No. 29 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Born: | Mansfield, Louisiana, U.S. | October 6, 1960||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | DeSoto (Mansfield, Louisiana) [1] [2] | ||||||||
College: | Grambling State (1979–1982) | ||||||||
NFL draft: | 1983 / Round: 3 / Pick: 61 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Player stats at PFR |
Albert Ray Lewis (born October 6, 1960) is a former American football cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders.
Lewis was a third-round draft pick (61st overall) by the Chiefs in the 1983 NFL Draft. His career spanned 16 seasons in which he recorded 42 interceptions, 12.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, 13 fumbles recoveries and 2 touchdowns. In addition to his play on defense, Lewis blocked 11 kicks in 11 seasons with the Chiefs.
Lewis was named the Chiefs MVP for the 1986 season after he recorded 69 tackles (61 solo), four interceptions, two fumble recoveries, one sack and one blocked punt. During his time in Kansas City, the Chiefs made the playoffs five times. This included an appearance in the 1993 AFC Championship game. Lewis finished with 38 interceptions in 11 seasons with the Chiefs, the fifth-highest total in franchise history. Twenty of those came in his first four seasons before opposing teams decided not to throw to his side of the field as much. [3] He played in 150 games for the Chiefs and was a starter in 128 of them. [4] Lewis spent the final five seasons of his career with the Raiders. While with the team, he became the oldest player to score a defensive touchdown (38 years, 26 days) on November 1, 1998, when he returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks, his first and only interception return for a touchdown in his career.
Lewis retired from the NFL after the 1998 season.
Lewis was known for his excellent acceleration and speed, at one point running a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash. [1] At 6' 2", he was one of the tallest cornerbacks in the NFL at the time. He also had 35-inch long arms and a 38-inch vertical leap. [1] Lewis credited his strong determination and work-ethic to his father, Brad. [1] [5]
Lewis was named to the Chiefs 25-Year All-Time Team in 1987 and was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame on March 4, 2007.
In 1999, Lewis bought Greystone, a 320 acres (130 ha) horse ranch north in Centreville, Mississippi. [6]
In July 2008, Lewis, along with former Chiefs teammate Kevin Ross, was named to the NFL Network's "Top 10 Cornerback Tandems" list. [7] He was named as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the first time in 2023. [8]
Legend | |
---|---|
Led the league | |
Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | AllTD | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Sfty | Int | Yds | Y/I | Lng | TD | FF | FR | TD | |||
1983 | KC | 16 | 1 | 36 | – | – | — | — | 4 | 42 | 10.5 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
1984 | KC | 15 | 15 | 69 | – | – | 1.0 | — | 4 | 57 | 14.3 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
1985 | KC | 16 | 16 | 74 | – | – | 1.5 | — | 8 | 59 | 7.4 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
1986 | KC | 15 | 15 | 69 | – | – | 1.0 | — | 4 | 18 | 4.5 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
1987 | KC | 12 | 12 | 43 | – | – | – | — | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
1988 | KC | 14 | 12 | 45 | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
1989 | KC | 16 | 16 | 57 | – | – | 1.0 | — | 4 | 37 | 9.3 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
1990 | KC | 15 | 14 | 58 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
1991 | KC | 8 | 6 | 18 | – | – | – | – | 3 | 21 | 7.0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
1992 | KC | 9 | 8 | 30 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
1993 | KC | 14 | 13 | 56 | – | – | – | – | 6 | 61 | 10.2 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
1994 | RAI | 14 | 9 | 45 | 39 | 6 | 1.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
1995 | OAK | 16 | 15 | 57 | 49 | 8 | 1.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
1996 | OAK | 16 | 13 | 54 | 48 | 6 | 3.0 | – | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
1997 | OAK | 14 | 11 | 63 | 54 | 9 | 2.0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
1998 | OAK | 15 | 12 | 58 | 52 | 6 | 1.0 | – | 2 | 74 | 37.0 | 74 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career | 255 | 188 | 832 | 242 | 35 | 12.5 | 1 | 42 | 403 | 9.6 | 74 | 1 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 2 |
Lewis has three children.[ citation needed ] His son Julian is a former defensive back for the University of New Mexico.[ citation needed ]
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XVII champion Washington Redskins and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Los Angeles Raiders to determine the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1983 season. The Raiders defeated the Redskins, 38–9. The Raiders' 38 points scored and 29-point margin of victory broke Super Bowl records; it remains the most points scored by an AFC team in a Super Bowl, later matched by the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. This is the first time the city of Tampa hosted the Super Bowl and was the AFC's last Super Bowl win until Super Bowl XXXII, won by the Denver Broncos.
Sam Adams is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, earning consensus All-American honors, and was selected eighth overall by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1994 NFL draft. Following six seasons as a member of the Seahawks, he earned consecutive Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honors during his two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Adams was also part of the team that won a Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXV and made another championship appearance in his one season for the Oakland Raiders in 2002. As a member of the Buffalo Bills from 2003 to 2004, Adams was named to a third Pro Bowl. He spent his last two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos.
Roderick Kevin Woodson is an American former professional football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Widely considered one of the greatest defensive backs of all time, Woodson holds the NFL record for fumble recoveries (32) by a defensive player, and interceptions returned for touchdown (12). He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1993.
In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team but caught by a player of the team on defense, who thereby usually gains possession of the ball for their team. It is commonly seen in football, including American and Canadian football, as well as association football, rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, as well as any sport by which a loose object is passed between players toward a goal. In basketball, this is called a steal.
Ronald Mandel Lott is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons from 1981 to 1994.
Charles Cameron Woodson is an American former football defensive back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. He spent his first 14 seasons as a cornerback and his final four as a safety. Woodson played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, three times selected to the All-Big Ten team, twice earning All-American honors. As a junior he was a national champion and the Heisman Trophy winner in 1997. To date he is the only defensive player in college football history to win the Heisman Trophy.
Julius Frazier Peppers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers second overall in the 2002 NFL draft, and also played for the Chicago Bears from 2010 through 2013 and the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2016. After rejoining the Panthers for the 2017 season, he retired after the 2018 NFL season.
Aeneas Demetrius Williams is an American former football cornerback and safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the Arizona Cardinals franchise. He played college football for the Southern Jaguars and was selected in the third round of the 1991 NFL draft by the Cardinals, where he spent 10 seasons. During his final four seasons, he was a member of the St. Louis Rams. Williams received eight Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro honors, as well as being on the second NFL 1990s All-Decade Team. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
Derrick Vincent Thomas, nicknamed "D. T.", was an American football linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Considered one of the greatest pass rushers of all time, he played 11 seasons with the Chiefs until his death in 2000. Thomas played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he won the Butkus Award, and was selected fourth overall by Kansas City in the 1989 NFL draft. During his career, he received nine Pro Bowl and two first-team All-Pro selections, and set the single-game sacks record.
Jamael Orondé "Ronde" Barber is an American former football cornerback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). Barber grew up in Roanoke, Virginia, and played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers, earning third-team All-American honors twice.
Stanford Bermond Routt is a former American football cornerback. After playing college football for Houston, he was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played for the Raiders for seven seasons from 2005 to 2011. He also played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans.
Kenneth Jerome Riley was an American professional football player who was a cornerback. He spent his entire career with the Cincinnati Bengals, first in the American Football League (AFL) in 1969 and then the National Football League (NFL) from 1970 through 1983. Riley recorded 65 interceptions in his career, which was the fourth most in NFL history at the time of his retirement behind three members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dick Lane, Emlen Tunnell, and Paul Krause. But despite his accomplishments, he was never an exceptionally well known or popular player. Riley was never once selected to play in the AFL All-Star Game or the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, but in 2023, after decades of waiting, was posthumously elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Neil Smith is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1988 to 1996, the Denver Broncos from 1997 to 1999, and the San Diego Chargers in 2000. Before his NFL career, he played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, where he was an All-American in 1987. He also co-owned an Arena Football team, the Kansas City Command.
Shawn William Barber is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Richmond. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans.
Lorenzo M. Lynch is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears, Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals and Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Sacramento State College.
Antoine Brandon Cason is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats where he was recognized as a consensus All-American and won the Jim Thorpe Award. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft. Cason also played for Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and Baltimore Ravens.
Kevin Lesley Ross is a former American football cornerback and safety and the current cornerbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ross was drafted in the 7th round of the 1984 NFL Draft with the 173rd overall selection by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he spent his first 10 seasons. He also played two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, one year with the San Diego Chargers, then returned to the Chiefs for one season in 1997.
Lee Nelson is a former American football defensive back who played ten seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 1993 Los Angeles Raiders season was the franchise's 34th season overall, and the franchise's 24th season in the National Football League. The team improved upon its 7–9 record in the previous season and returned to the NFL playoffs after a one-year absence, but lost in the AFC Divisional game to the Buffalo Bills.
Marcus Peters is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft and has also been a member of the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and Las Vegas Raiders. He played college football at Washington.