D. D. Lewis (linebacker, born 1945)
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
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| Born: |
October 16, 1945 Knoxville, Tennessee |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Knoxville (TN) Fulton | ||||||||||||
| College: | Mississippi State | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1968 / Round: 6 / Pick: 159 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
| Games played: | 186 |
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| Games started: | 135 |
| Interceptions: | 8 |
| Interception yards: | 97 |
| Fumble recoveries: | 14 |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Dwight Douglas "D. D." Lewis (born October 16, 1945) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Mississippi State University and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1968 NFL Draft. Lewis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001.
Born in 1945 in Knoxville, Tennessee, Lewis was the youngest of 14 children. Lewis was named Dwight Douglas after two great generals in World War II, Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur. He attended Fulton High School, where he was a Tennessee All-State linebacker in 1963.
Lewis starred at Mississippi State University from 1965 to 1967 as a two-way player and three-year starter. He led Mississippi State in tackles and assists all three of his varsity seasons and was named team captain his senior year.
Despite being on teams that went 7-23, Lewis earned All-Southeastern Conference honors twice and was a first team All-American selection his senior year.
Repeatedly anointed as the top linebacker in the Southeastern Conference, Lewis made a distinct impression on rival coaches. Hall of Fame coach Bear Bryant called D.D. Lewis "the best linebacker in the country". Bill Yeoman applauded Lewis' ability to recover and pursue and said he was the finest linebacker he had seen that year. Following the 1967 season, Vince Dooley said he was the best linebacker Georgia had faced – "He's terrific.".
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