Jermaine Lewis

Jermaine Edward Lewis (born October 16, 1974 in Lanham, Maryland) is a retired American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was originally drafted in the fifth round (153^rd overall) of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football at Maryland.

In his career, Lewis has also played for the Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

High school and college careers

Lewis attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School, where he was a two-time team MVP as a running back, while also as a sprinter on the track team, setting a national high school record in the 200 meters in 1991.^{[citation needed]}

Lewis was a four-year starter at Maryland, where he set several ACC records, including a record 193 receptions.^{[citation needed]}

Professional career (1996 - 2004)

Lewis was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round (153^rd overall) of the 1996 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he established himself as the team's kick and punt returner, as well as their slot receiver.

From 1996 to 2001, Lewis scored 23 touchdowns (a franchise record passed by Jamal Lewis in 2003) and made the Pro Bowl in 1998 and 2001 as a returner. He led the NFL in punt return average in 1997 with 15.6 yards-per-return, punt return yards in 2001 with 519, and punt return touchdowns in 1998 and 2000 with two. 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, seven receiving yards, one 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. However, he was released by the Texans after just one season. He then played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2003 and 2004 before being allocated to NFL Europe.

Lewis finished his nine 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 recorded 10,170 total offensive yards and scored 23 touchdowns (17 receiving, six 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.

Personal

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.^{[citation needed]} Lewis has a charity in honor of Geronimo called the Geronimo Lewis Foundation.^{[citation needed]}

External links

• NFL.com All-time player page
• CNNSI Player Page
• ESPN Player Page
• Yahoo Player Page
• Stats at Pro Football Reference