Darren Lewis (American football)
Encyclopedia
Darren "Tank" Lewis is a former professional American football
running back
in the National Football League
. He was a 6th round selection (161st overall pick) out of Texas A&M
by the Chicago Bears
in the 1991 NFL Draft
. He would play for the Bears from 1991-1993. He was a consensus All-American
in 1990.
and was considered by some to be the top high school player in the class of 1987.
history (1,692 in 1988 and 1,691 in 1990) and is the Aggie leader in career rushing yards (5,012 from 1987–1990). Lewis' 5,012 career rushing yards ranked him 5th on the NCAA's All-Time Career Rushing list at the conclusion of his college career, but currently rank him 15th. His college career was filled with highlights and culminated with a spot on the first-team All-America
team in 1990.
to lead the Aggies to a 34-10 victory, their first in Waco
in 10 years. He ran for a freshman record 194 yards in a 42-24 whipping of TCU, which was broken four years later by fellow Carter high alum Greg Hill. He capped off the season by throwing a 24-yard halfback pass to Tony Thompson for a touchdown as the Aggies stomped Notre Dame
35-10 in the 1988 Cotton Bowl and finished ranked in the NCAA top-10 for the second time in three years. His 668 rushing yards were second at the time only to Curtis Dickey
for an Aggie freshman.
against the Razorbacks
and a 201 yard effort at the Astrodome against Houston
. Against Texas, Lewis helped the Aggies jump to a 28-0 lead by scoring a 15-yard TD and adding a 36-yard run to set up a second score. Lewis ran for 212 yards that day as the Aggies went on to beat the Longhorns 28-24 for their fifth consecutive win against their main rival. His 1,692 yards rushing that year is still a Texas A&M record and was second in the NCAA that year only to Oklahoma State's
Barry Sanders
. Lewis was named to the All-Southwest Conference team, his first of two such honors (1988 and 1990).
. Lewis also rumbled for 120 yards against Houston and along with fullback Robert Wilson (115 rushing yards), helped control the ball and hold a Cougar offense that averaged nearly 60 points in their other games to just 13 against the Wrecking Crew. His strongest performance of the season was against Rice, in which he ran for 201 yards. Although his 961 total rushing yards were a down year by Lewis' standards, the total still ranked 7th best all-time at Texas A&M.
winner Ty Detmer
65-14 in the Holiday Bowl
behind Lewis' 104 rushing yards and 2 TDs vaulting the Aggies from unranked to a #15 finish in the AP Poll
. Lewis finished his college career with over 5,000 rushing yards, which at the time was 5th all-time in NCAA history. His 45 career rushing touchdowns were a Texas A&M record for nearly 20 years until being broken by Jorvorskie Lane
in 2008. His 27 career 100 yard games are still an A&M record and his five career 200 yard rushing games are both a Texas A&M and Southwest Conference record.
(161st overall pick) by the Chicago Bears
. After recurring problems and limited playing time, the Bears released Lewis in late 1993 shortly after he was involved in a domestic dispute. He played in 33 games for the Bears, starting 5 of them and totaled 431 rushing yards in his career.
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 a 6th round selection (161st overall pick) out of Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
by the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1991 NFL Draft
1991 NFL Draft
The 1991 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York...
. He would play for the Bears from 1991-1993. He was a consensus All-American
1990 College Football All-America Team
The 1990 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, Scripps-Howard, The...
in 1990.
High school
Lewis was a star at Dallas football powerhouse Carter High SchoolDavid W. Carter High School
David Wendel Carter High School is a public school located in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas . David W. Carter High School, which covers grades 9-12, is a part of the Dallas Independent School District....
and was considered by some to be the top high school player in the class of 1987.
College
Lewis has the top two rushing seasons in Texas A&MTexas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
history (1,692 in 1988 and 1,691 in 1990) and is the Aggie leader in career rushing yards (5,012 from 1987–1990). Lewis' 5,012 career rushing yards ranked him 5th on the NCAA's All-Time Career Rushing list at the conclusion of his college career, but currently rank him 15th. His college career was filled with highlights and culminated with a spot on the first-team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
team in 1990.
1987 Season
As a freshman Lewis ran for 103 yards and 2 TDs against BaylorBaylor Bears
Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference...
to lead the Aggies to a 34-10 victory, their first in Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
in 10 years. He ran for a freshman record 194 yards in a 42-24 whipping of TCU, which was broken four years later by fellow Carter high alum Greg Hill. He capped off the season by throwing a 24-yard halfback pass to Tony Thompson for a touchdown as the Aggies stomped Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
35-10 in the 1988 Cotton Bowl and finished ranked in the NCAA top-10 for the second time in three years. His 668 rushing yards were second at the time only to Curtis Dickey
Curtis Dickey
Curtis Raymond Dickey , was a two-sport athlete at Texas A&M University where he was an outstanding running back in football and excelled in track and field, winning the NCAA championship in the 60 yard dash three times .He also was a professional football player who was selected by the Baltimore...
for an Aggie freshman.
1988 Season
His sophomore season of 1988, the Aggies were ineligible for the Southwest Conference championship due to NCAA violations, but an undaunted Lewis enjoyed a record-breaking season. He rushed 100 yards or more in each of the last 10 games of the season, setting a mark for both consecutive 100-yard games and most in one season, both still A&M records. His streak included strong road performances highlighted by a 192 yard showing in FayettevilleFayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
against the Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
and a 201 yard effort at the Astrodome against Houston
Houston Cougars
Houston Cougars is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Houston. Informally, the Houston Cougars have also been referred to as the Coogs, UH, or simply Houston. Houston's nickname was created by early physical education instructor of the university and former head football...
. Against Texas, Lewis helped the Aggies jump to a 28-0 lead by scoring a 15-yard TD and adding a 36-yard run to set up a second score. Lewis ran for 212 yards that day as the Aggies went on to beat the Longhorns 28-24 for their fifth consecutive win against their main rival. His 1,692 yards rushing that year is still a Texas A&M record and was second in the NCAA that year only to Oklahoma State's
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State Cowboys are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. Their mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big 12 Conference's South Division. The university's current athletic director is Mike Holder...
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...
. Lewis was named to the All-Southwest Conference team, his first of two such honors (1988 and 1990).
1989 Season
In 1989, Lewis helped new head coach R.C. Slocum get off to a good start by rushing for 3 TDs in a tight road victory against Texas TechTexas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
. Lewis also rumbled for 120 yards against Houston and along with fullback Robert Wilson (115 rushing yards), helped control the ball and hold a Cougar offense that averaged nearly 60 points in their other games to just 13 against the Wrecking Crew. His strongest performance of the season was against Rice, in which he ran for 201 yards. Although his 961 total rushing yards were a down year by Lewis' standards, the total still ranked 7th best all-time at Texas A&M.
1990 Season
In 1990 Lewis etched his name into the A&M record books by finishing his college career with perhaps his finest season, as he led the country in rushing and was named a first-team All American. He set a scoring benchmark against Houston, as he ran for 124 yards and four rushing touchdowns, breaking 3 tackles on a 12-yard run for the deciding score in the 4th quarter. His 232 yards against Texas Tech is 2nd all-time in Texas A&M history and was the highest total for an Aggie in 40 years. The Aggies would go on to demolish BYU and Heisman TrophyHeisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Ty Detmer
Ty Detmer
Ty Hubert Detmer is a former National Football League and NCAA quarterback. He starred at Brigham Young University, where he set many records and won the Heisman Trophy in 1990...
65-14 in the Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
behind Lewis' 104 rushing yards and 2 TDs vaulting the Aggies from unranked to a #15 finish in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. Lewis finished his college career with over 5,000 rushing yards, which at the time was 5th all-time in NCAA history. His 45 career rushing touchdowns were a Texas A&M record for nearly 20 years until being broken by Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Javion Lane is an American football running back. He played tailback/fullback for the Texas A&M Aggies college football team. He played tailback during his freshman through junior seasons, and switched to fullback his senior season. He holds the school record for career rushing touchdowns...
in 2008. His 27 career 100 yard games are still an A&M record and his five career 200 yard rushing games are both a Texas A&M and Southwest Conference record.
Professional career
Despite his spectacular college career, Lewis stock fell quickly after testing positive for cocaine at the NFL Combine. He was finally selected in the 6th round of the 1991 NFL Draft1991 NFL Draft
The 1991 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York...
(161st overall pick) by the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After recurring problems and limited playing time, the Bears released Lewis in late 1993 shortly after he was involved in a domestic dispute. He played in 33 games for the Bears, starting 5 of them and totaled 431 rushing yards in his career.