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Former UCLA and Long Beach Poly High star Marcedes Lewis (84) signed with the Chicago Bears on Monday to play his 19th NFL season, a record for a tight end. (Kamil Krzaczynski / Associated Press)
This story seems familiar. Well, it is familiar. Former UCLA and Long Beach Poly High star Marcedes Lewis is going to play another year in the NFL, his 19th overall.
He’ll set another record for career longevity. He’ll again serve as a mentor, an inspiration, and a dynamic force blocking and catching passes for the Chicago Bears.
And, notably, he’ll be blocking for and catching passes from a quarterback equally familiar to Southland football fans: Caleb Williams, the NFL first overall draft pick after a stellar career at USC.
Williams, 22, had yet to celebrate his first birthday when Lewis stepped on the UCLA campus as a freshman in 2002 and he’d just begun kindergarten when Lewis began his NFL career in 2006 with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Read more: Drafted by Bears 25 years ago, another QB from L.A. shares advice for Caleb Williams
After agreeing to a one-year deal Monday to return to the Bears, Lewis has his sights set on overtaking Jason Witten’s record of 271 games played at tight end. Lewis, who has played in 268 games, last year became the longest-tenured tight end in NFL history by playing his 18th season, one more than Witten and Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez.
If Lewis plays in at least 15 more games, he will trail only wide receiver Jerry Rice (303), offensive lineman Bruce Matthews (296) and cornerback Darrell Green (295) in games by a non-quarterback or specialist.
All but one other player from the 2002 UCLA team that finished 8-5 retired more than a decade ago (backup quarterback Matt Moore lasted in the NFL through 2019). Other first-round picks in 2006 included USC running back Reggie Bush, who retired in 2016, and quarterback Matt Leinart, who retired in 2012.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound Lewis played in all 17 games last season for the Bears, serving mostly as a…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/40-old-tight-end-marcedes-191651224.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-06-10 19:16:51
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