NFL? Not yet
Ohio George Mason senior center Jai Lewis has plans quite different than the rest of the players participating in the NCAA basketball tournament.
The Pittsburgh Steelers in- vited him to work out for them, which Lewis intends to do. There may be other NFL teams that want to take a first-hand look at the 6-7 275-pounder.
Lewis, who will lead the 11th-seeded Patriots (24-7) against third-seeded North Carolina (23-7) this afternoon in a second-round NCAA game, last played football as a tight end and defensive end at Aberdeen (Md.) High School. But his size and athleticism intrigues NFL scouts, who see some Antonio Gates in Lewis.
Gates, 6-4 and 260 pounds, is an All-Pro tight end for the San Diego Chargers. He played basketball, not football, at Kent State before signing with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. A Steelers scout watched Lewis play in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament earlier this month at the Richmond Coliseum and left impressed by Lewis' dimensions, coordination and mobility.
"I'd love to play football, and the NFL is always trying to find athletes," said Lewis, who likely will get an opportunity to play pro basketball overseas. He averages 14 points and eight rebounds for the Patriots, who eliminated sixth-seeded Michigan State 75-65 on Friday night in the first NCAA win for a Colonial Athletic Association team since 2002 (UNC Wilmington beat Southern California).
At Aberdeen, Lewis drew football recruiting interest from Virginia Tech, North Carolina State and East Carolina, he said yesterday. But insufficient standardized test scores for freshman eligibility influenced Lewis, who averaged 18.3 rebounds as a prep senior, to seek another path to a scholarship. He spent a postgraduate year playing basketball at Maine Central Institute before becoming a four-year regular at GMU.
Lewis, 23, against a physical Michigan State team scored 13 and had eight rebounds.
"Jai Lewis is huge, and if you double-down [on him], he's also a very good passer," UNC coach Roy Williams said.
Lewis averages two assists, is second among Patriots in steals (1.4 spg), and made 16 3-pointers this season. His athletic versatility, Lewis believes, comes from his uncommon sports background. In addition to football and basketball, Lewis played soccer as a youth and lacrosse through high school.
"Can you imagine a guy his size running down the field with the ball in lacrosse?" GMU coach Jim Larranaga said.
Or as a tight end, after making a catch?
The Pittsburgh Steelers in- vited him to work out for them, which Lewis intends to do. There may be other NFL teams that want to take a first-hand look at the 6-7 275-pounder.
Lewis, who will lead the 11th-seeded Patriots (24-7) against third-seeded North Carolina (23-7) this afternoon in a second-round NCAA game, last played football as a tight end and defensive end at Aberdeen (Md.) High School. But his size and athleticism intrigues NFL scouts, who see some Antonio Gates in Lewis.
Gates, 6-4 and 260 pounds, is an All-Pro tight end for the San Diego Chargers. He played basketball, not football, at Kent State before signing with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. A Steelers scout watched Lewis play in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament earlier this month at the Richmond Coliseum and left impressed by Lewis' dimensions, coordination and mobility.
"I'd love to play football, and the NFL is always trying to find athletes," said Lewis, who likely will get an opportunity to play pro basketball overseas. He averages 14 points and eight rebounds for the Patriots, who eliminated sixth-seeded Michigan State 75-65 on Friday night in the first NCAA win for a Colonial Athletic Association team since 2002 (UNC Wilmington beat Southern California).
At Aberdeen, Lewis drew football recruiting interest from Virginia Tech, North Carolina State and East Carolina, he said yesterday. But insufficient standardized test scores for freshman eligibility influenced Lewis, who averaged 18.3 rebounds as a prep senior, to seek another path to a scholarship. He spent a postgraduate year playing basketball at Maine Central Institute before becoming a four-year regular at GMU.
Lewis, 23, against a physical Michigan State team scored 13 and had eight rebounds.
"Jai Lewis is huge, and if you double-down [on him], he's also a very good passer," UNC coach Roy Williams said.
Lewis averages two assists, is second among Patriots in steals (1.4 spg), and made 16 3-pointers this season. His athletic versatility, Lewis believes, comes from his uncommon sports background. In addition to football and basketball, Lewis played soccer as a youth and lacrosse through high school.
"Can you imagine a guy his size running down the field with the ball in lacrosse?" GMU coach Jim Larranaga said.
Or as a tight end, after making a catch?
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