Lewis Makes His Stretch Run Down Road That Leads to NFL

After his sophomore football season at Nevada Las Vegas, Tony Lewis wondered if there was going to be a junior year.

Six games into his senior year, he is beginning to ponder not if, but where his professional football career will begin.

“This is a tell-tale year for Tony,” Rebel running back coach Wayne Nunnely predicted at the beginning of the season. “If he has a good year, his stock will go way up in the eyes of pro scouts.”

Lewis, named to the 1980 Times All-Valley team at El Camino Real High, scored 26 touchdowns in his final two high school seasons.

He has been the steadiest offensive player in UNLV’s 3-3 season. He leads UNLV in receiving and punt returns and is the No. 2 rusher on the team behind All-American candidate Kirk Jones. He ranks fifth in Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. rushing.

The scouts will be out in force Saturday when UNLV faces Cal State Fullerton, a PCAA rival, at the Santa Ana Bowl.

“From what I’ve seen of him, Tony Lewis does it all,” said Billy Wilson, chief West Coast scout for the San Francisco 49ers.

“He runs well and he blocks well, but he also catches passes and he returns punts (9.7 yard average this season). You don’t see many running backs who return punts. I’m not saying what our plans are or if the 49ers would draft him, but he would fit into the 49ers’ offense.”

Those kind of statements have kept the 6-1 1/2, 205-pound back motivated through the tough times this year.

For a while, Lewis’ main concern was whether he would have a Rebel career. He played little in 1981 as a freshman, returning 18 kickoffs for a 20.6 average. He redshirted in 1982 and missed some playing time with injuries as a sophomore in 1983.

“The biggest thing Tony has overcome is playing hurt,” Rebel offensive coordinator Al Tanara said. “The injuries he had as a sophomore were just nagging ones, and we had him alternating in a lot at fullback. His mental attitude has toughened and that is one of his biggest assets. We did think he was a question going into last year.”

That thought lasted until the 1984 opener with San Jose State. Jones was injured and Lewis became the focal point of the Rebel rushing attack (115 yards and two touchdowns, one on a pass). He finished the season with 808, second on the team.

He leads the Rebels in 1985 with 22 receptions for 261 yards and has rushed for 365 yards. That has scouts talking.

“He may be a fullback now, but he’s a bit small for an NFL fullback,” the 49ers’ Wilson said. “Most NFL teams run a two-halfback offense and those backs have to catch passes. Because of his pass-catching ability, he is a very draftable player.”