Multiple times, we’ve seen players dominate in college and fail to replicate that success in the National Football League. Even so, just making it to the NFL takes a lot, and those who pull it off deserve all the credit in the world. Unfortunately, the league has just lost one of theirs, as former RB Darren Lewis passed away at the age of 55. As reported by Greg Riddle, the Texas A&M legend died on Thursday night after a bout with cancer.
Former Carter, Texas A&M star RB Darren Lewis dies from cancer. At Carter, Lewis was considered one of the best in the nation, along with @dallascowboys legend Emmitt Smith. Lewis broke Eric Dickerson’s Southwest Conference rushing record.
Read: https://t.co/ULfeyP8kEV #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/ntAkK0c5aa
— Greg Riddle (@DMNGregRiddle) June 21, 2024
Lewis had broken Eric Dickerson’s Southwest Conference rushing record and was considered to be even better than the legendary Emmitt Smith back in the late 80s. He rushed for a whopping 5,012 yards from 1987 to 1990, taking down Dickerson’s mark of 4,450 yards. He’s still 1,309 yards ahead of second place in the Aggies’ all-time rushing list.
Lewis, however, wasn’t able to stay on top of his game. He tested positive for cocaine at the NFL Scouting Combine, forcing him to fall to the sixth round of the NFL Draft. That was the beginning of the end for him, as he was only able to make 33 appearances (5 starts) in the league, rushing for 431 yards for the Chicago Bears before off-field issues derailed his career.
Lewis struggled with addiction after his days in the league and was arrested multiple times for shoplifting, assault, and robberies. He was sentenced to 27 years for armed robberies in 2014.
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