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    Former trucker gets NFL honor

    Dec. 20, 2002
    Hollywood has yet to do a rags-to-riches story about a truck driver becoming a Superstar in the National Football League. Now that Michael Lewis of the New Orleans Saints has made that jump, filmmakers may be calling his agent. Lewis, who made the Saints as a 29-year-old return specialist last season, yesterday was named to the Pro Bowl, the league's All-Star game, which will be played in Honolulu
    Hollywood has yet to do a rags-to-riches story about a truck driver becoming a Superstar in the National Football League. Now that Michael Lewis of the New Orleans Saints has made that jump, filmmakers may be calling his agent.
    Lewis, who made the Saints as a 29-year-old return specialist last season, yesterday was named to the Pro Bowl, the league's All-Star game, which will be played in Honolulu February 3.

    Lewis has amassed 446 yards on 35 punt returns with one touchdown and 1, 687 kickoff return yards on 65 returns and two touchdowns. With two games left in the regular season, Lewis's 2,133 combined punt and kickoff return yards have him easily in reach of the NFL single-season record of 2,187.

    Not bad for a kick returner who saw very little playing time in high school, and did not attend college. Instead, Lewis made a living driving a beer truck for a Budweiser distributor in New Orleans to help support his family.

    "I love driving a truck," said Lewis, one of the league's smallest players at 5-ft. 8-in., 165 lbs. "I love meeting all the different people. And I know I got a lot of people out there who are supporting me. I don't want to let them down."

    About the Author

    Tim Parry

    Tim Parry is a former FleetOwner editor. 

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