Dion Lewis
Encyclopedia
Dion John Lewis is an American football
running back
for the Philadelphia Eagles
of the National Football League
(NFL). He was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Pittsburgh
.
, where he attended Albany High School, from which he transferred to the Albany Academy
and later to Blair Academy
.
rival Rutgers
for which he was named Big East Conference Offensive Player of the Week and featured in Sports Illustrated
. Following this and later performances, he was mentioned in several news outlets as a possible Heisman Trophy
candidate. Lewis had his sixth 100-yard plus rushing game of the season against Syracuse
.
He rushed for more than 1,799 yards during the 2009 season and broke Craig "Ironhead" 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.
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. He was also among 16 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award
, and was one of ten semifinalists, and the only true freshman, for the Doak Walker Award
. Lewis was also honored as a "Midseason All-American" by CBSSports.com
and SI.com.
Lewis set the Big East freshman rushing record previously held by Tony Dorsett
. The lightly recruited running back was third nationally in rushing (1,799 yards, 5.5 avg) and broke LeSean Mccoy
's record for most points by a Pitt Freshman on December 5, 2009 for the Big East championship against the Cincinnati Bearcats
. He broke 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.
Following the conclusion of the regular season, Lewis was named the National Freshman of the Year by the Sporting News and CBSSports.com
, as well as the Offensive Freshman of the Year by College Football News
. He was also named a second team All-American by the Associated Press
, Sporting News, CBSSports.com, Sports Illustrated, Rivals.com
, and Scout.com
. Lewis was the only freshman named to the first or second AP All-American team. Lewis was named both the Big East Conference Rookie of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year
as well as the Eastern College Athletic Conference
Rookie of the Year.
Heading into the 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. The Sporting News also listed Lewis as a first-team preseason All-American. Early January, Lewis declared he would enter the 2011 NFL Draft
and forgo his junior and senior seasons.
by the Philadelphia Eagles
. He was signed to a four-year contract worth $2.2 million on July 27, 2011.
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...
for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of 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...
(NFL). He was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
. 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 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
.
Early years
Lewis was born in Albany, New YorkAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, where he attended Albany High School, from which he transferred to the Albany Academy
The Albany Academy
The Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for boys in Albany, New York, USA, enrolling students from Preschool to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer and the city council of Albany...
and later to Blair Academy
Blair Academy
Blair Academy is a private, coeducational, secondary boarding high school with an enrollment of about 448 students for grades nine through twelve. The school has 78 faculty members...
.
College career
During twelve regular season games of the 2009 season, Lewis accumulated 1,640 rushing yards rushing and 17 rushing touchdowns. He rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns in an October 2009 victory over Big EastBig East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
rival Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
for which he was named Big East Conference Offensive Player of the Week and featured in Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. Following this and later performances, he was mentioned in several news outlets as a possible Heisman Trophy
Heisman 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...
candidate. Lewis had his sixth 100-yard plus rushing game of the season against Syracuse
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
.
He rushed for more than 1,799 yards during the 2009 season and broke Craig "Ironhead" Heyward's record at Pittsburgh for rushes in a single game with 47 against University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
in the Big East Championship
2009 Pittsburgh Panthers football team
The 2009 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season was the fifth under head coach Dave Wannstedt. The 2009 season marked the team's ninth at Heinz Field and the University's 120th season overall. The 2009...
game, totaling 194 rushing yards, three touchdowns, as well as five catches for 34 yards.
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
Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
award. He was also among 16 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
, and was one of ten semifinalists, and the only true freshman, for the Doak Walker Award
Doak Walker Award
The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
. Lewis was also honored as a "Midseason All-American" by CBSSports.com
CBSSports.com
CBSSports.com was founded in 1994 as SportsLine USA, and today is a CBS-owned website that provides sports scores, news, statistics, live and on-demand video, mobile apps, e-commerce, fantasy sports products, services, and information..Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, CBSSports.com it is...
and SI.com.
Lewis set the Big East freshman rushing record previously held by Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.-Early years:...
. The lightly recruited running back was third nationally in rushing (1,799 yards, 5.5 avg) and broke LeSean Mccoy
LeSean McCoy
-Philadelphia Eagles:McCoy was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract with the team on June 29, 2009....
's record for most points by a Pitt Freshman on December 5, 2009 for the Big East championship against the Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
. He broke 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.
Following the conclusion of the regular season, Lewis was named the National Freshman of the Year by the Sporting News and CBSSports.com
CBSSports.com
CBSSports.com was founded in 1994 as SportsLine USA, and today is a CBS-owned website that provides sports scores, news, statistics, live and on-demand video, mobile apps, e-commerce, fantasy sports products, services, and information..Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, CBSSports.com it is...
, as well as the Offensive Freshman of the Year by College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
. He was also named a second team All-American 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...
, Sporting News, CBSSports.com, Sports Illustrated, Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, and Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
. Lewis was the only freshman named to the first or second AP All-American team. Lewis was named both the Big East Conference Rookie of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year
Big East Conference football awards
The Big East Conference gives five football awards at the conclusion of every season. The awards were first given in 1991 following the conference's first football season. The five awards include Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Special Teams Player of the Year, Rookie of...
as well as the Eastern College Athletic Conference
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
Rookie of the Year.
Heading into the 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. The Sporting News also listed Lewis as a first-team preseason All-American. Early January, Lewis declared he would enter the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
and forgo his junior and senior seasons.
College Stats
| Year | Team | Att | Yards | Average | TDs | Receptions | Yards | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Blair Academy Blair Academy Blair Academy is a private, coeducational, secondary boarding high school with an enrollment of about 448 students for grades nine through twelve. The school has 78 faculty members... |
|
||||||
| 2009 2009 Pittsburgh Panthers football team The 2009 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season was the fifth under head coach Dave Wannstedt. The 2009 season marked the team's ninth at Heinz Field and the University's 120th season overall. The 2009... |
Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of... |
325 | 1,799 | 5.5 | 17 | 25 | 189 | 1 |
| 2010 2010 Pittsburgh Panthers football team -Rankings:The Panthers debuted at #15 in the preseason Coaches' Poll. and in the preseason Associated Press Poll.Sports Illustrated ranked Pitt #16 in the annual College Football Preview issue on August 16, 2010.... |
Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of... |
219 | 1,061 | 4.8 | 13 | 27 | 216 | 0 |
| College Totals | 544 | 2,860 | 5.3 | 30 | 52 | 405 | 1 | |
Philadelphia Eagles
Lewis was selected with the 149th pick in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
by the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was signed to a four-year contract worth $2.2 million on July 27, 2011.