Editing Mo Lewis

{{Short description|American football player (born 1969)}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{BLP sources|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Mo Lewis
| number      = 57
| position    = [[Linebacker]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1969|10|21}}
| birth_place = [[Atlanta, Georgia]], U.S.
| height_ft   = 6
| height_in   = 3
| weight_lb   = 258
| high_school = [[Alonzo A. Crim Open Campus High School|Murphy]] (Atlanta)
| college     = [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]]
| draftyear   = 1991
| draftround  = 3
| draftpick   = 63
| pastteams   =
* [[New York Jets]] ({{NFL Year|1991|2003}})
| highlights  =
* First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1998 All-Pro Team|1998]])
* Second-team All-Pro ([[2000 All-Pro Team|2000]])
* 3× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1999 Pro Bowl|1998]]–[[2001 Pro Bowl|2000]])
* [[PFWA All-Rookie Team]] ([[PFWA All-Rookie Team#1991|1991]])
* 2× Second-team [[List of All-SEC football teams|All-SEC]] ([[1989 All-SEC football team|1989]], [[1990 All-SEC football team|1990]])
| statlabel1  = [[Tackle (football move)|Tackle]]s
| statvalue1  = 1,232
| statlabel2  = [[Quarterback sack|Sack]]s
| statvalue2  = 52.5
| statlabel3  = [[Interception]]s
| statvalue3  = 14
| pfr         = L/LewiMo00 
}}

'''Morris Clyde Lewis III''' (born October 21, 1969) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[linebacker]] for 13 seasons with the [[New York Jets]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL). He played [[college football]] for the [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia Bulldogs]] and was drafted by the Jets in the third round of the [[1991 NFL draft]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1991 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1991/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Lewis was named to three [[Pro Bowl]]s and was a first-team [[All-Pro]] during his career, in addition to being a member of the Jets All-Time Four Decade Team. However, Lewis' accomplishments would be overshadowed by him injuring [[New England Patriots]] quarterback [[Drew Bledsoe]] in 2001, which inadvertently began a [[Brady–Belichick era|dynasty]] for the Patriots when they relieved Bledsoe with [[Tom Brady]].

==Career==
{{NFL predraft
|    height ft = 6
|    height in = 2
|       weight = 240
|         dash =
|    ten split =
| twenty split =
|      shuttle =
|   cone drill =
|     vertical =
|     broad ft =
|     broad in =
|        bench = 20
|     arm span = 32 1/2
|    hand span = 9 7/8
|    wonderlic =
|         note = All values from NFL Combine<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nflcombineresults.com/playerpage.php?i=25081 |title=Morris Lewis, Combine Results, OLB - Georgia |website=nflcombineresults.com |access-date=February 4, 2022}}</ref>
}}

Lewis was a star at the [[University of Georgia]], wearing the number 57 as he would in his pro career. Lewis played 200 games as a Jet, the third-longest tenure in franchise history, and was one of the most loved team players and captains of his time. He was a three-time [[Pro Bowl]]er (1998, 1999, 2000),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/205620-honoring-mo-lewis-new-york-jets-former-linebacker-was-one-for-the-ages |title=Honoring Mo Lewis: New York Jets' Former Linebacker Was One for the Ages |publisher=Bleacher Report |date= |accessdate=September 2, 2012}}</ref> was the Jets' defensive captain from 1997 to 2003 and was named to the NFL All-Pro team after the 1998 season. Lewis retired after the 2003 season with 1,231 tackles (883 solo), 52.5 sacks, 14 interceptions for 241 yards, 79 pass deflections, 29 forced fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries for 74 yards and five defensive touchdowns in 200 career games.

==NFL career statistics==
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! colspan="2"| Legend
|-
| style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|
| Led the league
|-
| '''Bold'''
| Career high
|}

===Regular season===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!rowspan="2"| Year
!rowspan="2"| Team
!colspan="2"| Games
!colspan="4"| Tackles
!colspan="4"| Interceptions
!colspan="4"| Fumbles
|-
! GP !! GS !! Comb !! Solo !! Ast !! Sck !! Int !! Yds !! TD !! Lng !! FF !! FR !! Yds !! TD
|-
! [[1991 NFL season|1991]] !! [[1991 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 16 || 15 || 76 || 76 || 0 || 1.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 1 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[1992 NFL season|1992]] !! [[1992 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 16 || 16 || 145 || 145 || 0 || 2.0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 3 || '''4''' || 22 || 0
|-
! [[1993 NFL season|1993]] !! [[1993 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 16 || 16 || '''158''' || '''158''' || 0 || 4.0 || 2 || 4 || 0 || 4 || '''4''' || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[1994 NFL season|1994]] !! [[1994 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 16 || 16 || 130 || 103 || 27 || 6.0 || '''4''' || '''106''' || '''2''' || '''67''' || 3 || 1 || 11 || 0
|-
! [[1995 NFL season|1995]] !! [[1995 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 16 || 16 || 111 || 82 || 29 || 5.0 || 2 || 22 || 1 || 15 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[1996 NFL season|1996]] !! [[1996 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 9 || 9 || 43 || 32 || 11 || 0.5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[1997 NFL season|1997]] !! [[1997 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 16 || 16 || 72 || 45 || 27 || 8.0 || 1 || 43 || 1 || 43 || 2 || 1 || '''26''' || 0
|-
! [[1998 NFL season|1998]] !! [[1998 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 16 || 16 || 81 || 67 || 14 || 7.0 || 1 || 11 || 0 || 11 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[1999 NFL season|1999]] !! [[1999 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 16 || 16 || 89 || 59 || 30 || 5.5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 1 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2000 NFL season|2000]] !! [[2000 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 16 || 16 || 89 || 65 || 24 || '''10.0''' || 1 || 23 || 0 || 23 || 2 || 1 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2001 NFL season|2001]] !! [[2001 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 16 || 16 || 108 || 77 || '''31''' || 3.0 || 1 || 17 || 0 || 17 || 2 || 2 || 15 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"| '''1'''
|-
! [[2002 NFL season|2002]] !! [[2002 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 16 || 16 || 82 || 68 || 14 || 0.5 || 1 || 14 || 0 || 14 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2003 NFL season|2003]] !! [[2003 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 15 || 15 || 48 || 34 || 14 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! colspan="2"| !! 200 !! 199 !! 1,232 !! 1,011 !! 221 !! 52.5 !! 14 !! 241 !! 4 !! 67 !! 26 !! 12 !! 74 !! 1
|}

===Playoffs===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!rowspan="2"| Year
!rowspan="2"| Team
!colspan="2"| Games
!colspan="4"| Tackles
!colspan="4"| Interceptions
!colspan="4"| Fumbles
|-
! GP !! GS !! Comb !! Solo !! Ast !! Sck !! Int !! Yds !! TD !! Lng !! FF !! FR !! Yds !! TD
|-
! [[1991 NFL season|1991]] !! [[1991 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || '''2.0''' || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[1998 NFL season|1998]] !! [[1998 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| '''2''' || '''2''' || '''13''' || 7 || '''6''' || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2001 NFL season|2001]] !! [[2001 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| 1 || 1 || 5 || 4 || 1 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[2002 NFL season|2002]] !! [[2002 New York Jets season|NYJ]]
| '''2''' || '''2''' || 12 || '''11''' || 1 || 1.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || '''1''' || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! colspan="2"| !! 6 !! 6 !! 30 !! 22 !! 8 !! 3.0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0
|}

==Impact on NFL history==

While Lewis had a productive career, he is best known for being the catalyst for starting the [[New England Patriots]] dynasty that would span two decades. During an early-season game against the Patriots in 2001, Lewis leveled Patriots' quarterback [[Drew Bledsoe]] with a hard, but clean hit. Bledsoe was about to dive for the first-down marker, but defensive end [[Shaun Ellis]] clipped Bledsoe's ankles, resulting in Bledsoe taking the full force of the hit while standing straight up.<ref name=15Years>{{Cite web | url=https://www.nfl.com/news/tom-brady-drew-bledsoe-reflect-on-pivotal-hit-15-years-later-0ap3000000707463 |title = Tom Brady, Drew Bledsoe reflect on pivotal hit 15 years later|publisher=[[NFL Network]]|date=September 22, 2016}}</ref> [[Tom Brady]], a sixth-round draft pick in the [[2000 NFL draft]], was the back-up quarterback and finished the game.

It turned out that Lewis' hit sheared a blood vessel in Bledsoe's chest, causing Bledsoe to lose a pint of blood an hour. Bledsoe would never regain his starting job (he was traded to [[Buffalo Bills|Buffalo]] after the season).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/32257032/the-hit-changed-tom-brady-drew-bledsoe-course-nfl-history|title=The hit that changed Tom Brady, Drew Bledsoe and the course of NFL history|author1=Sean Wickersham|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=September 22, 2021}}</ref> The Patriots went 11–3 for the remainder of the season with Brady under center, culminating in the team's first [[Super Bowl XXXVI|Super Bowl]] title on February 3, 2002.

Over the next two decades, the Patriots won six Super Bowl titles and Brady would win a seventh in [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers|Tampa Bay]]. As a result, Lewis' hit on Bledsoe is often noted for its impact on NFL history.<ref name="SportingNews">{{cite web |last1=Rivera |first1=Joe |title=The hit that started Tom Brady era with Patriots: What if Mo Lewis never injured Drew Bledsoe? |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/mo-lewis-hit-drew-bledsoe-tom-brady-patriots/1kkv215wq2lw416m5tam7hlr0x |website=[[Sporting News]] |accessdate=24 August 2020 |date=17 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="Sportscasting">{{cite web |last1=Moriello |first1=John |title=One Hit by Mo Lewis Led to Tom Brady's Big Break and Changed NFL History |url=https://www.sportscasting.com/one-hit-by-mo-lewis-led-to-tom-bradys-big-break-and-changed-nfl-history/ |website=Sportscasting |accessdate=24 August 2020 |date=11 May 2020}}</ref> The hit appeared on the NFL's list of 100 greatest game changers, ranking at 82.<ref name="NFL100">{{cite web |title='NFL 100 Greatest' Game Changers: Mo Lewis |url=https://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-100-greatest-game-changers-mo-lewis |website=[[NFL|NFL.com]] |accessdate=24 August 2020}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Lewis and his wife, Christalyn, live in Atlanta, Georgia and have two sons.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Casey |first=Tim |date=2015-01-31 |title=With Eye on Harvard, Basketball Player Has 2 Careers on His Mind |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/31/sports/ncaabasketball/chris-lewis-heeds-parents-advice-in-college-decision.html |access-date=2023-04-06 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Jets1991DraftPicks}}
{{Jets All-Time Four Decade Team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Mo}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:American football linebackers]]
[[Category:Georgia Bulldogs football players]]
[[Category:New York Jets players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Atlanta]]