 | 1,006 | 4.3 | 7 |
| 2005 2005 NFL season The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006... |
Baltimore Ravens | 15 | 269 | 906 | 3.4 | 3 |
| 2006 2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006... |
Baltimore Ravens | 16 | 314 | 1,132 | 3.6 | 9 |
| 2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... |
Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
15 | 298 | 1,304 | 4.4 | 9 |
| 2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... |
Cleveland Browns | 16 | 279 | 1,002 | 3.6 | 4 |
| 2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... |
Cleveland Browns | 9 | 143 | 500 | 3.5 | 0 |
| Career | 131 | 2,542 | 10,607 | 4.2 | 58 | |
Personal life and controversy
On July 20, 2010 Jamal Lewis along with Tennessee hotel owner Brownlee Reagan bought Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort in east Columbus for $6 million.In February 2004, it surfaced that Lewis had been involved in talks about a drug deal. Lewis was charged with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms of cocaine and using a cell phone in the commission of the first count. In February 2005, Lewis began his four-month prison term for trying to set up the drug deal As part of his sentencing, Lewis resides in Atlanta and gives weekly sermons at the Ahavath Achim Synagogue.
Lewis currently lives in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, USA and owns a trucking company. He was present during the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
reunion in 2010.
On October 31, 2011, Regions Bank filed suit against Lewis over an unpaid $660,000 loan.