Senior Tribute: Evan Lewis

I don't have the research in front of me, but I'm willing to bet that Evan Lewis is the first Nittany Lion in at least a few decades to have kicked field goals, returned punts, caught passes, and ran the ball in his Penn State career. And that, in a nutshell, is why Evan Lewis, an otherwise undistinguished walk-on from Gettysburg was such an integral part of five different teams; from one that played in a Rose Bowl to one that played for (and won on) pride alone.

Lewis didn't look much like a football player--you don't see too many 5'9, 174 pound guys out there on the gridiron--but through sheer willpower and determination he made his mark at Penn State. Hell, with the reduced roster and recruiting sanctions, Bill O'Brien is going to need to find a whole lot more Evan Lewises if Penn State's going to enjoy another season like the last one. Maybe his kicker will get suspended. Maybe he'll need someone he can trust returning punts, so he won't have to turn to a linebacker again. Maybe he'll need some depth at wide receiver. Maybe he'll need a scout team quarterback to mimic a scrambling QB, because, believe it or not, Lewis was a straight-up dominant passer back in high school. Maybe he'll need someone to snap it to on a fake field goal--remember that one, from last year?

He might not have starred on the field, but he made his presence felt. And that's all you could ever ask from someone who came so unheralded. Wherever and whenever he was needed, Evan Lewis stepped in, and for that, Evan, we salute you.