Mo Lewis
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Morris Clyde Lewis III (born October 21, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 13 seasons with the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Jets in the third round of the 1991 NFL draft.[1] Lewis was named to three Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro during his career, in addition to being a member of the Jets All-Time Four Decade Team. However, Lewis accomplishments has been overshadowed by him injuring New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe in 2001, which inadvertently began a dynasty for the Patriots when they relieved Bledsoe with Tom Brady.
Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Bench press | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:NFL predraft/check | Template:NFL predraft/check | Template:NFL predraft/check | Template:NFL predraft/check | 20 reps | ||||||||
| All values from NFL Combine[2] | ||||||||||||
Lewis was a star at the University of Georgia, wearing the number 57 as he would in his pro career. 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 a three-time Pro Bowler (1998, 1999, 2000),[3] was the Jets' defensive captain from 1997 to 2003 and was named to the NFL All-Pro team after the 1998 season. Lewis retired after the 2003 season with 1,231 tackles (883 solo), 52.5 sacks, 14 interceptions for 241 yards, 79 pass deflections, 29 forced fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries for 74 yards and five defensive touchdowns in 200 career games.
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 1991 | NYJ | 16 | 15 | 76 | 76 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 145 | 145 | 0 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 22 | 0 |
| 1993 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 158 | 158 | 0 | 4.0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 130 | 103 | 27 | 6.0 | 4 | 106 | 2 | 67 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| 1995 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 111 | 82 | 29 | 5.0 | 2 | 22 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | NYJ | 9 | 9 | 43 | 32 | 11 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 72 | 45 | 27 | 8.0 | 1 | 43 | 1 | 43 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 0 |
| 1998 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 81 | 67 | 14 | 7.0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 89 | 59 | 30 | 5.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 89 | 65 | 24 | 10.0 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 108 | 77 | 31 | 3.0 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 1 |
| 2002 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 82 | 68 | 14 | 0.5 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | NYJ | 15 | 15 | 48 | 34 | 14 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 200 | 199 | 1,232 | 1,011 | 221 | 52.5 | 14 | 241 | 4 | 67 | 26 | 12 | 74 | 1 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 1991 | NYJ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | NYJ | 2 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | NYJ | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | NYJ | 2 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 6 | 6 | 30 | 22 | 8 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Impact on NFL history
While Lewis had a productive career, he is best known for being the catalyst for starting the New England Patriots dynasty that would span two decades. During an early-season game against the Patriots in 2001, Lewis leveled Patriots' quarterback Drew Bledsoe with a hard, but clean hit. Bledsoe was about to dive for the first-down marker, but defensive end Shaun Ellis clipped Bledsoe's ankles, resulting in Bledsoe taking the full force of the hit while standing straight up.[4] Tom Brady, a sixth-round draft pick in the 2000 NFL draft, was the back-up quarterback and finished the game.
It turned out that Lewis' hit sheared a blood vessel in Bledsoe's chest, causing Bledsoe to lose a pint of blood an hour. Bledsoe would never regain his starting job (he was traded to Buffalo after the season).[5] The Patriots went 11–3 for the remainder of the season with Brady under center, culminating in the team's first Super Bowl title on February 3, 2002.
Over the next two decades, the Patriots won six Super Bowl titles and Brady would win a seventh in Tampa Bay. As a result, Lewis' hit on Bledsoe is often noted for its impact on NFL history.[6][7] The hit appeared on the NFL's list of 100 greatest game changers, ranking at 82.[8] Sports personality Rich Eisen considers the hit the most impactful play in NFL history.[9]
Personal life
Lewis and his wife, Christalyn, live in Atlanta, Georgia and have two sons.[10]
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."1991 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Morris Lewis, Combine Results, OLB - Georgia". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Honoring Mo Lewis: New York Jets' Former Linebacker Was One for the Ages". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Tom Brady, Drew Bledsoe reflect on pivotal hit 15 years later". NFL Network. September 22, 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sean Wickersham (September 22, 2021). "The hit that changed Tom Brady, Drew Bledsoe and the course of NFL history". ESPN.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Rivera, Joe (March 17, 2020). "The hit that started Tom Brady era with Patriots: What if Mo Lewis never injured Drew Bledsoe?". Sporting News. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Moriello, John (May 11, 2020). "One Hit by Mo Lewis Led to Tom Brady's Big Break and Changed NFL History". Sportscasting. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'NFL 100 Greatest' Game Changers: Mo Lewis". NFL.com. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Edelman, Julian (September 23, 2025). "Rich Eisen on the most impactful play in NFL History 🏈". Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Casey, Tim (January 31, 2015). "With Eye on Harvard, Basketball Player Has 2 Careers on His Mind". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
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