D. D. Lewis (1970s linebacker)

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D. D. Lewis (linebacker, born 1945)
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This article is about the former Dallas Cowboys linebacker. For the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks linebacker of the same name, see D. D. Lewis (2000s linebacker).

D. D. Lewis
No. 50
Position:
1968
 / Round: 6 / Pick: 159
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:186
Games started:135
Interceptions:8
Interception yards:97
Fumble recoveries:14
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Dwight Douglas Lewis (born October 16, 1945) is an American former professional

1968 NFL draft. Lewis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 2001.

Early years

Born in 1945 in

Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur. He attended Fulton High School, where he was a Tennessee All-State linebacker
in 1963.

College career

Lewis starred at Mississippi State University from 1965 to 1967 as a two-way player and three-year starter. He led Mississippi State in tackles and assists all three of his varsity seasons and was named team captain his senior year.

Despite being on teams that went 7–23, Lewis earned

All-American
selection his senior year.

Repeatedly anointed as the top

Hall of Fame coach Bear Bryant called D.D. Lewis "the best linebacker in the country". Bill Yeoman applauded Lewis' ability to recover and pursue and said he was the finest linebacker he had seen that year. Following the 1967 season, Vince Dooley said he was the best linebacker
Georgia had faced – "He's terrific."

Lewis won numerous awards:

UPI second-team All-American (1967), outstanding athlete (1968). At the end of his senior year, Lewis was selected to play in the Senior Bowl, the Coaches All-America Game, and the Blue–Gray Game
.

For his accomplishments while at

Hall of Fame
.

Professional career

Although he was a great college player, Lewis was selected by the

outside linebacker
.

In

weakside linebacker position, when Chuck Howley
retired, and held this position for nine straight years.

His best game was in the 1975 NFC Championship Game, when he intercepted two passes in a 37–7 victory against the Los Angeles Rams, helping the Cowboys become the first wild-card team to make it to the Super Bowl.

To this day, he holds the Cowboys playoff record with 27 games played. During his NFL career, Lewis played in 12 NFC divisional-round contests, one NFC wild-card contest and nine NFC Championship Games. He made five Super Bowl appearances while winning Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl XII. During the 1980 season, he became along with Larry Cole, the first three-decade players in franchise history.[2]

Lewis played for 13 years and started 135 consecutive games (third in team history), until his retirement after the 1981 season. He was voted the "Most Popular Player" by the Cowboys fans and given the Bart Starr Meritorious Award in 1981. He is one of only eight NFL players who have played in five Super Bowls: (V, VI, X, XII and XIII).

During the 1982 season, Lewis famously reasoned that "Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch His favorite team play".

Although he was never selected to a Pro Bowl or All-Pro squad, he served as defensive co-captain in 1977 and 1978. In 1984, he was named to the Cowboys Silver Anniversary Team.

References

  1. ^ "Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Inductees". msfame.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  2. ^ "Early Doomsday Members Among Cowboys' Best 6th-Round Picks". Archived from the original on June 20, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2023.

External links

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