Nik Lewis

{{Short description|American gridiron football player and coach (born 1982)}}

{{Infobox Canadian Football League biography

| image = 2024, Coach Nik Lewis.jpg

| image_upright = 1

| caption = Lewis with the Calgary Stampeders in 2024

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|6|3}}

| birth_place = Mineral Wells, Texas, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| team = Calgary Stampeders

| status =

| import = yes

| position1 = Receivers coach

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 10

| weight_lb = 240

| college = Southern Arkansas

| playing_years1 = {{CFL Year|2004}}–{{CFL Year|2014}}

| playing_team1 = Calgary Stampeders

| playing_years2 = {{CFL Year|2015}}–{{CFL Year|2018}}

| playing_team2 = Montreal Alouettes

| coaching_years1 = {{CFL Year|2019}}

| coaching_team1 = BC Lions
(Running backs coach)

| coaching_years2 = {{CFL Year|2023}}–present

| coaching_team2 = Calgary Stampeders
(Receivers coach)

| career_highlights = * 2× Grey Cup champion (2008, 2014)

| CFLAllStar = {{CFL Year|2010|2012}}

| CFLEastAllStar = {{CFL Year|2016}}

| CFLWestAllStar = {{CFL Year|2006}}, {{CFL Year|2007}}, {{CFL Year|2010|2012}}

| honors = CFL Rookie of the Year, {{CFL Year|2004}}

| Records = Most career pass receptions (1,051)

|statlabel1=Receptions

|statvalue1=1,051

|statlabel2=Receiving yards

|statvalue2=13,778

|statlabel3=Receiving touchdowns

|statvalue3=71

| CFL = nik-lewis/111798/

| CFHOF = nik-lewis

| CFHOFYear = 2021

}}

Nikolas Lewis (born June 3, 1982) is the receivers coach for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and he is a former professional Canadian football slotback who played for 15 years in the CFL. He is a two-time Grey Cup champion, winning in 2008 and 2014 with the Stampeders. In his first season, he won the CFL Rookie of the Year award, followed by five West Division All-Star and three CFL All-Star awards. He is second all-time as a Stampeder in receptions (805), receiving yards (11,250), and touchdown catches (65) behind Allen Pitts. He also has the club record for consecutive games with a reception, with 166. On August 24, 2017, Lewis became the CFL all-time leader in receptions with 1,030 catches (he finished his career with 1,051).{{Cite news|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2017/08/24/lewis-sets-cfl-career-receptions-record/|title=Lewis sets CFL career receptions record - CFL.ca|date=2017-08-24|work=CFL.ca|access-date=2018-05-18|language=en-US}}

Lewis attended Southern Arkansas University and was named an NCAA Division II All-American in 2003. He attended high school in Jacksboro, Texas, where he participated in track, specializing in the triple jump.

Professional career

=Calgary Stampeders=

File:Nik Lewis.jpg

In 2004, Lewis led the Stampeders in receptions (72), receiving yards (1045), touchdowns (8) and punt return yards (385) and was recognized as the Rookie of the Year by the Canadian Football League.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/lions-printers-named-cfl-mvp-1.498337|title=Lions' Printers named CFL MVP|date=2004-11-22|publisher=CBC Sports|access-date=2008-11-24}}{{cite web|url=http://cfl.ca/roster/show/id/391 |title=Nikolas Lewis|work=Rosters |publisher=CFL.ca |access-date=2008-11-24}} Lewis finished the 2005 CFL season with 1,379 receiving yards, nine touchdowns and 80 receptions, second in the league. 2006 was another strong year for Lewis with the Stampeders as he posting 77 receptions, 1,114 receiving yards and five touchdowns and was named to the 2006 CFL Western Division All-Star team.

The 2007 CFL season saw Lewis achieve 67 receptions, 1,101 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns. Lewis also had a career long 85 yard reception and was again a CFL Western Division All-Star. Lewis helped lead Calgary to the 96th Grey Cup championship with 87 receptions for 1,109 yards and 10 touchdowns in the 2008 regular season.

In 2009, Lewis had another 1,000-yard season by reaching the plateau in the last 15 minutes in the last game of the regular season.https://www.cfl.ca/article/lewis-has-another-season-to-remember Lewis has another season to remember Lewis scored his first and only touchdown of the season in the 17th game of the regular season, earning the unusual distinction of having the lowest touchdowns scored for a 1,000-yard receiver in the history of the CFL. As of the end of this season, Lewis has caught a pass in all 105 games that he has played in.{{Cite web|date=2012-04-14|title=Calgary Stampeders - Team - Player Roster - Career|url=http://www.stampeders.com/team/player_roster/career/?id=16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414214308/http://www.stampeders.com/team/player_roster/career/?id=16|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-04-14|access-date=2020-07-03}}

In 2011 Nik Lewis partnered with Joffrey Reynolds to create [http://www.calmb4storm.com www.calmb4storm.com] an organization that gives fans an opportunity to experience things otherwise unattainable.

In a 2012 poll of over 250 of his fellow players in the CFL, Lewis was voted "Toughest to Bring Down" out of all other players in the league, with 35% of all votes cast. He also received 8.4% of all votes cast in the category "Toughest Player", finishing third, and placed fourth in the category "Nastiest Player." He received 7.8% of all votes cast in the category "Best Hands", finishing fifth, and he ranked fourth in the category "Best Clutch Performer." Players on the roster of the Calgary Stampeders were not permitted to vote for Lewis. He was the only player to rank in the top five in more than three categories.[https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/feature/?id=9535 TSN Player Poll 2012]

During the 2012 CFL Playoffs Lewis sent out the following Tweet "I just bought OJ’s gloves on eBay. Now all I need is a white girl named Nicole."{{Cite web | url=http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/11/14/cfl-playoffs-calgary-stampeders-receiver-nik-lewis-crosses-the-line-on-twitter |title = Calgary News | Current Headlines & Stories | Calgary Sun}} The Tweet was soon deleted by Lewis. Lewis was fined an undisclosed amount by the CFL for violating its social media policy. Lewis subsequently made apologies on two successive days, and announced he was donating the paycheque from his next game (the 2012 Western Final) to a women's charity.[https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/all/Stampeders+Lewis+donate+West+final+cheque+womens+shelter/7554239/story.html Ottawa Citizen story, retrieved 16 Nov 2012] Lewis finished the season with over 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. It was the 9th consecutive season in which he recorded 1,000 yards.

In Week 8 of the 2013 CFL season Lewis suffered a fractured fibula as he was tackled by BC linebacker Solomon Elimimian. He was expected to miss around 6 weeks due to the injury.[https://www.cfl.ca/article/lewis-out-about-six-weeks-with-fractured-fibula Fractured fibula, Week 8, 2013] However, he instead sat out the rest of the season, which also left his 1,000-yard receiving streak at nine.

Lewis saw a diminished role in 2014, highlighted by his consecutive games with a catch streak snapped in week 5 against the Edmonton Eskimos. He was held without a reception in a regular season game for the first time since June 20, 2004, with the streak ending at 166.[http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/07/25/stamps-nik-lewis-had-his-consecutive-games-with-a-catch-streak-snapped-in-the-win-over-eskmos Stamps Nik Lewis' consecutive-games-with-a-catch streak snapped in the win over Eskmos] He posted career-low totals in receiving yards and failed to score a touchdown in any game of the season, also a career low. Despite the frustrating season, Lewis helped the Stampeders qualify for the 102nd Grey Cup, a game in which he set up Calgary's first touchdown with a 13-yard catch that brought the ball to the one-yard line. He won his second Grey Cup championship following the Stampeders' 20–16 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.{{Cite web |url=http://cfl.ca/article/grey-gallop-stamps-champs-with-win-over-ticats |title=Grey Cup Gallop: Stamps champs with win over Ticats |access-date=2014-12-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141203203806/http://www.cfl.ca/article/grey-gallop-stamps-champs-with-win-over-ticats |archive-date=2014-12-03 |url-status=dead }} After 11 seasons with the Stamps, Lewis was not re-signed following the 2014 season, and became a free agent on February 10, 2015.

=Montreal Alouettes=

On February 25, 2015, Lewis and the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League agreed to a one-year contract.{{Cite web|url = https://www.cfl.ca/article/fa15-end-of-an-era-lewis-heads-east-to-als|title = FA15: End of an era; Lewis heads East to Montreal|date = 2015-02-25|access-date = 2015-02-25|website = cfl.ca|publisher = CFL.ca Staff}} Following a somewhat mediocre 2015 season Lewis was re-signed by the Alouettes. He had a resurgent year in 2016, accomplishing his tenth 1,000 yard season of his career, and his first since 2012. Lewis lead the team with 102 receptions and 1,136 yards receiving.{{Cite web|url=http://en.montrealalouettes.com/players/nik-lewis/111798/|title=montrealalouettes.com player stats}} At 34 years of age the Alouettes and Nik Lewis agreed to a two-year contract extension, keeping him with the club through the 2018 season.{{Cite news|url=https://www.tsn.ca/als-re-up-sb-lewis-on-two-year-deal-1.643940|title=Als re-up SB Lewis on two-year deal - Article - TSN|date=2017-01-04|newspaper=TSN|access-date=2017-01-05}}

On August 24, 2017, Lewis surpassed Geroy Simon's career reception mark to become the all-time CFL receptions leader after recording his 1,030th catch.{{Cite news|url=https://en.montrealalouettes.com/2017/08/24/nik-lewis-makes-history/|title=Nik Lewis makes history - Montreal Alouettes|date=2017-08-24|work=Montreal Alouettes|access-date=2018-05-18|language=en-US}} On October 27, 2017, Lewis told Lee Jones of TSN that he had played his last game after his Alouettes fell to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 12–37.{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/924279428385042433|title=After 14 seasons in the #CFL, Nik Lewis has called it a career.pic.twitter.com/gcwvwe7Of5|last=TSN|date=2017-10-28|website=@TSN_Sports|language=en|access-date=2017-10-28}} On May 17, 2018, Lewis officially announced his retirement.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2018/05/17/nik-lewis-officially-announces-retirement/|title=Nik Lewis officially announces retirement - CFL.ca|date=2018-05-17|work=CFL.ca|access-date=2018-05-18|language=en-US}}

Lewis was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a player in 2021.{{cite web|title=Canadian Football Hall of Fame unveils class of 2021 |url=https://cfhof.ca/2021/04/28/canadian-football-hall-of-fame-unveils-class-of-2021/ |website=cfhof.ca |publisher=Canadian Football Hall of Fame |date=April 28, 2021}}

Statistics

BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="0" width="65%" style="text-align:center"

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="2" | Receiving

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! colspan="6" | Regular season

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! colspan="6" | Playoffs

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Year

! Team

! Games

! No.

! Yards

! Avg

! Long

! TD

! Games

! No.

! Yards

! Avg

! Long

! TD

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2004

| CGY

| 18

| 73

| 1045

| 14.3

| 42

| 8

| colspan="6" | Team did not qualify

ALIGN="center"

| 2005

| CGY

| 18

| 80

| 1379

| 17.2

| 46

| 9

| 1

| 2

| 28

| 14.0

| 15

| 0

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2006

| CGY

| 18

| 77

| 1114

| 14.5

| 50

| 5

| 1

| 5

| 36

| 7.2

| 12

| 0

ALIGN="center"

| 2007

| CGY

| 16

| 67

| 1101

| 16.4

| 85

| 5

| 1

| 2

| 19

| 9.5

| 14

| 0

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2008

| CGY

| 18

| 87

| 1109

| 12.7

| 85

| 10

| 2

| 14

| 184

| 13.1

| 31

| 0

ALIGN="center"

| 2009

| CGY

| 17

| 70

| 1013

| 14.5

| 52

| 1

| 2

| 11

| 145

| 13.2

| 26

| 0

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2010

| CGY

| 17

| 90

| 1262

| 14.0

| 74

| 9

| 1

| 6

| 55

| 9.2

| 16

| 0

ALIGN="center"

| 2011

| CGY

| 18

| 93

| 1209

| 13.0

| 62

| 5

| 1

| 2

| 31

| 15.5

| 17

| 0

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2012

| CGY

| 17

| 100

| 1241

| 12.4

| 52

| 10

| 3

| 11

| 132

| 12

| 61

| 0

ALIGN="center"

| 2013

| CGY

| 7

| 32

| 400

| 12.5

| 32

| 3

| colspan="6" | Placed on injured reserve

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2014

| CGY

| 13

| 37

| 377

| 10.2

| 25

| 0

| 2

| 18

| 9.0

| 13

| 0

ALIGN="center"

| 2015

| MTL

| 17

| 70

| 743

| 10.6

| 53

| 2

| colspan="6" | Team did not qualify

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2016

| MTL

| 18

| 102

| 1136

| 11.1

| 35

| 3

|colspan="6" | Team did not qualify

ALIGN="center"

| 2017

| MTL

| 14

| 73

| 649

| 8.9

| 21

| 1

| colspan="6" | Team did not qualify

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="2" | CFL totals

! 226

! 1,051

! 13,778

! 13.1

! 85

! 68

! 15

! 56

! 648

! 11.6

! 61

! 0

Coaching career

=BC Lions=

Lewis served as the running backs coach for the BC Lions during the 2019 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.stampeders.com/2023/01/03/lewis-and-simpson-added-to-coaching-staff/ |title=Lewis And Simpson Added To Coaching Staff |publisher=Calgary Stampeders |date=January 3, 2023}}

=Calgary Stampeders=

On January 3, 2023, it was announced that Lewis had been hired as the receivers coach for the Calgary Stampeders.

References

External links

[http://www.niklewis.com Personal & Foundation Official Website]
[https://en.montrealalouettes.com/players/nik-lewis/111798/ Montreal Alouettes bio]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141210010757/http://www.stampeders.com/roster/show/id/773 Calgary Stampeders bio]
[https://www.cfl.ca/players/nik-lewis/111798/ CFL bio and statistics]
{{Twitter}}

Category:1982 births

Category:Living people

Category:American football wide receivers

Category:BC Lions coaches

Category:Calgary Stampeders players

Category:Canadian Football League Rookie of the Year Award winners

Category:Canadian football slotbacks

Category:Canadian football wide receivers

Category:Montreal Alouettes players

Category:People from Mineral Wells, Texas

Category:Players of American football from Texas

Category:Southern Arkansas Muleriders football players