Michael Lewis (wide receiver) facts for kids
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Lewis in 2021
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| New Orleans Saints | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Team ambassador | ||||||||||
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| Born: | November 14, 1971 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 173 lb (78 kg) | ||||||||||
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| High school: | Grace King (Metairie, Louisiana) | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2000 | ||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |||||||||||
Michael Lee Lewis (born November 14, 1971) is a former American football player. He is now a team ambassador for the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League (NFL). Lewis was known for his amazing returns as a wide receiver and return specialist. In 2002, he was named a first-team All-Pro and chosen for the Pro Bowl.
Michael Lewis did not play college football. He started his professional career in 1998 with the Louisiana Bayou Beast. Over the years, he played for several teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, and San Francisco 49ers.
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Early Life and Choices
Michael Lewis grew up in Metairie, Louisiana. He graduated from Grace King High School in 1990. Even though he was a talented athlete, Lewis only played football during his first year of high school. He stopped playing to help his family because they were having money problems.
During his last year of high school, Lewis became a father. He decided to focus on supporting his new child instead of playing football or going to college. This shows how dedicated he was to his family.
Journey to Professional Football
Starting His Career Path
Before he became a famous football player, Michael Lewis worked as a truck driver for Budweiser beer. This is how he got his famous nickname, "Beer Man." His delivery route was even close to the Superdome, where the Saints play!
In his early twenties, a friend told Lewis about an amateur flag football league. He decided to try out and was incredibly successful. This success made him want to chase his dream of playing professional football. He played in many different semi-professional and indoor football leagues. He even played in the Arena Football League. His great performance in these leagues helped him get invited to NFL training camps.
Playing for the Philadelphia Eagles
In 2000, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Michael Lewis before the NFL season started. However, he was released from the team before the regular games began.
Becoming a New Orleans Saint
After leaving the Eagles, Lewis returned home to New Orleans and went back to delivering beer. But the New Orleans Saints signed him at the end of the 2000 NFL season. The Saints then sent him to play for the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe in 2001.
Lewis became the Saints' main return specialist from 2002 until 2005. In 2005, he got a knee injury during a game and couldn't play for the rest of the season. He returned to play for the Saints in October 2006.
In 2002, Lewis set an amazing NFL record! He had 2,432 combined kick and punt return yards. He led the entire league in both punt return yards and kickoff return yards that year. He is still the Saints' all-time leader in punt returns (142) and punt return yards (1,482).
On December 21, 2003, Lewis was part of a famous play called the "River City Relay." In this play, several Saints players lateraled (passed backward) the ball to each other in a last-second attempt to score a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even though the Saints lost the game, the River City Relay won an ESPY award and was named the NFL Play of the Year.
The Saints released Lewis in June 2007. The local newspaper even wrote a sad headline about it, "There's a Tear in My Beer."
Time with the San Francisco 49ers
On September 25, 2007, the San Francisco 49ers signed Michael Lewis. They wanted him to handle their punt returns.
Return to New Orleans VooDoo
Lewis signed a contract with the New Orleans VooDoo, an Arena Football League team, on October 10, 2008. However, the team's owner decided to stop operations just a few days later, so Lewis didn't get to play for them.
Life After Playing Football
Team Ambassador Role
After retiring from playing, Michael Lewis became a "Team Ambassador" for the New Orleans Saints. Even though he wasn't playing anymore, he was given a Super Bowl ring after the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV. This was to recognize his important and continuing role with the team.
In 2015, Michael Lewis was chosen for the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame, a great honor! In 2019, it was announced that a movie about his life, called "The Beer Man," was being made.
Awards and Honors
- New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame (2015)
- 2011 American Football Association Semi Pro Hall of Fame
- 2004 NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 16)
- 2002 NFL Pro Bowl
- Associated Press First-team All-Pro
- 2002 NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 6)
- NFL Alumni Special Teams Player of the Year
- Sports Illustrated All-Pro
- College & Pro Football Newsweekly First-team All-Pro
- Pro Football Weekly All-NFL and All-NFC
- Football Digest First-team All-Pro
- The Sporting News All-Pro
- 2000 AFL All-Rookie Team
- 1998 PIFL All-Star First-team
