Age: 23 (Oct.
16)
2nd
season in pro football & with Ravens
College: Maryland
Height: 5’7” Weight: 172
Prelude:
Lewis starred
in track as well as football in college, where he caught 193 passes, returned
24 punts for a 12.0-yard average and two touchdowns and averaged 24.0 yards on
22 kickoff returns. He was chosen by the Ravens in the fifth round of the 1996
NFL draft and was used almost exclusively as a kick returner during his rookie
year. Small but very fast, he averaged 21.5 yards on 41 kickoff returns and 9.4
yards on 36 punt returns.
1997 Season Summary
Appeared in 14
of 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 42
Most
receptions, game – 8 (for 124 yds.) at Tennessee 9/21
Yards – 648
Most yards,
game – 124 (on 8 catches) at Tennessee 9/21
Average gain
– 15.4 [17]
TDs – 6 [20,
tied with twelve others]
100-yard
receiving games – 2
Rushing
Attempts – 3
Yards – 35
Average gain
– 11.7
TDs – 0
Kickoff
Returns
Returns – 41
[16]
Yards – 905 [17]
Most yards,
game – 140 (on 6 ret.) vs. Pittsburgh 10/5
Average per
return – 22.1
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 51 yards
Punt Returns
Returns – 28
[20]
Yards – 437 [12]
Most yards,
game – 184 (on 5 ret., 2 TDs) vs. Seattle 12/7
Average per
return – 15.6 [1]
TDs – 2 [3]
Longest
return – 89 yards
All-Purpose
yards – 2025 [5]
Scoring
TDs – 8
Points – 48
Ravens went 6-9-1
to finish fifth in the AFC Central.
Aftermath:
Lewis
followed up in 1998 by receiving consensus first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl
honors. Used less on kickoffs, he returned 32 punts for a 12.7-yard average and
two TDs and also caught 41 passes for 784 yards (19.1 avg.) and six touchdowns.
His numbers dropped in ’99, with 25 pass receptions and a 7.9-yard punt return
average, but he bounced back in 2000 to average 16.1 yards and score two TDs on
36 punt returns and added an 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the
Super Bowl win over the Giants. Lewis topped the NFL in punt returns (42) and
punt return yards (519) while averaging 12.4 yards in 2001 and was chosen for
the Pro Bowl. Left unprotected in the expansion draft, he was taken by the
Houston Texans in ’02 and had a lesser performance, dropping to 7.8 yards on
punt returns and 20.9 yards on kickoffs. Lewis moved on to the Jacksonville
Jaguars and went down with a major knee injury two games into the 2003 season.
He came back in ’04 to average 9.9 yards on 23 punt returns and 18.4 yards on
21 kickoffs in what was his final season. Overall, Lewis ran back 295 punts for
an 11.1-yard average and six touchdowns, 212 kickoffs for a 21.8-yard average,
and caught 143 passes for 2129 yards (14.9 avg.) and 17 TDs. He received
first-team All-NFL honors following two seasons and was selected to as many Pro
Bowls.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
