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Mo Lewis
No. 57
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1969-10-21) October 21, 1969 (age 55)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight: 258 lb (117 kg)
Career information
High school: Murphy (Atlanta)
College: Georgia
NFL Draft: 1991 / Round: 3 / Pick: 63
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • First-team All-Pro (1998)
  • Second-team All-Pro (2000)
  • 3× Pro Bowl (1998–2000)
  • PFWA All-Rookie Team (1991)
  • 2× Second-team All-SEC (1989, 1990)
Career NFL statistics
Tackles: 1,232
Sacks: 52.5
Interceptions: 14
Player stats at PFR

Morris Clyde Lewis III (born October 21, 1969) is a former American football player. He was a linebacker for 13 seasons with the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). Mo Lewis played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. The Jets picked him in the third round of the 1991 NFL draft.

During his career, Lewis was chosen for three Pro Bowls. He was also named a first-team All-Pro player. He is even part of the Jets All-Time Four Decade Team. However, many people remember Lewis for an injury he caused to New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe in 2001. This event accidentally started a very successful period, known as a dynasty, for the Patriots. This happened when Tom Brady took over as quarterback.

Playing Career Highlights

Mo Lewis was a star player at the University of Georgia. He wore the number 57, which he also used in his professional career. Lewis played 200 games for the Jets. This is the third-longest time any player has been with the team. He was one of the most liked players and a team captain for many years.

He was selected for the Pro Bowl three times (in 1998, 1999, and 2000). From 1997 to 2003, Lewis was the Jets' defensive captain. After the 1998 season, he was named to the NFL All-Pro team. Lewis retired after the 2003 season. He finished his career with 1,231 tackles, 52.5 sacks, and 14 interceptions. He also had 79 pass deflections, 29 forced fumbles, and five defensive touchdowns.

NFL Game Statistics

Here are Mo Lewis's statistics from his time playing in the NFL.

Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular Season Games

Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Comb Solo Ast Sck Int Yds TD Lng FF FR Yds TD
1991 NYJ 16 15 76 76 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0
1992 NYJ 16 16 145 145 0 2.0 1 1 0 1 3 4 22 0
1993 NYJ 16 16 158 158 0 4.0 2 4 0 4 4 0 0 0
1994 NYJ 16 16 130 103 27 6.0 4 106 2 67 3 1 11 0
1995 NYJ 16 16 111 82 29 5.0 2 22 1 15 2 0 0 0
1996 NYJ 9 9 43 32 11 0.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1997 NYJ 16 16 72 45 27 8.0 1 43 1 43 2 1 26 0
1998 NYJ 16 16 81 67 14 7.0 1 11 0 11 1 1 0 0
1999 NYJ 16 16 89 59 30 5.5 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0
2000 NYJ 16 16 89 65 24 10.0 1 23 0 23 2 1 0 0
2001 NYJ 16 16 108 77 31 3.0 1 17 0 17 2 2 15 1
2002 NYJ 16 16 82 68 14 0.5 1 14 0 14 0 0 0 0
2003 NYJ 15 15 48 34 14 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
200 199 1,232 1,011 221 52.5 14 241 4 67 26 12 74 1

Playoff Games

Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Comb Solo Ast Sck Int Yds TD Lng FF FR Yds TD
1991 NYJ 1 1 0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1998 NYJ 2 2 13 7 6 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2001 NYJ 1 1 5 4 1 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2002 NYJ 2 2 12 11 1 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
6 6 30 22 8 3.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

A Big Moment in NFL History

Even though Mo Lewis had a great career, he is often remembered for something else. He was involved in a play that helped start the New England Patriots' amazing success. This period of winning lasted for two decades.

In a game against the Patriots in 2001, Lewis tackled Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe. It was a strong but fair hit. Bledsoe was trying to get a first down, but another player, Shaun Ellis, tripped him. This made Bledsoe take the full force of Lewis's hit while standing up. Tom Brady, who was a backup quarterback, then came into the game. Brady had been picked in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft.

It turned out that Lewis's hit caused a serious internal injury to Bledsoe's chest. Bledsoe lost a lot of blood. He never got his starting job back after that. He was traded to the Buffalo Bills after the season. With Tom Brady as their quarterback, the Patriots won 11 out of their next 14 games. They went on to win their first ever Super Bowl title on February 3, 2002.

Over the next 20 years, the Patriots won six Super Bowl titles with Brady. Brady later won a seventh Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Because of this, Mo Lewis's hit on Drew Bledsoe is often talked about for its huge impact on NFL history. The NFL even put the hit on its list of 100 greatest game changers, ranking it at number 82.

About His Life

Mo Lewis and his wife, Christalyn, live in Atlanta, Georgia. They have two sons.

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