| Derek Lewis |
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Tight End
6-2 · 235
New Orleans, La. (St. Augustine)
#82
A solid four-year receiving tight end who started 16 career games ... played in three bowl games (1995 Sugar Bowl; 1997 Fiesta Bowl; 1999 Cotton Bowl) ... member of two conference championship teams (1995 SWC; 1996 Big 12) ... voted 1998 first-team All-Big 12 by conference coaches ... named third-team All-Big 12 in 1997 ... finished his career ranked third on the UT all-time TDs by a tight end list (8), ranked fifth on the UT all-time receptions by a tight end list (47), and ranked seventh on the UT all-time receiving yards by a tight end list (551) ... tabbed UT Most Consistent Offensive Player and UT Outstanding Tight End in 1998 ... signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Rams following the 1999 NFL Draft.
SENIOR (1998)
Started all 12 games at tight end, including the 1999 Cotton Bowl ... tabbed first-team All-Big 12 by conference coaches ... voted UT Most Consistent Offensive Player and UT Outstanding Tight End ... pulled in 18 catches for 236 yards on the season ... also scored six TDs, which was at the time the second-most ever by a UT tight end ... set a career-high in the season opener vs. New Mexico State with 64 receiving yards ... scored a career-high two TDs against Iowa State ... had a season-high 42-yard reception for a touchdown against Rice ... pulled in two receptions for 26 yards in the Cotton Bowl against No. 25 Mississippi State.
JUNIOR (1997)
Played in all 11 games and started three at tight end ... tabbed third-team All-Big 12 by the conference coaches ... was third on the team with 20 receptions for 192 yards ... caught at least one pass in all 11 games ... his two TD catches were the most of any tight end on the team ... earned Texas' special teams high points award ... had five special teams tackles and cause a fumble ... caught a career-high four passes for 35 yards vs. Oklahoma State ... had three receptions for 27 yards and a TD at Missouri and three receptions for 24 yards vs. Kansas ... caught two passes for 28 yards at Rice and two for 31 yards at Baylor.
SOPHOMORE (1996)
Played in 13 games, including the Fiesta Bowl ... missed the New Mexico State game due to injury ... caught just eight passes for 114 yards on the season, but his reception in the Big 12 Championship game was perhaps one of the most critical receptions in Texas football history ... the critical reception came on fourth down with a pass from James Brown that helped beat Nebraska ... he turned that relatively short toss into a career-high 61-yard reception.
FRESHMAN (1995)
Played in all 13 games on special teams, including the 1995 Sugar Bowl ... saw action in eight games at tight end ... in a three game span Lewis blocked a punt that was recovered for a TD vs. Oklahoma, saved a first down on a fake punt by Virginia when he stripped the ball, and caused a fumble on a return against Texas Tech ... had three tackles on the season including a pair of solo stops against the Red Raiders ... had a nine-yard reception at SMU ... also retuned a punt 15 yards against Oklahoma.
HIGH SCHOOL
Was coached by Tony Biagus at St. Augustine High ... was a talented tight end who also saw action at wide receiver ... caught 13 passes for 163 yards as a senior.
PERSONAL
Born 4/2/77 ... majored in kinesiology ... full name is Derek Joseph Lewis, Jr. ... honor student and a member of the National Honor Society as a prepster ... earned a spot on Blue Chip Illustrated academic All-American team in 1994.
CAREER STATISTICS
Year G/GS Rec-Yd YPR Per/G TD Long
1998 11/11 18-236 13.1 21.5 6 42t/Rice
1997 11/3 20-192 9.6 17.5 2 23/Baylor
1996 12/2 8-114 14.3 12.7 0 61/Neb
1995 11/0 1-9 9.0 0.8 0 9/SMU
Career 45/16 47-551 11.7 12.2 8 61/Neb*
High Games
Receptions: 4 at ISU (Sr.), NMSU (Sr.), and Oklahoma State (Jr.)
Receiving Yards: 61 at Nebraska (So.)*
TDs: 2 at ISU (Sr.)
* Big 12 Championship game
