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They needed a roster spot to replace him, so Lewis was let go. But days later, the Colts lost defensive tackle Art Jones to an ankle injury.

Many coaches see him as the type of player who is best utilized in a specific package. The plan was to develop a specific role for him and work him into the offense. They picked up Lewis one week into the season. Lewis was cut as the Browns elected to retain Terrance West, Isaiah Crowell and Ben Tate, each of whom stood 5'11" and none of whom weighed less than 220. In camp, Lewis did not look like the same player he was before the injury, and the Browns' new regime prioritized size in the backfield. He came back in the summer of 2014, but most of the people who had traded for him were gone. Instead, Lewis spent the season on injured reserve. "After Trent Richardson, Dion would have definitely been the starter." "I would say he was going to play a great deal if he had not been injured," said Norv Turner, who was the Browns offensive coordinator that year. Lewis has not been a return man, and he isn't big enough to block or play coverage on special teams. And most coaches want backups to have special teams value.

Smaller running backs almost always are backups in the NFL. But that stereotypical thinking cost a lot of teams a chance at a guy with a lot of talent. "Most smaller players don't overcome the size challenge. "There is a prejudice in the NFL against smaller players, and for good reason," said Banner, now an ESPN analyst. The Eagles subsequently targeted Lewis as a fifth-round pick, and they were pleased to select him there. He thought Lewis would be a change-of-pace back in the NFL. The loudest voice in the Philadelphia draft room pushing for the team to select Lewis was Banner's. Lewis' small frame did not diminish the enthusiasm of Joe Banner, then the president of the Eagles.

Despite his stats at Pitt, including once carrying the ball 47 times in a single game, Lewis would not be considered durable enough to be an every-down NFL back. 2: There was a reason many overlooked LewisĪt the 2011 scouting combine, Lewis measured 5'7" and weighed 193 pounds. Morris said Lewis bench-pressed twice his body weight and squatted more than 500 pounds, making him the strongest pound-for-pound player on the team.Ĭlue No. Buddy Morris, the strength coach for Pitt at the time, gave his players a test that measured pound-for-pound strength. Lewis was about more than just quick feet. "If he is the type of person we want, we will offer him a scholarship." After just eight plays, he hit the stop button on his remote control. He would be offered scholarships from just two other schools, Miami of Ohio and Tulane. That was why Lewis was not being heavily recruited by others. "Coach, he's only 5'5", 180," Hafley said, almost apologetically. He placed a DVD on Wannstedt's desk of a running back from Blair Academy. Jeff Hafley, the secondary coach, was in charge of recruiting New Jersey. If he did, the Panthers were going to need a replacement who could step in the following season, and they didn't have one on the roster.ĭave Wannstedt, then the head coach, gave his assistants an assignment: Find a running back who could start for the team next year. LeSean "Shady" McCoy, the team's star running back, might leave school early and apply for the NFL draft.

In the fall of 2008, there were rumors on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. 1: Lewis had shown extraordinary talent in the past