Lewis lovin' every minute
Rookie receiver makes impression
By DAN TOTH -- Calgary Sun
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Rookie Stampeders receiver Nik Lewis shares a laugh with teammates at practice yesterday. The diminutive but talented wideout is leading the team's receivers in touchdowns and goes the extra mile to gain additional yards after the catch. (Calgary Sun/Darren Makowichuk) |
He was passed over by NFL scouts but Nik Lewis isn't being overlooked by Calgary's quarterbacks.
The Stampeders rookie is the team's leading receiver with 607 yards on 40 catches -- seventh in the CFL. His five touchdowns this season are also the most among Stamps receivers, although 59 catches and 1,039 yards in his final year at Southern Arkansas University weren't enough to impress NFL scouts and he went undrafted.
"Yeah, that was a big disappointment but you have to keep working, keep going," said Lewis, who the Stamps unearthed at a free-agent camp.
"The fact I came out of a small school, I got overlooked. There were a lot of great receivers drafted this past year. I think I got passed over because they felt I never played against anybody that great. I just came up here to prove I can play against good defenders and still put up these kinds of numbers against anybody."
His CFL numbers, in addition to 187 yards on 19 punt returns through nine games, have Lewis being touted as a rookie-of-the-year candidate.
"It's only halfway through the season. After another nine games of the season, we'll see," said Lewis, who finds himself outplaying sure-handed veterans Albert Connell and Wane McGarity.
"I didn't really expect to be the leading receiver at this point but I did expect to come out and play my best and I expect to put up the numbers I've put up.
"I always feel like I can do better."
At just 5 ft. 10 in., the 22-year-old Lewis is a bit undersized but makes up for that with an intense will to break tackles and dig for any extra yards he can get.
Those traits were exemplified in a gritty 23-yard touchdown Saturday against the B.C. Lions, with Lewis breaking a couple of tackles before dragging a defender into the endzone for his fifth score of the year.
"I always felt that was one of my strengths -- being able to make some plays after I catch the ball," said Lewis. "Just do what I can to get as much yards as I can."
Stamps GM-head coach Matt Dunigan has been impressed.
"He's got tree trunks for legs, sasquatch hands, he's hard-nosed and just a tough nut," said Dunigan. "When God pieced Nik together, He had a whole bunch of extra parts and He put them on Lewis.
"He's just loving the opportunity and that's what I've seen since Day 1 of rookie camp. Just a guy who's working at getting better and better every day. There's a lot of mistakes to correct but the effort is unbelievable."
Lewis agrees: "I continue to improve, learning new stuff every week."
"After every game, I get to go and see what I did wrong and try to improve on it.
"I'm not the fastest guy so I'm not going to surprise anybody with blazing speed."
Lewis will be entering his option year after this season, a second opportunity to sign with an NFL club should he continue to impress.
"It's always a possibility and if it happens, I'd be happy to go back down there," Lewis said, "but I'm here in Calgary having fun trying to help my team win."
