Professional Career
Lewis was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round (153rd overall) of the 1996 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he established himself as the team's kick and punt returner, as well as their slot receiver.
From 1996 to 2001, Lewis scored 23 touchdowns (a franchise record passed by Jamal Lewis in 2003) and made the Pro Bowl in 1998 and 2001 as a returner. He led the NFL in punt return average in 1997 with 15.6 yards-per-return, punt return yards in 2001 with 519, and punt return touchdowns in 1998 and 2000 with two. In the Ravens 34–7 win over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, he had 152 total offensive yards (111 kickoff return yards, 34 punt return yards, seven receiving yards, one rushing yard), including an 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second half that put the game out of reach.
In the 2002 Expansion draft, Lewis was selected sixth by the Houston Texans, carrying a salary cap figure of US$4.29 million. However, he was released by the Texans after just one season. He then played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2003 and 2004 before being allocated to NFL Europe.
Lewis finished his nine NFL seasons with 148 rushing yards, 143 receptions for 2,129 yards, 295 punt returns for 3,282 yards, and 4,611 yards on kickoff returns. Overall, he recorded 10,170 total offensive yards and scored 23 touchdowns (17 receiving, six punt returns). With the Ravens, he gained 8,001 all-purpose yards, which stood as a franchise record until surpassed by Jamal Lewis in 2006.
Read more about this topic: Jermaine Lewis
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