Jamal Lewis owns a business as he waits for Hall of Fame
BALTIMORE (BVM) – Only eight running backs in the history of the NFL have ever broken the 2,000-yard rushing mark in a season. While some of these names are instantly recognizable such as Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders and Adrian Peterson, some others have fallen into some more relative obscurity, though their careers were still impressive. One such player who tends to be forgotten is former Baltimore Ravens great Jamal Lewis, who actually holds the third-most yards in a single season with 2,066. While he may not be as instantly recognizable as some of his numerous Hall of Fame counterparts, that doesn’t mean Lewis was a flash in the pan as he had a strong career that spanned nine NFL seasons.
High school football
Lewis was born and raised near Atlanta where he went on to star for Douglass High School in the mid-1990s. At Douglass, Lewis set a school record for career rushing yards with 4,879 yards while scoring 68 touchdowns. In 1995, as a junior, the running back helped Douglass win the Class 4A-Region 7, beating Southwest DeKalb with quarterback Quincy Carter, though that team would later win the state title.
Tennessee Volunteers
The stud running back from Atlanta knew that he wanted to go out of state to pursue his college football career and that helped him land at the University of Tennessee in 1997 where he teamed up with star quarterback Peyton Manning. It took Lewis only three games to earn the starting running back duties and he went on to have a dominating freshman campaign, playing in 12 games while rushing for 1,364 yards and seven touchdowns to go with 266 receiving yards and two more scores.
Unfortunately, as Tennessee went on to win the 1998 national championship, Lewis was on the sidelines as he tore his ACL just four games into the campaign, finishing the year with 497 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns while adding one 16-yard touchdown reception. The next season, Lewis split time with fellow back Travis Henry but was still able to rush for 816 yards and seven scores while adding 193 receiving yards and another score.
NFL career
Despite his injury history, Lewis decided to enter the NFL Draft following his junior season. He didn’t have to wait long on draft night to hear his name called either as the Baltimore Ravens selected the running back with the No. 5 overall pick in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft.
Lewis was the perfect compliment to the rugged Ravens defense to start the century. The rookie played in all 16 games in the regular season with 13 starts rushing for 1,364 yards and six scores while also catching 27 passes for 296 yards. In the postseason, Lewis was even stronger rushing for 338 yards and four scores. He also became the youngest player to ever score in the Super Bowl as he helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV.
Unfortunately, another ACL tear during his sophomore season caused Lewis to miss the entire 2001 campaign. However, Lewis came back as if he never left in 2002, rushing for 1,327 yards and six scores with 442 receiving yards and another touchdown.
The 2003 season is the one Lewis is best known for. That season, Lewis led the league with 2,066 rushing yards, the second-most in NFL history, while scoring 14 rushing touchdowns. He also broke the single-game rushing record with 295 against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 14. Lewis finish fourth in league MVP voting but he did come away with the Offensive Player of the Year award.
Jamal Lewis ran wild for 295 yards 17 years ago today. @Jamal31Lewis (Sept. 14, 2003) pic.twitter.com/j8DO8Rx04r
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) September 14, 2020
Lewis followed up his league-leading campaign with another 1,000-yard season in 2004 where he finished with 1,006 yards and seven scores. The next year, Lewis only had 906 yards and three scores, the first time he missed 1,000 yards in his career.
In 2006, Lewis returned to form with 1,132 yards and nine scores, proving he still had plenty left in the tank. However, the Ravens acquired running back Willis McGahee in the 2007 offseason making Lewis expendable and he was released.
Lewis didn’t have to wait long to land on his feet however, signing with fellow AFC North member the Cleveland Browns. Lewis played his final three seasons in Cleveland compiling back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons in 2007-08 and finishing his final season with 500 yards. Lewis retired following the 2009 season with 10,607 career rushing yards and 58 rushing touchdowns. The Baltimore Ravens leading rusher still ranks at No. 25 all-time in rushing yards for a career and still has the third-highest single-season rushing yard total in NFL history.
Retirement
Retired life has not been easy for Lewis. In 2012, just three years after his retirement, Lewis filed for bankruptcy. This caused Lewis to struggle with depression and anxiety, which he has openly talked about following his retirement. With fears that he may also be suffering from CTE due to numerous concussions during his playing days, Lewis has spoken out about the dangers football also shows.
Today, Lewis lives back near his hometown of Atlanta where he owns his own business, Buyers Connected. The business, which was founded by Lewis in 2014, is a retail services consulting firm that looks to help retailers maximize their return on merchandise.
While he works with his business, Lewis also waits for a potential induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a member of the 2000s all-decade team and one of the rare 2,000-yard rushers, Lewis certainly has a Hall of Fame case. Though he has been among the list of modern-era nominees each of the past two classes, Lewis has not even made it past the first round of cuts, not yet making it into the semifinal round. While there is still time for Lewis to make it, the further away voters get from his career the smaller the likelihood becomes.
Regardless of if he ever gets his call to the Hall or not, Lewis will always be remembered for his incredible 2003 season where he recorded the second-most rushing yards in a single seasons. Fans will always remember the moments Lewis celebrated, whether it’s his record-breaking game against the Browns, his Super Bowl score or his All-Pro season and that in itself may be more valuable than any Hall of Fame bust ever could be.
