Jourdan Lewis

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Jourdan Lewis
refer to caption
Lewis in 2020
No. 2 – Dallas Cowboys
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1995-08-31) August 31, 1995 (age 28)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:Cass Technical (Detroit, Michigan)
College:Michigan
NFL draft:2017 / Round: 3 / Pick: 92
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Total tackles:315
Sacks:8.5
Forced fumbles:4
Fumble recoveries:8
Interceptions:9
Defensive touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Jourdan Julian Lewis (born August 31, 1995) is an American football cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan, where he was named First-team All-American and First-team All-Big Ten Conference in 2015 and 2016.[1][2][3] Lewis was drafted by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Early years[edit]

Lewis was raised in Detroit, where he attended and played high school football at Cass Technical High School.[4] As a junior, he tallied eight interceptions and 11 touchdowns. As a senior, he had 751 receiving yards, six touchdowns and 742 return yards with three touchdowns on special teams.

He and Lano Hill anchored the Cass Technical defensive backfield that won back-to-back (2011 and 2012) Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 championships for coach Thomas Wilcher.[5]

College career[edit]

Lewis in 2014

Lewis accepted a football scholarship from the University of Michigan. As a freshman he appeared in 13 games, registering 17 tackles and two passes defensed.[6]

As a sophomore, he appeared in 12 games (seven starts), collecting 39 tackles, 28 solo tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and six passes defensed. He was named a starter in the third game of the season.[7]

As a junior, he started 13 games, posting 52 tackles (3.5 for loss), two interceptions and 20 passes defensed (ranked third in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)). He also averaged 25.2 yards on kickoff returns.[8]

As a senior, he missed the first 3 games with injuries to his back, hamstring and quad. Through the first 10 games of the 2015 season, Lewis had 20 pass breakups, which set a new school record.[9][10] He ranked second among all players in the NCAA Division I FBS with 21 passes defended.[11] Lewis set a single-season school record with 21 pass breakups in 2015, surpassing the previous record of 18 held by Marlin Jackson (2002) and Leon Hall (2006). Following the 2015 season, Lewis was named to the All-Big Ten Conference defensive first-team, by both the media and coaches.[12] He was also named a First-team All-American by USA Today, and Sports Illustrated, becoming the first Wolverine to earn the honor since Taylor Lewan in 2013, and the first Wolverine defensive back to earn the honor since Leon Hall in 2006.[13][14]

During the 2016 season, Lewis was targeted 31 times, allowing 74 yards, with 14 total yards after catch and 0.36 yards per snap in coverage. Lewis has contributed 23 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, two interceptions and 12 pass breakups this season.[15] Following the 2016 season, Lewis was named the Tatum–Woodson Defensive Back of the Year, and was once again named to the All-Big Ten defensive first-team, by both the media and coaches.[16] He was also named a first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, Associated Press, Sporting News, and Sports Illustrated.[17]

Professional career[edit]

Pre-draft[edit]

On January 10, 2017, it was reported that Lewis and teammates Chris Wormley and Ben Gedeon had all accepted their invitations to attend the 2017 Senior Bowl.[18][19] On January 28, 2017, he recorded four combined tackles and displayed impressive coverage under Chicago Bears head coach John Fox as a part of the North team who lost 16–15 to the South.[20] As a top ten cornerback prospect, Lewis was invited to the NFL combine. He attended and performed the majority of drills, but opted to skip the short shuttle and three-cone drill. On March 18, he opted to participate at Michigan's Pro Day.[21][22] Lewis chose to run his 40-yard dash (4.47), 20-yard dash (2.51), 10-yard dash (1.59), short shuttle (4.38), and three-cone drill (6.88) for representatives and scouts from all 32 NFL teams. Lewis' draft projections varied from as high as the second or third round to as low as the sixth or seventh round, mainly due to misdemeanor charges (of which he was later acquitted).[23] He was ranked the sixth cornerback in the draft by NFL analyst Mel Kiper Jr. and the tenth best cornerback prospect in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com.[24][25]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 10+14 in
(1.78 m)
188 lb
(85 kg)
31+58 in
(0.80 m)
9+14 in
(0.23 m)
4.54 s 1.57 s 2.64 s 4.38 s 6.88 s 34+12 in
(0.88 m)
10 ft 1 in
(3.07 m)
15 reps
All values from NFL Combine[26]

2017[edit]

Jourdan Lewis covers Josh Doctson in a game against the Washington Redskins

Lewis was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round (92nd overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.[27] He was the 14th cornerback selected in 2017.[28] On June 28, the Dallas Cowboys signed Lewis to a four-year, $3.24 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $753,428.[29]

He was expected to compete with Orlando Scandrick, Chidobe Awuzie, Anthony Brown, and Nolan Carroll for a job as the starting cornerback, but suffered a hamstring injury during his first training camp practice and missed all of the preseason.[30]

On September 17, Lewis made his professional regular season debut against the Denver Broncos after being a healthy scratch for their season-opener. He went into the game after Carroll suffered a concussion and he recorded six solo tackles and intercepted the first pass of his career off of Broncos' quarterback Trevor Siemian in a 42–17 loss.[31] The next week, he earned his first career start in place of Carroll and recorded six solo tackles and deflected a pass in a 28–17 win at the Arizona Cardinals.[32] He suffered a hamstring injury during the game and was questionable going into the following week.

During a Week 5 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, he made his second career start and collected seven combined tackles and a season-high three pass deflections in the Cowboys' 35–31 loss.[33] Lewis gave up an 11-yard game-winning touchdown with 11 seconds left in the game to Davante Adams on a back shoulder fade thrown by Aaron Rodgers. Lewis was criticized by Fox Sports 1 analyst Skip Bayless who attributed the touchdown to the height difference between Adams (6'2") and Lewis (5'10").[34] On October 8, the Cowboys released Carroll, making Lewis the starting right cornerback due to his performances.[35][25] He finished his rookie season with 54 total tackles, one interception, and ten passes defended in 15 games and seven starts.[36]

2018–present[edit]

Lewis finished the 2018 season with 12 combined tackles, one interception, one pass defensed, and two fumble recoveries in 15 games.[37]

In Week 6 of the 2019 season against the New York Jets, Lewis recorded an interception off Sam Darnold in the 24–22 loss.[38] In week 9 against the New York Giants, Lewis recovered a fumble forced by teammate Dorance Armstrong on Daniel Jones and returned it for a 63 yard touchdown in the 37–18 win.[39] In week 14 against the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football, Lewis recorded a toe tapping interception off a pass thrown by Mitch Trubisky at the one yard line during the 31–24 loss.[40]

In Week 15 of the 2020 season against the San Francisco 49ers, Lewis recorded his first sack of the season on Nick Mullens during the 41–33 win.[41]

On March 17, 2021, Lewis signed a three-year contract extension with the Cowboys.[42] Lewis accumulated career-highs with three interceptions, 61 total tackles and 88 interception yards.[43]

Lewis suffered a Lisfranc injury in Week 7 of the 2022 season, on his first interception of the season, and was placed on injured reserve on October 26, 2022.[44]

Lewis appeared in 16 regular season games and started eight in the 2023 season. He had 52 total tackles (36 solo), one interception, five passes defended, and three forced fumbles.[45]

On March 14, 2024, Lewis re-signed with the Cowboys.[46]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Murphy, Dan (October 13, 2015). "Calm demeanor helps Michigan's Jourdan Lewis become top cornerback". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  2. ^ Snyder, Mark (October 25, 2015). "Opponents pay underestimating U-M CB Lewis' abilities". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  3. ^ Chengelis, Angelique S. (October 13, 2015). "Jourdan Lewis doing 'spectacular things' for Michigan". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  4. ^ "Jourdan Lewis' High School Timeline". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  5. ^ Snyder, Mark (April 26, 2017). "Jourdan Lewis, Delano Hill could give Detroit Cass Tech 2 NFL draftees". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  6. ^ "Jourdan Lewis 2013 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  7. ^ "Jourdan Lewis 2014 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  8. ^ "Jourdan Lewis 2015 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  9. ^ Quinn, Brendan F. (November 8, 2015). "Michigan's Jourdan Lewis, now a record holder, expands his game in win over Rutgers". Mlive.com. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  10. ^ Cohen, Max (November 8, 2015). "Lewis sets defensive record, excels on special teams". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  11. ^ "Statistics Individual – Passes Defended". NCAA.com. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  12. ^ "Lewis, Peppers Lead Big Ten Defensive Yearly Honors". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. November 30, 2015. Archived from the original on December 4, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  13. ^ "Lewis Named First Team All-American by USA Today". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  14. ^ "Butt, Lewis, Peppers Earn All-America Honors from SI". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. December 10, 2015. Archived from the original on December 13, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  15. ^ "Jourdan Lewis 2016 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  16. ^ "Peppers, Lewis Lead All 11 Defenders Honored by B1G". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. November 29, 2016. Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  17. ^ "All-America Honors: Lewis, Peppers and Butt Earn More Nods". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. December 12, 2016. Archived from the original on December 11, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  18. ^ Panovich, Stephen (January 10, 2017). "3 Michigan players added to Senior Bowl roster". landof10.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  19. ^ Fansided (January 30, 2017). "Michigan Football: Jourdan Lewis Impressing at Senior Bowl". foxsports.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  20. ^ Dunleavy, Ryan (January 28, 2017). "Senior Bowl 2017: RECAP, final score, stats and analysis (1/28/17)". nj.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  21. ^ Kenyon, David (March 18, 2017). "Michigan Pro Day 2016: Recap, Results for Jake Rudock, Graham Glasgow and More". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  22. ^ Brandt, Gil (March 18, 2017). "Michigan QB Jake Rudock turned a lot of heads at pro day". NFL.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  23. ^ "Jourdan Lewis of Dallas Cowboys found not guilty in pillow-related domestic violence case".
  24. ^ "Jourdan Lewis, DS #10 CB, Michigan". nfldraftscout.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  25. ^ a b Epstein, Jori (October 20, 2017). "ESPN's Mel Kiper ranks Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis among top 10 rookies: 'He's sticky in coverage'". sportsday.dallasnews.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  26. ^ "NFL Draft Profile: Jourdan Lewis". NFL.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  27. ^ Eatman, Nick (April 28, 2017). "How Third-Round Pick Jourdan Lewis Will Fit Into Now-Crowded Secondary". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  28. ^ "2017 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  29. ^ "Spotrac.com: Jourdan Lewis contract". spotrac.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  30. ^ "Official Cowboys depth chart for Week 1 vs. Giants: Kellen Moore is the No. 2 QB". Blogging The Boys. September 6, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  31. ^ "Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos – September 17th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  32. ^ "Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals – September 25th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  33. ^ "Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys – October 8th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  34. ^ Sipple, George (October 10, 2017). "Ex-Michigan standout Jourdan Lewis fires back at Skip Bayless". freep.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  35. ^ "Cowboys' Jourdan Lewis: Locked into starting role". CBSSports.com. October 11, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  36. ^ "Jourdan Lewis 2017 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  37. ^ "Jourdan Lewis 2018 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  38. ^ "Darnold throws 2 TDs in return, Jets edge Cowboys 24–22". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 13, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  39. ^ "Prescott throws for 3 TDs as Cowboys beat Giants again". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 3, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  40. ^ "Mitchell Trubisky helps Bears beat Cowboys 31–24". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  41. ^ "San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys – December 20th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  42. ^ Helman, David (March 17, 2021). "Jourdan Lewis Re-Ups With 2nd Deal In Dallas". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  43. ^ "Jourdan Lewis 2021 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  44. ^ Eatman, Nick (October 24, 2022). "Jourdan Lewis Out For Season With Foot Injury". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  45. ^ "Jourdan Lewis 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  46. ^ "Lewis signs new deal, remains with Cowboys". DallasCowboys.com. March 14, 2024.

External links[edit]