Lewis donates jersey to Hall of Fame

By Adam H. Beasley, Baltimoreravens.com
Special to Profootballhof.com

 PHOTO GALLERY: Lewis presents jersey to Hall of Fame

In his record-breaking game against the Browns last month, Jamal Lewis ran all the way to Canton.

Lewis set the NFL single-game rushing record by rolling through Cleveland for 295 yards on 30 carries. With such an accomplishment comes scores of accolades. Thursday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame came calling.

Joe Horrigan, a vice president of the Hall of Fame, formally accepted Lewis’ jersey that he wore in the Browns game. The world-renowned museum will prominently display the shirt and detail his now legendary performance.

“It is always a pleasure to be a part of history and we appreciate you sharing it with us, the Hall of Fame,” Horrigan said. “Hopefully, [someday] you can come and see your bronze bust by your jersey.”

Lewis can go visit his jersey any time he wants. Horrigan presented Lewis with a lifetime pass to the Hall and a sweatshirt with the shrine’s logo.

The record jersey was promptly displayed at the Hall of Fame by Jason Aikens, collections coordinator (left) and Chad Reese, information services specialist.

“It is great to be put into the realm of a lot of great players in the past,” said Lewis, who leads the league with 611 rushing yards. “To have my jersey put up into the Hall of Fame, I think that is somewhere every player wants to be, like the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl.”

By breaking the record, formerly held by the Bengals’ Corey Dillon (278 yards), Lewis entered some rarified air. Past record holders include Hall of Fame inductees Walter Payton (275) and O.J. Simpson (273).

Lewis also has a chance of parlaying the best game in NFL history into the greatest rushing season ever. In 1984, Eric Dickerson totaled a record-setting 2,105 yards, but with the start Lewis has gotten, the fourth-year back could get close.

Lewis would have to average 124.6 yards per game the rest of the season to break Dickerson’s mark – a lofty, but not impossible, goal.

“I don’t know yet,” Lewis said of breaking the record. “I have to take it game by game, just put one foot in front of the other. Just let them add up.”