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By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 07:10 p.m. EST, Nov 04, 2009
BEREA: Jamal Lewis hasn't changed his mind.
The 30-year-old running back hasn't wavered from his plan to retire after this season, which he revealed after Sunday's 30-6 loss to the Bears in Chicago.
But as he talked more Wednesday about his reasons for leaving and his plans for the future, which include hopes of partial ownership in an NFL team, what Lewis didn't say was more telling than what he did.
Asked if he came into his 10th season knowing it was going to be his last, Lewis said, ''I'd rather not answer that question. But at the same time, I just wanted to come out here and give it a shot . . . check out the new system, the new coaches and give it another shot with my teammates and the guys in this room . . . hopefully go out and have a winning season.''
When it was suggested that sounded like a yes, Lewis smirked.
Elected a co-captain, which means he serves as a liaison between the players and coach Eric Mangini, Lewis apparently has seen and heard enough from the new coach. Lewis probably appreciated the discipline Mangini brought and the tough, hard-nosed football Mangini wants his team to play. Lewis has never been one to shy away from hard work, but didn't seem thrilled with all the hitting during training camp.
Lewis insisted that the Browns' 1-7 start going into this weekend's bye did not persuade him to hang it up. He has another year left on his contract that carries a base salary of $2.4 million in 2010.
''It didn't sour me. I just expected better,'' he said. ''I expected more. With the way we work and went at this training camp and the things the coach instilled in us and put us through, I expected to win. I was excited to start off the season with the attitude Mangini and his staff instilled in us. At the same time, when you work as hard as we did, you want to see results. I'm still looking for them.''
Lewis said he played for a ''first-class'' organization in Baltimore his first seven years, but even then knew what a stumble would bring.
''When we had losing seasons, that's when everything hit the fan,'' Lewis said. ''Things that were minor at one point are not so minor, they're magnified. Of course, you have to put your hand on the problem and find out what's going on. I think that's what's going on as an organization [here].''
Dressing for practice as he talked but not on the field for the open portion for the second consecutive day, Lewis has rushed for 349 yards this season, averaged 3.4 yards per carry and has no touchdowns. He picked up 117 of that in the lone victory over the Bills in Buffalo.
Lewis said he's fortunate that he's been able to spend time around Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, a Browns consultant who also supported Ravens owner Art Modell after he moved the franchise to Baltimore. Brown picked up 12,312 yards in nine seasons, then walked away to make movies.
''He left on his own terms . . . and I like that,'' Lewis said. ''When I came into this league, I modeled [myself] after Jim Brown and I always wanted to follow in his footsteps in everything he did.
''One of my main goals was to leave when I wanted to. My plans pretty much worked out the way I planned them 10 years ago.''
With 10,456 career yards, Lewis moved into 21st on the NFL's all-time list on Sunday. With a strong second half, he could catch Nos. 19 and 20, Warrick Dunn (10,967 yards) and Ricky Watters (10,643).
Four-year veteran running back Jerome Harrison trained with Lewis in the offseason.
He said Lewis' legacy will be ''work hard, play every game hard, no matter what the circumstance was, winning or losing. He played the game out of love. Got a Super Bowl.''
But Harrison knows why Lewis is ready to walk away.
''From talking to him, I understand,'' Harrison said. ''I can't say how, but I understand.''
Lewis is ready to devote himself to his Atlanta-based trucking company, All American Xpress, and other business enterprises. But he'd also like to have part-ownership of an NFL team and he's not picky about which one.
''Whichever one of the owners would want to invite me in,'' he said. ''I've made multimultimillions, I think it's time to move up to another step. It's about the money, but it's [also] about what you can instill in a team.
''A lot of the views I have, the teams I've been on, there's a lot of things I would have done different if I were in that position. You would make some decisions that actually matter, when as a player your decisions don't matter.''
Not surprisingly, Lewis wouldn't say what he would change if he owned the Browns.
''The carpet,'' he said. ''I'm not going to get into that.''
Brownies
Mangini said inside linebacker Eric Barton, hurt late in the first half against the Bears, is still undergoing tests. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that Barton, an 11-year veteran, learned after the Bears game that he has a bulging disc in his neck that could end his season. . . . Mangini said he has made no decision on his starting quarterback for the next game, Nov. 16 at home against the Ravens. . . . Players are off today through Sunday, return Monday, then have Tuesday off. . . . Mangini said perhaps five to 10 players will try out today. It would seem that some of them will be linebackers, considering the other starter inside, D'Qwell Jackson, underwent season-ending pectoral surgery.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/. Follow the Browns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Browns.
BEREA: Jamal Lewis hasn't changed his mind.
The 30-year-old running back hasn't wavered from his plan to retire after this season, which he revealed after Sunday's 30-6 loss to the Bears in Chicago.
But as he talked more Wednesday about his reasons for leaving and his plans for the future, which include hopes of partial ownership in an NFL team, what Lewis didn't say was more telling than what he did.
Asked if he came into his 10th season knowing it was going to be his last, Lewis said, ''I'd rather not answer that question. But at the same time, I just wanted to come out here and give it a shot . . . check out the new system, the new coaches and give it another shot with my teammates and the guys in this room . . . hopefully go out and have a winning season.''
When it was suggested that sounded like a yes, Lewis smirked.
Elected a co-captain, which means he serves as a liaison between the players and coach Eric Mangini, Lewis apparently has seen and heard enough from the new coach. Lewis probably appreciated the discipline Mangini brought and the tough, hard-nosed football Mangini wants his team to play. Lewis has never been one to shy away from hard work, but didn't seem thrilled with all the hitting during training camp.
Lewis insisted that the Browns' 1-7 start going into this weekend's bye did not persuade him to hang it up. He has another year left on his contract that carries a base salary of $2.4 million in 2010.
''It didn't sour me. I just expected better,'' he said. ''I expected more. With the way we work and went at this training camp and the things the coach instilled in us and put us through, I expected to win. I was excited to start off the season with the attitude Mangini and his staff instilled in us. At the same time, when you work as hard as we did, you want to see results. I'm still looking for them.''
Lewis said he played for a ''first-class'' organization in Baltimore his first seven years, but even then knew what a stumble would bring.
''When we had losing seasons, that's when everything hit the fan,'' Lewis said. ''Things that were minor at one point are not so minor, they're magnified. Of course, you have to put your hand on the problem and find out what's going on. I think that's what's going on as an organization [here].''
Dressing for practice as he talked but not on the field for the open portion for the second consecutive day, Lewis has rushed for 349 yards this season, averaged 3.4 yards per carry and has no touchdowns. He picked up 117 of that in the lone victory over the Bills in Buffalo.
Lewis said he's fortunate that he's been able to spend time around Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, a Browns consultant who also supported Ravens owner Art Modell after he moved the franchise to Baltimore. Brown picked up 12,312 yards in nine seasons, then walked away to make movies.
''He left on his own terms . . . and I like that,'' Lewis said. ''When I came into this league, I modeled [myself] after Jim Brown and I always wanted to follow in his footsteps in everything he did.
''One of my main goals was to leave when I wanted to. My plans pretty much worked out the way I planned them 10 years ago.''
With 10,456 career yards, Lewis moved into 21st on the NFL's all-time list on Sunday. With a strong second half, he could catch Nos. 19 and 20, Warrick Dunn (10,967 yards) and Ricky Watters (10,643).
Four-year veteran running back Jerome Harrison trained with Lewis in the offseason.
He said Lewis' legacy will be ''work hard, play every game hard, no matter what the circumstance was, winning or losing. He played the game out of love. Got a Super Bowl.''
But Harrison knows why Lewis is ready to walk away.
''From talking to him, I understand,'' Harrison said. ''I can't say how, but I understand.''
Lewis is ready to devote himself to his Atlanta-based trucking company, All American Xpress, and other business enterprises. But he'd also like to have part-ownership of an NFL team and he's not picky about which one.
''Whichever one of the owners would want to invite me in,'' he said. ''I've made multimultimillions, I think it's time to move up to another step. It's about the money, but it's [also] about what you can instill in a team.
''A lot of the views I have, the teams I've been on, there's a lot of things I would have done different if I were in that position. You would make some decisions that actually matter, when as a player your decisions don't matter.''
Not surprisingly, Lewis wouldn't say what he would change if he owned the Browns.
''The carpet,'' he said. ''I'm not going to get into that.''
Brownies
Mangini said inside linebacker Eric Barton, hurt late in the first half against the Bears, is still undergoing tests. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that Barton, an 11-year veteran, learned after the Bears game that he has a bulging disc in his neck that could end his season. . . . Mangini said he has made no decision on his starting quarterback for the next game, Nov. 16 at home against the Ravens. . . . Players are off today through Sunday, return Monday, then have Tuesday off. . . . Mangini said perhaps five to 10 players will try out today. It would seem that some of them will be linebackers, considering the other starter inside, D'Qwell Jackson, underwent season-ending pectoral surgery.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/. Follow the Browns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Browns.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Canton, OH
Posted 08:58 PM, 11/04/2009
Jamal is a warrior. . .
Akron, OH
Posted 09:38 PM, 11/04/2009
Slovensko?.... Jamal is merely collecting a paycheck on the worst team in the league. He is laughing all the way to the bank. Do you really think he would carries on any other team? Gimme a break
uniontown, oh
Posted 10:16 PM, 11/04/2009
Who cares. What have you done for us lately?
Farmington, NM
Posted 10:32 PM, 11/04/2009
Yawn
Cedar rapids , ia
Posted 11:10 PM, 11/04/2009
l0l. why you think the ravens did not want him no more?he avg 65 yards a game the last four seasons but when he came in the NFL he was better then that .
Akron, OH
Posted 03:53 AM, 11/05/2009
That's a hard-working dude.
I wish we had more results from him these last few years, but that's the way it is.
righthere, oh
Posted 05:47 AM, 11/05/2009
"I modeled [myself] after Jim Brown and I always wanted to follow in his footsteps in everything he did."
Mr. J Lewis - I hope not everything...if so,
Mrs. Lewis - Learn to take a punch
Paradise, Oh
Posted 10:36 AM, 11/05/2009
Send him home to retire today. He was washed up when the Browns got him. Those little pitty patty steps of his up the middle are not worth watching anymore.
Thanks Jamal, but the best running we Browns fans ever saw out of you....was against us.
Wichita Falls, Tx
Posted 03:28 PM, 11/05/2009
Just 1 question.
When the hell is the NFL Hall of Fame going to induct Bernard J. Kosar? It's friggin about time isn't it? That's the least this league could do for all of us Browns fans. The second would be a forced sale, there is plenty of homegrown Ohio money. Why not gather it together and remake this franchise into the winner it so deserves to be.
