Former Texas A&M running back Darren Lewis died Friday at age 55 from cancer, the university announced.
Lewis played for the Aggies in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was a first-team All-American in 1988 and 1990.
In 1988, his sophomore season, Lewis ran for at least 100 yards in 10 games and totaled 1,692 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games. He was the second-leading rusher in the nation that season, behind Barry Sanders.
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A Texas A&M Aggies helmet during USA Team practice for the Reese Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium on January 31, 2024 in Mobile, Alabama. (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Two years later, his rushing yards were down by one, but he reached the end zone 19 times (18 of which were rushing scores). He had the second-best rushing season in Aggies history, but Trayveon Williams passed him in 2018 with 1,760.
Nicknamed “Tank,” Lewis broke the Southwest Conference career rushing record (held by SMU’s Eric Dickerson with 4,450 yards) and finished tied for eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1990. Lewis was named All-America for the second time that season.
By the time Lewis left for the NFL, his 5,012 rushing yards were the fifth-most in NCAA history (currently 22nd), and his 27 100-yard games in his Aggies career still remain a school record.
On August 14, 1993, Bears running back Darren Lewis falls to the ground during a game against the Arizona Cardinals in Chicago. (AP Photo/John Zick, File)
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He never tested positive for drugs during his time in the NFL, but after his brief playing career he struggled with cocaine addiction and, following a divorce, lost his home.
In 2014, he was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in a series of armed robberies in the Dallas area.
His cancer was diagnosed in prison and he was allowed out to receive treatment, and some reports say he recently entered hospice care.
Kyle Field before the game between the A&M Aggies and Lamar Cardinals on September 6, 2014 in College Station, Texas. (Bob Levy/Getty Images)
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Lewis was selected in the sixth round by the Chicago Bears in the 1991 NFL Draft, but his status was hampered after he tested positive for cocaine at the Combine that year, and he played in just 33 NFL games, 31 of which came in his first two years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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