TJB Hall of Fame: Mo Lewis
“You play on enough losing teams and it breaks you down. I don’t care who you are, (or) how strong you think you are,” Jets linebacker Mo Lewis told the Daily News. “You’re worried that no matter how hard you play, everyone just looks at you and says, ‘He’s a loser like everyone else.’”
In his 13-year career with the New York Jets, Mo Lewis managed to counter the consistent agony of defeat with a relentless pursuit of glory.
Selected in the third round of the 1991 NFL Draft, the former University of Georgia Bulldog didn’t experience a winning season until Bill Parcells was hired in 1997 to bring a reputation to Gang Green. Lewis’ tenure saw the Jets post a 93-115 record, while he recorded 1,236 tackles, 52.5 sacks, and 14 interceptions of his own.
His production earned him three trips to the Pro Bowl (1998, 1999, 2000) and All-Pro honors in 1998 and 2000. But the acknowledgment came late in a career where Lewis was consistently overlooked despite his value to the organization.
In September 1995, Gerald Eskenazi wrote of Lewis’ reputation in the New York Times, highlighting the fact that No. 57 was considered the best football player in New York—including the Giants.
“It’s hard for people to separate the person from the team he’s playing for,” Lewis told the Times in 1995. “They say, ‘Mo Lewis of the New York Jets.’ But if the Jets haven’t had success, then it doesn’t mean anything.”
As Jets’ fans suffered through most of the 1990s, so did Lewis.
Seasons where he led the team in tackles and received the Jets’ MVP award went for naught as Lewis’ talents, contributions, and impact went largely unrecognized around the NFL.
The Jets’ reputation as a bottom-dwelling team made glory even more elusive for the loyal linebackers. Lewis would have to reserve himself to winning personal battles rather than holding his breath for proper recognition.
“We’d go out there at the end of the season, and no matter what our record was, I’d tell myself the game meant everything,” Lewis said. “The team’s record would be 1-12 and I’d tell myself I was really 13-0. That was the game I’d play with myself. Or the way I’d trick myself.
“I’d be a winner in my heart, and in my mind. Because if you don’t do that, you become the thing you hate the most.”
And then his talents were finally recognized.
After eight seasons, Mo Lewis was voted to his first Pro Bowl. Parcells was in his second season as head coach, effectively changing the Jets’ culture and working to establish a new winning tradition. It took a 12-4 record, seven sacks, and an interception to send Lewis to Hawaii for the first time in his career.
But for Lewis, it was four years too late. While his teammates were happy for him, Lewis was already focused on another goal.
“I felt like, in ’94, I should’ve made (the Pro Bowl),” Lewis admitted. “But after all these years of losing, having that ring on your finger is the most important thing.”
Unfortunately for Lewis, the playoffs following the 1998 season left Gang Green with another heart-wrenching end to the season after losing to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game..
Lemony Snicket would call Lewis’ career a series of unfortunate events.
Playing second-fiddle to the late Derrick Thomas of the Kansas City Chiefs for Pro Bowl votes — despite posting superior numbers in some seasons — was the first bout with despair. Couple that with the fact that Lewis only enjoyed five winning seasons in his 13-year career, and you have an illustration of despair.
Ultimately, his career ended without earning what would have been a well-deserved Super Bowl ring.
Such is the cruelty of life. As if 13 seasons of disappointment weren’t enough, fate concocted a more devious plot. One of the most beloved New York Jets of all time would be the catalyst for the success of a sworn enemy.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNzd9Xd0who
That bone-crushing blow to New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe ushered in the Tom Brady era, and historical revisionism nearly thrust Lewis into the bowels of Jets’ hell with the jerseys of Neil O’Donnell, Blair Thomas, and Doug Brien.
But such asinine thoughts should belong only to the most short-sighted fans.
Brady’s tenure with the Patriots was going to begin in the Bill Belichick era, regardless of how hard Lewis rattled Bledsoe’s organs. He should never be faulted for doing what made him one of the most respected men to ever wear the Jets’ uniform.
The hit should be a footnote — not a definition.
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Mo Lewis was the on-field extension of Jets’ fans. All the pain and agony the fans felt through years of defeat were emotions he experienced first-hand. That makes him a martyr, of sorts — more appropriately, a legend for the New York Jets.
His loyalty and dedication to the Jets — through all of the ups and downs — make him absolutely worthy of admiration from any fan who cherishes the Jets’ history. The fans who celebrate No. 57′s career hold him in the highest regard for being a player who wanted the Jets to win as badly as any of them.
“I think one of the most interesting conversations I had was with Mo Lewis,” Parcells recalled after being hired.
“He was just telling me, ‘I am sick of people running up points on us. I’d just like to have, one day, a defense that when the other team comes out of the huddle, we know they’re not getting anything. You’ve had those defenses before and I’d like to have one where they have a hard time moving the ball.’”
On June 27, 2005, Mo Lewis signed a one-day contract with the New York Jets to formally retire with the only team he’d ever known.
39 Responses to TJB Hall of Fame: Mo Lewis
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RKNYC says:
One of my favorite players.
MO!!!!
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miketaliaferro says:
Excellent pick and story, Angel. Well done.
No Jet has ever made us prouder.
Here’s a raised glass to the New York Jets’ answer to the immortal Ernie Banks — Mo Lewis!
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DaveTN says:
I hate to sound a note of discord, but you could write virtually everything you did about Lewis about Kyle Clifton, and he played on the worst teams at the END of his career and still produced. Also, I remember watching those Kotite teams- Lewis was visibly out of shape. I’m not saying Lewis doesn’t deserve the honor, but I would go with Clifton first.
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Lafflin says:
Excellent piece, I can’t praise this piece or this vote enough. Lewis personifies to a degree what it means to be a Jet.
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Lance Mehl says:
Although responsible for the Tom Brady era I hold no ill will to Mo .. !! what a great hit that was ..
Lewis was a far better overall player than Clifton though .. no diss on Clifton ..
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Mo was a solid player. If only we didn’t draft Browning Nagle in the same draft.
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Tom in Raleigh says:
That hit on Bledsoe was one of the most vicious ones I have ever seen on a football field. Loved it at the time. That Brady became what he did? So what.
Mo was a great player on a lot of the worst Jet teams we will ever see. I always liked him, he just never had the right group around him.
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DaveTN…
With all do respect Kyle Clifton wasnt half the player Mo Lewis was.
Mo was not in the greatest shape until the Parcells era but he still was the best player we had and made a ton of plays.
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TJBfan says:
Mo Lewis was certainly a beast on the field. Truly deserves to be in TJB hall of fame and even though he played for many losing Jet teams he’ll always be a winner in my eye, and that of many other Jet fans which are proud of what he did for us.
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SackDance99 says:
Mo Lewis played at a high-level for a long time. I don’t think he’s HOF-caliber, but he deserves the recognition for the TJB HOF.
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TruJetFan says:
I was a Mo fan wearing 57 to the games for a while, but I have to say i don’t think he belongs on this HOF list. His career was one that was more characterized by steadiness than greatness. His defenses were always no better than OK.
The best LB the Jets ever had was Lance Mehl. He was a tackling machine who was an integral part of the 1981 Sack Exchange Defense. And when you remember a big performance in a big game (2 4th Qtr INTs vs. the Raiders in the 1982 playoffs) as a definiing moment, you know he’s the man.
Lewis’s only defining moment was knocking out Bledsoe.
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Electric Ham says:
Very good article
i remember as a kid hearing the crowd go Mooooo and asking my dad why the crowd was booing after a great play. One of the best players from my childhood.
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TJF,
I think that, on the basis of talent alone, Mehl and Marvin Jones were better LBs. But, Mehl’s career was tragically cut short by the Meadowlands turf and Jones was injury prone. To me, there’s a reason why Mo’s best season came with Parcells AND Marvin, who was as good a run-stuffing, form tackler as I’ve ever seen in Jets green (except for Stan Blinka…he could really hit!).
But, Mo played a long time at a very high level and he was All-Pro twice. He deserves to be in the TJB HOF.
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JustAGreenGuy says:
MO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Bent says: How good was he at his peak? Well, he anchored the 1998 defense to within 30 minutes of the Superbowl. The defensive line that year? Anthony Pleasant, Ernie Logan, Rick Lyle and a young Jason Ferguson.
Sure, there was a lot of talent offensively that year, but you don’t get that close to the big game with no defense and Lewis was the best player on a great unit of mostly role players and without any other all-pro candidates (Aaron Glenn was close, but teams could take him out of the game by throwing away from him, so Lewis was more influential).
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BTW, Mo was 1st team All-Pro once in ’98. And, to be fair to Mo, his ’98 season was w/out Marvin, and arguably that was his best. In 2000, Mo (10 sacks) was undoutedly helped by Marvin doing the dirty work inside and both of them had great 2001 seasons, only to be spurned for the Pro Bowl.
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Bent,
Hmmmm. The emotional leader of the ’98 defense was Bryan Cox…wasn’t he the “anchor”?
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Bent says:
You said it – Cox was definitely the emotional leader, but Lewis was the best player.
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MattNYC says:
Great writing- Mo is my favorite Jet of all time… He was pretty much the only dependable player we had, year in, year out.
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Zartan says:
How come my boy Arran Glenn isnt getting any love. Mo was ok , he was one of the better players on a bad team. Glenn was a great player on a bad team, lets not confuse the two.
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ramble914 says:
That You Tube Replay doesn’t do justice to the enormity of the hit Mo put on Bledsoe. I remember watching that game on TV and they kept showing the replay, it was Violent! Bledsoe had a ruptured blood vessel in his lung as a result of that hit.
Mo Lewis was a great Jet and without doubt deserves to be in the TJB HoF.
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vinnywasthebest says:
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of our best players ever. Anyone who would deride him for “ushering in the Brady era” is a complete moron. What else is he supposed to do? tickle Drew Bledsoe?
Yes Mo Lewis!!! Nasty hitter, sold tackler, great player in terrible years. His picture really conjures up memories or me, when all the front-running bandwagon riding Giants fans were like :jets suck, whos on their team?” I would say “Well, Mo Lewis is my favorite player…” theyde shut their yappers REAL quick.
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Bent says:
Zartan – Glenn will not be eligible for this until he officially retires. Lewis was with the Jets for 13 seasons, which is why he was considered ahead of some other players who may have been his equal but only last half as long or played half their careers for other teams.
There’s still 3 more inductees to come this week, don’t forget. And you’ll have a chance to highlight why you think any “snubs” should be selected next year at the end of the week.
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I cant think of anyone in jets history thats not in our hall, that is better than MO LEWIS?!?!?!?!?!!!!
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zenlaw says:
I, for one it seems, think that the TJB HOF would be more special if fewer players were elected year-to-year. When this whole HOF thing started, we all pretty-much unanimously elected Chrebet, which was great. The following year, we elected 5 players, but I thought we should have kept it to 1-2 players.
At the rate we are going, the TJB HOF is going to be somewhat watered-down. This is not meant to be negative comment about Mo who was a great, loyal Jet.
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Mo’s 1994-1995 and his 1998-2000 were as good as any years as any Jets LB in history.
His 1994 year was so great its silly he wasnt an All-Pro let a lone a Pro Bolwer.
Just imagine if Marvin Jones turned out to be what he was supposed to be. Mo’s numbers would have been insane.
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Mad Dog Mo says:
Webster’s Dictionary…
Linebacker…Mo Lewis.
One of the best Jets of All Time…Period.
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Pete57 says:
Always loved Mo Lewis. And on top of all that, I felt for most of his career he was not used properly. If he was playing today in one of these 3-4 hybrid defenses, he would attack the QB much more than he did during his career.
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Steve in Philly says:
Mo!!!!!!
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FernandoQ says:
When are we gonna have a Alex Gordon day!!! Man he coulda been a contender!! :P
Mo’ s the man!
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MoLewis135 says:
Great Piece.
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I wish that these former players who we are immortalizing would read TheJetsBlog, so they know that we really apreciated them and that we really thought they were good players.
It pretty rare in this modern NFL to stay with a team for 13 years. Chrebet did it for 10. They are great Jets. -
Thanks Mo! Without you my New England Patriots could never have gotten those 3 championship rings (so far), blindsiding Bledsoe was the best thing you could have done for us! Who knows, Bledsoe is left untouched, Brady is cut during the offseason and the Jests pick him up off waivers, thanks Mo!
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Mike S. says:
Rex would have loved this guy!
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NickP says:
Mo Lewis is one of my favorite players of the game. i used to love going to Jet games and watching this guy play. he was a true football player. its a shame that he will be remembered for laying the infamous hit on bledsoe. he goes down in my book as one of the greatest Jet players. this guy never gave up and always played his hardest. god bless ya Mo.
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??? who laid the hit on terrell Davis that ended his career.
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john says:
Still my favorite jet ever
RETIRE 57
I was at the game that Lewis put the hit on Bledsoe.. 2 weeks after 9/11.. I don’t really remember that play, but i vividly remember being harrassed by the surrounding Patriots’ fans.. mocking me and my Martin 28 jersey the whole game..
I always liked Mo Lewis.. one of my favorite defensive players through the 90′s and the Groh/Edwards years..
Too bad he doesn’t get the respect he so badly deserves..