Jermaine Lewis

Infobox NFLretired


position=WR / Return specialist
number=84
birthdate=birth date and age|1974|10|16
Lanham, Maryland
debutyear=1996
finalyear=2004
draftyear=1996
draftround=5
draftpick=153
college=Maryland
teams=
* Baltimore Ravens (1996-2001)
* Houston Texans (2002)
* Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-2004)
stat1label=Return Touchdowns
stat1value=6
stat2label=PR yards
stat2value=3,282
stat3label=KR yards
stat3value=4,611
nfl=LEW376340
highlights=
* 2x Pro Bowl selection (1998, 2001)
* 2x All-Pro in selection (1998, 2001)
HOF=
CollegeHOF=

Jermaine Lewis (born October 16, 1974 in Lanham, Maryland) is an American football wide receiver in the NFL.

A star high school athlete at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, he was a two-time team MVP as a running back while also starring as a sprinter on the track team, setting a national high school record in the 200 meters in 1991. As a four-year starter at the University of Maryland College Park, Lewis set several Atlantic Coast Conference records, including a record 193 receptions, making him a national star.

Selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the 1996 NFL Draft, Lewis quickly established himself as the team's kick returner, punt returner, and slot receiver. From 1996 to 2001, Lewis scored 23 touchdowns (a franchise record eclipsed by Jamal Lewis in 2003) and made the Pro Bowl in 1998 and 2001 for his special teams play. He led the NFL in punt return average in 1997(15.6), punt return yards in 2001(519), and punt return touchdowns in 1998 and 2000(2). One of his most memorable performances was in the Ravens 34-7 win over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. He finished the game with 152 total offensive yards (111 kickoff return yards, 34 punt return yards, 7 receiving yards, 1 rushing yard), including an 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second half that put the game out of reach.

In the 2002 expansion draft, Lewis was selected sixth by the Houston Texans, carrying a salary cap figure of $4.29 million. Released by the Texans, Lewis played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2003 and 2004 before being allocated to NFL Europe.

Lewis finished his 9 NFL seasons with 148 rushing yards, 143 receptions for 2,129 yards, 295 punt returns for 3,282 yards, and 4,611 yards on kickoff returns. Overall, he gained 10,170 total offensive yards and scored 23 touchdowns (17 receiving, 6 punt returns). With the Ravens, he gained 8,001 all-purpose yards, which stood as a franchise record until surpassed by Jamal Lewis in 2006.

Lewis is married to Imara Lewis and has two sons, J.J. (born March 29, 1997) and Ali (born March 1, 2002). He also had a child named Geronimo, who was born stillborn in 2000. Lewis has a charity in honor of Geronimo called the Geronimo Lewis Foundation.

External links

* [http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1193 NFL.com Player Page]
* [http://www.nflplayers.com/players/player.aspx?id=23851 NFLPLAYERS.COM Player Page]
* [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football.nfl/players/3651 CNNSI Player Page]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3651 ESPN Player Page]
* [http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/3651 Yahoo Player Page]
* [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/LewiJe00.htm Stats at Pro Football Reference]