| No. 57 | |
| Linebacker | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: October 21, 1969 | |
| Place of birth: Atlanta, Georgia | |
| Career information | |
| College: Georgia | |
| NFL Draft: 1991 / Round: 3 / Pick: 63 | |
| Debuted in 1991 for the [[{{{debutteam}}}]] | |
| Last played in 2003 for the [[{{{finalteam}}}]] | |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Tackles | 1,231 |
| Sacks | 52.5 |
| Interceptions | 14 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Morris "Mo" C. Lewis (born October 21, 1969 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a former American football player who played linebacker for the New York Jets from 1991 until 2003.
Career[]
He was a star at the University of Georgia, wearing the number 57 in his college and pro career. Lewis, along with former Jets teammate Marvin Jones, signed a one-day contract with the Jets on June 27, 2005. Lewis played 200 games as a Jet, the third longest tenure in franchise history and was one of the most loved team players and captains of his time. He was also a three time Pro Bowler (1998, 1999, 2000),[1] the Jets defensive captain from 1997 to 2003 and was even named to the NFL All-Pro team after the 1998 season.
Lewis delivered the crushing hit on New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe in week 2 of the 2001 season that caused Bledsoe moderate internal bleeding. Bledsoe's backup was Tom Brady, who has since led the New England Patriots to five Super Bowl appearances and has been named Super Bowl MVP twice. For this hit, Patriots fans often jokingly refer to Lewis as the most valuable player in Patriots history.
In 2002, after the signing of long time Buffalo Bills linebacker Sam Cowart in the off-season as a free agent, many Jets fans were excited, because the signing of Cowart meant that the Jets would have a linebacker corp of All-Pro Mo Lewis, Marvin Jones, and Cowart. However, this did not turn out to be the story, as the linebacker corp that looked astounding on paper crumbled within a season. After a season together, Jones and Lewis were cut after the 2003 season and would go onto retire after the 2004 season.
Lewis retired after the 2003 season with 1231 tackles (883 solo), 52.5 sacks, 14 interceptions for 241 yards, 79 pass deflections, 29 forced fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries for 74 yards, and 5 defensive touchdowns in 200 career games. He made the Pro Bowl three times during his career, in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
References[]
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