Dion Lewis facts for kids
Lewis with the Tennessee Titans in 2019
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| Albany Great Danes | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Assistant running backs coach | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | September 27, 1990 Albany, New York, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Blair Academy (Blairstown, New Jersey) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Pittsburgh (2009–2010) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2011 / Round: 5 / Pick: 149 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Dion John Lewis (born September 27, 1990) is an American football coach and former running back. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. A running back is a player who carries the ball.
Dion played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers. In 2009, he was named a second-team All-American. This is a big honor for college players. The Philadelphia Eagles picked him in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft. The NFL draft is where pro teams choose new college players.
After playing two seasons with the Eagles, Lewis also played for the New England Patriots. With the Patriots, he won Super Bowl LI in 2017. This is the biggest championship in American football. He then played for the Tennessee Titans and the New York Giants. Today, Lewis is an assistant running backs coach for the University of Albany.
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Early Life and High School Football
Dion Lewis grew up in Albany, New York. He went to Albany High School. Later, he transferred to Blair Academy. At Blair Academy, he was an amazing football player. His team had a great record, winning 17 games and losing only 1. They also won two championships.
As a junior, Dion ran for 979 yards. He scored 14 touchdowns. A touchdown is worth six points. In his senior year, he ran for 1,243 yards. He scored 26 total touchdowns. He was also good at track & field. He ran sprints and did the long jump.
College Football Career
Dion Lewis played college football at the University of Pittsburgh. He played there from 2009 to 2010.
2009 Season: A Star is Born
In 2009, Dion had an incredible first year. He rushed for 1,640 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. He ran for 180 yards against Rutgers. This earned him the Big East Conference Offensive Player of the Week award. He was even mentioned as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate. The Heisman Trophy goes to the best college football player.
Dion broke a record at Pittsburgh. He rushed for 47 times in one game. This was against the University of Cincinnati. He gained 194 yards and scored three touchdowns in that game. He was one of the top players to watch for national awards. He was also named a "Midseason All-American."
Lewis set a new record for freshmen in the Big East Conference. He was third in the nation for rushing yards. He also broke another record for most points by a Pitt freshman. He was named the MVP of the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl. After the season, he was named National Freshman of the Year. He was also a second-team All-American. He won both Rookie of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year for the Big East Conference.
2010 Season: Continuing Success
Before the 2010 season, many experts thought Dion would be a top player. They even thought he could win the Heisman Trophy. He was listed as a first-team preseason All-American.
Dion had some challenges during the season. He dealt with an upper-body injury. Still, he had some great games. In the last game of the regular season, he ran for 261 yards. He scored four touchdowns. He also had 105 yards and a touchdown in the BBVA Compass Bowl.
After the 2010 season, Dion decided to enter the 2011 NFL draft. This meant he would skip his last two years of college.
College Statistics
| Season | Team | Rushing | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | TD | ||
| 2009 | Pittsburgh | 325 | 1,799 | 5.5 | 17 | 25 | 189 | 1 |
| 2010 | Pittsburgh | 219 | 1,061 | 4.8 | 13 | 27 | 216 | 0 |
| Career | 544 | 2,860 | 5.3 | 30 | 52 | 405 | 1 | |
Professional Football Career
Dion Lewis was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2011 NFL Draft. He was the 149th player chosen overall.
Philadelphia Eagles (2011–2012)
Lewis signed a four-year contract with the Eagles. In his first year, he was mainly a kick returner. This means he caught kicks and ran them back. He didn't play much as a running back at first. In the last game of the season, he ran for 58 yards. He also scored his first NFL touchdown.
In 2012, his role was similar. He was still a kick returner. He scored one rushing touchdown that season.
Cleveland Browns (2013) and Indianapolis Colts (2014)
In 2013, Lewis was traded to the Cleveland Browns. But he missed the whole season because of a broken leg. He was released by the Browns in 2014. He then signed with the Indianapolis Colts but was released soon after. He did not play in 2014.
New England Patriots (2015–2017)
Dion Lewis signed with the New England Patriots in late 2014. He made the team's roster in 2015. He played his first game in two years. He had a great start, gaining 120 yards in his first game. He also scored his first touchdown as a Patriot.
After just three games, the Patriots gave him a new contract. This showed how much they valued him. However, his season ended early. He tore a ligament in his knee. He finished 2015 with 234 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also had 388 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
2016 Season: Super Bowl Champion
In 2016, Dion had another knee surgery. He started the season on a special list for injured players. He returned to play in November.
In the playoffs, Dion made history. He became the first player in the Super Bowl era to score three different types of touchdowns in one playoff game. He scored on a run, a catch, and a kickoff return. This was in a game against the Houston Texans.
On February 5, 2017, Dion Lewis and the Patriots won Super Bowl LI. They beat the Atlanta Falcons in an amazing comeback. The Patriots were losing 28–3 but came back to win 34–28 in overtime. This was the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.
2017 Season: A Key Player
In 2017, Dion's role grew even more. He became the main running back for the Patriots. He had many strong games. In one game against the Denver Broncos, he ran for 55 yards. He also returned a kickoff for a 103-yard touchdown! This earned him a special award.
He had a career-high 112 rushing yards against the Miami Dolphins. In a game against the Buffalo Bills, he ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns. This was his best rushing game ever. He played in all 16 regular season games for the first time.
In the playoffs, Dion was the Patriots' top runner. He helped them reach Super Bowl LII. In the Super Bowl, the Patriots lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Tennessee Titans (2018–2019)
In 2018, Lewis signed a four-year contract with the Tennessee Titans. He had a good first game with the Titans. He ran for 75 yards and scored a touchdown. He also caught five passes.
He continued to be an important player. In a game against the Dallas Cowboys, he was the top rusher and receiver. He ran for 62 yards and caught a touchdown pass. As the season went on, another running back, Derrick Henry, started to play more.
In 2019, Dion's role became smaller. He scored his only touchdown of the year on a catch. He played in all 16 games. In March 2020, the Titans released him.
New York Giants (2020)
In April 2020, Lewis signed with the New York Giants. He was a backup running back. He played in all 16 games for the Giants. He ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught 18 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. He returned 24 kicks as well.
Retirement
On August 13, 2021, Dion Lewis announced he was retiring from the NFL. He played for 10 seasons.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Returning | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2011 | PHI | 15 | 0 | 23 | 102 | 4.4 | 20 | 1 | 1 | −3 | −3.0 | −3 | 0 | 31 | 669 | 21.6 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2012 | PHI | 9 | 0 | 13 | 69 | 5.3 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 33.0 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | CLE | 0 | 0 | DNP | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | IND | 0 | 0 | DNP | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | NE | 7 | 6 | 49 | 234 | 4.8 | 13 | 2 | 36 | 388 | 10.8 | 40 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2016 | NE | 7 | 5 | 64 | 283 | 4.4 | 15 | 0 | 17 | 94 | 5.5 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 17.5 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | NE | 16 | 8 | 180 | 896 | 5.0 | 44 | 6 | 32 | 214 | 6.7 | 20 | 3 | 23 | 570 | 24.8 | 103T | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | TEN | 16 | 7 | 155 | 517 | 3.3 | 36 | 1 | 59 | 400 | 6.8 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | TEN | 16 | 1 | 54 | 209 | 3.9 | 17 | 0 | 25 | 164 | 6.6 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | NYG | 16 | 0 | 29 | 115 | 4.0 | 19 | 2 | 19 | 127 | 6.7 | 17 | 1 | 24 | 538 | 22.4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Career | 102 | 27 | 567 | 2,425 | 4.3 | 44 | 13 | 191 | 1,408 | 7.4 | 40 | 8 | 81 | 1,845 | 22.8 | 103T | 1 | 9 | 4 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Returning | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2016 | NE | 3 | 2 | 25 | 79 | 3.2 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 33 | 6.6 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 162 | 32.4 | 98T | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2017 | NE | 3 | 3 | 33 | 135 | 4.1 | 18 | 0 | 16 | 111 | 6.9 | 31 | 0 | 6 | 106 | 17.7 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | TEN | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 9 | 5 | 60 | 222 | 3.7 | 18 | 1 | 23 | 158 | 6.9 | 31 | 1 | 11 | 268 | 24.4 | 98T | 1 | 3 | 1 | |
Coaching Career
In 2023, Dion Lewis became a coach. He joined the staff at Albany. He is now the assistant running backs coach there.
