It all started in 2000, his rookie season. I don’t know if he had a chip on his shoulder because Cleveland passed on him and took Courtney Brown out of Penn State with the first pick in the draft. I don’t know if he liked the history of a town who named their team after Joe Lewis, the Brown Bomber, or he just liked the new-car smell in the freshly-christened Cleveland Browns Stadium. What I do know is the moment that Jamal Lewis stepped onto the field in that stadium rising from the banks of Lake Erie, something clicked.
The young man, drafted fifth overall from the University of Tennessee, who had managed just 215 yards on 44 carries up to that point in the season, torched the Browns for 86 yards rushing and caught a 7-yard pass to setup a score to seal the 12-0 shutout. In the same year, he rushed against them for 170 yards and 2 TDs while helping Baltimore dismantle Cleveland 44-7. Not since the original Browns were moved to Baltimore under the cover of darkness had the City of Cleveland hated Art Modell so much. They had passed on the very player that could have helped their newly re-formed team back into NFL prominence; and worse, Modell got him.
In 2003, Lewis became just of one of 5 backs in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season and fell just 39 yards shy of the all time record held by Eric Dickerson with 2,105. This was also the year that he would break Corey Dillon’s single game rushing mark of 279 by running for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns against …you guessed it…the Browns (a record broken this year by Adrian Peterson, 296). In week 16 of 2003, he again showed his dominance against the Browns, rushing for 205 yards and 2 TDs and catching 2 passes for 21 more yards. In his 12 career games against the Browns, Lewis has averaged 23 carries for 127 yards and a TD. He also has his career longest run (82 yds) and longest TD run (72 yds) against them.
Cleveland had once again squandered an immense opportunity, by overlooking a potential star and picking an also-ran. Then, the “Angel of Brown” stepped in and stirred the pot of fate. In 2006, the sound of Coach Brian Billick and Jamal Lewis bickering at each other through the press had to carry the melody of seraphim's singing to the Brown faithful. Might they actually get a chance to hire the player they spurned and who had been returning the favor to them for the last 6 seasons? And - would he be able to play at the same level in Cleveland Brown Stadium FOR the Browns as he had against them all these years?
The answer to both questions is a resounding yes. In just his second game with the Browns, he turned in one of the best performances of his career; rushing 216 yards against Cincinnati and helping his team win a close game between the inter-state rivals. In home games this season he has averaged 93 yards on 20 carries and a TD. Cleveland has also been able to twice defeat the Ravens this year with him registering 156 yards rushing yards, 30 receiving and 2 TDs against them. While he has not returned to his early career form, he is still on pace this season to rush for over 1,400 yards with 14 TD’s. Suddenly, the world seems alright again in the land of “Brown.”
So, am I surprised Jamal Lewis has done this well in Cleveland? NO. The way this guy delivers in brown, they should make him the poster-boy for UPS. I should file a claim with his agent; if he gets this endorsement, I want a cut.
