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Michael Lewis (NFL safety)
Encyclopedia
Philadelphia Eagles
Lewis was drafted by the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
. As a rookie he started 4 out of 14 games and recorded 49 tackles, a sack, and an interception. In 2003, he became a full-time starter, replacing Blaine Bishop
Blaine Bishop
Blaine Elwood Bishop is a former professional American football safety in the National Football League.Bishop attended and played at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, IN. He then attended and played college football at Ball State University in Muncie, IN. Bishop was drafted in the eighth...
, and remained the starter alongside free safety Brian Dawkins
Brian Dawkins
Brian Patrick Dawkins is an American football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
up to the 2006 season. In 2005, he along with Dawkins were selected as the starters for the 2004
2005 Pro Bowl
The 2005 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played February 13, 2005 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38 - NFC 27. The most valuable player was Peyton Manning of the Colts. The game holds the record as the latest Pro Bowl played during the calendar year.-Game summary:The game...
Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
for the NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
squad. But Lewis had a tough year in 2006. After giving up numerous big plays, he was benched for Sean Considine
Sean Considine
Sean Considine is an American football safety for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He played college football at Iowa, starting as a walk-on before earning a scholarship in his sophomore year....
, starting only 6 of 14 games. He finished his career with the Eagles recording 386 tackles, six sacks, and nine interceptions.
San Francisco 49ers
On March 2, 2007 Lewis signed with the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. Lewis re-gained his starting role with the 49ers and had a good season, finishing his first season with the team starting all 16 games recording 104 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two interceptions.
On October 1, 2010, it was reported that Lewis would not be traveling with the 49ers to their next game at Atlanta after sitting out that day's practice for "personal reasons". It was further reported that Lewis has asked the team for his release. For the season until that point, Lewis had started each regular season game and had 10 tackles with no interceptions, forced fumbles, or sacks.
On October 4, 2010, Lewis was released by the 49ers and became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
Personal
During the week of Super Bowl XXXIXSuper Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
Lewis won the annual EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
Madden Bowl competition. The tournament featured eight NFL players and Lewis claimed the top spot by defeating Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
, Colts DE Dwight Freeney
Dwight Freeney
Dwight Jason Freeney is an American football defensive end who currently plays for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 1st round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse University.-Early years:Freeney attended Bloomfield High School...
(the two-time defending champion), and Broncos RB Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
.
During his sophomore year at Colorado University, Lewis was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. While not life threatening, it has contributed to Michael Lewis becoming an active spokesperson for Heart Disease awareness. He has served as a spokesperson for the Philadelphia chapter of the American Heart Association, served as the Honorary Chairperson for Philadelphia Heart Walk, and joined Steve Young in San Jose to promote the American Heart Association's Start! campaign.
Lewis' nephews are Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Jacquizz Rodgers
Jacquizz Rodgers
Jacquizz "Quizz" Rodgers is an American football running back for the Atlanta Falcons. Rodgers played for the Oregon State Beavers. During his freshman year, Rodgers was named the 2008 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year...
and Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State Beavers
The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are part of the Pacific-12 Conference . Oregon State's mascot is Benny the Beaver...
receiver James Rodgers.