Rockmolder
14 years ago
Packers scouting college basketball prospect 

by Michael David Smith

The folks in the Green Bay Packers' front office are keeping a close eye on college basketball. And not just because they're filling out their brackets for the office pool.

The Packers are also watching college basketball because they're scouting a player, Tyrone Lewis of Niagara University, who they think may have a promising NFL career.

Lewis is a 5-foot-10, 180-pounder described as a great college player who's too small for the NBA. He told the Niagara Gazette that he'd love to prove the people who think he's too small for the NBA wrong, but that if he can't, he's got a pre-draft workout lined up with the Packers.

"Basketball is still the first option, but now that I have another opportunity, I'm going to go after it, and I'm going to train hard for both," Lewis said. "I'm excited, but I'm not going to get too excited until after the workout."

In high school Lewis was a cornerback, wide receiver and kick returner.

Brian Carriveau of the Journal Sentinel notes that last year the Packers were interested in former Duke basketball player Greg Paulus, who ultimately transferred to Syracuse and played quarterback in 2009. Looking into Paulus didn't go anywhere for the Packers, but they're not done scouting basketball players.

Rockmolder
14 years ago
FOOTBALL: Niagara basketball player piques Packers' interest 

By Jonah Bronstein

All those times Tyrone Lewis went flying into the Gallagher Center grandstands, could he have been preparing to take the Lambeau leap?

Widely written off as an NBA prospect, the Niagara University senior said this week that he has on on-campus workout scheduled with the Green Bay Packers in early April, less than three weeks before the NFL draft.

Lewis plans to start "two-a-day" training sessions on Monday, gearing up for his football tryout in the mornings with Niagara's strength and conditioning, Matt Diegelman, and getting in the gym for basketball workouts later in the day.

"Basketball is still the first option, but now that I have another opportunity, I'm going to go after it, and I'm going to train hard for both," said Lewis, who is Niagara's career leader in steals and 3-pointers and the third all-time leading scorer. "I'm excited, but I'm not going to get too excited until after the workout."

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Lewis was a standout cornerback, wide receiver and kick returner at Harry S. Truman High School in Levittown, Pa., and as a junior, was receiving more recruiting calls to play football than basketball. His uncle, John Lewis, played at Pittsburgh in the early '80s and spent the strike-portion of the '87 NFL season with the Buffalo Bills.

"It's funny because my uncle told me before the basketball season, "Don't worry about basketball because you are going to play football again,' " Lewis said. "I laughed at him. But he must have known something I didn't."

Lewis said he received an e-mail from Eliot Wolf, assistant director of pro personnel for the Packers and the son of former general manager Ron Wolf, shortly after Niagara beat Siena in a nationally-televised game Feb. 12.

Wolf explained that he'd been following Lewis since his freshman year at Niagara, was aware of his football background, impressed with his speed and agility and wondering if Lewis had any interest in pursuing a football career after college.

"I e-mailed him back and said football wasn't really an option because nobody had given me any kind of hint that I might be able to play," Lewis said.

The next weekend, Niagara played its BracketBuster game at the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin, where George Koonce, a Packers linebacker from '92-99, is the current athletic director. Lewis noticed Koonce was watching him closely during warmups, and after scoring a game-high 23 points in the first half of the Purple Eagles victory, assistant coach Akbar Waheed told Lewis that Koonce was looking to talk with him.

Niagara's season ended Sunday, and Wolf reached out again a few days later. Having just sat down with coach Joe Mihalich to begin planning his basketball future, Lewis decided to go through with the Packers workout, and called one of his close high school friends, Houston Texans running back Steve Slaton, for some advice.

"He told me if they're coming to you, they must be really interested," Lewis said. "His agent then called me and told me how it works after the workout."

In the fall, Lewis and some of the other Purple Eagles did football-style agility workouts on the school's turf soccer field. One day, they ran timed 40-yard dashes for fun, and Lewis was clocked at 4.45 seconds, an above-average time for skill position players. Lewis could also performance an elite-level vertical leap greater than 40 inches, according to the estimates of teammate Demetrius Williamson, who was recruited to Missouri as a high jumper before deciding to play basketball.

Lewis' NFL workout will take place a few days before the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, the annual showcase event for seniors hoping to prove their NBA prospects.

"I haven't heard anything about Portsmouth," said Lewis, who isn't optimistic about a late invitation considering that it took "some twisted arms" from Mihalich to get Charron Fisher into the event two years ago, even after he finished as the nation's second-leading scorer.

"I've talked to a few agents here and there, and they say I have a good opportunity to play overseas," Lewis said. "One agent asked me what my deadline is. I don't have a deadline. I'm going do the football workout, and hopefully I'll know right away if I'm good enough. I'll talk to Steve's agent about the football thing, and listen to what coach Mihalich says about basketball."

E-mail reporter Jonah Bronstein at jonah.bronstein@niagara-gazette.com

RainX
14 years ago
First arena football and now college basketball?

Can't say the Packers don't scout every avenue to try and improve their football team. 😛
blank
Dulak
14 years ago
I think its pretty cool they check out all avenues ... Just like how they grabbed lang up off a not so big school. Also they picked a bruiser of a fullback when most teams probably wernt looking at him.
British
14 years ago

I think its pretty cool they check out all avenues ... Just like how they grabbed lang up off a not so big school. Also they picked a bruiser of a fullback when most teams probably wernt looking at him.

"Dulak" wrote:



I don't think picking QJ has proven to be that great a pick just yet. The reason many other teams weren't interested was probably because most teams hardly use FBs.

But yes, glad to hear we're checking out all available avenues.
UserPostedImage
Rockmolder
14 years ago

I think its pretty cool they check out all avenues ... Just like how they grabbed lang up off a not so big school. Also they picked a bruiser of a fullback when most teams probably wernt looking at him.

"British" wrote:



I don't think picking QJ has proven to be that great a pick just yet. The reason many other teams weren't interested was probably because most teams hardly use FBs.

But yes, glad to hear we're checking out all available avenues.

"Dulak" wrote:



I bet that the Vikings are quite jealous, though. Lol.

I agree, though, that there are a lot of teams that don't use a blocking FB anymore. Still, Johnson was a nice selection in the 5th. He was quite raw last season, but those amazing lead blocks and what seemed like nearly one pancake per game is pretty impressive. It's just a shame that he's that one dimensional.

Brad Jones was a nice pick from Colorado. Collins went to BethuneCookman. Jones from San Jose State.

That's what I believe makes late round picks succesfull. You don't go with average players on big teams. They've oftenly peaked and offer you little more than a 3rd stringer for depth. You take a shot on raw talent from small colleges. Those are the guys who can turn out to be superstars eventually.

More teams should look at it like that. Or not, really. Tyler Thigpen might've been the starter for the Vikings if they'd taken a good, hard look at the QB from Coastal Carolina.
Fan Shout
dfosterf (9h) : For the record, I enjoy Beast and Mucky drafts
Zero2Cool (16h) : Haha
Mucky Tundra (17h) : No time for talking! Back to work beast!
beast (18h) : You saw only 4,201 of my mocks? 🥺 I think that means you missed more than half of them 😢
dfosterf (21h) : Does anyone know what Lambeau field improvements got put on hold? My guess would be for the 2025 draft
Zero2Cool (23h) : It's like listen, you made 4,201 mocks, no shit.
Zero2Cool (23h) : Cuz during the draft "I had them mocked there!" as if it's amazing.
Zero2Cool (23h) : They're fun to do once in awhile. It's people who think they are "content" that annoy me.
dfosterf (23h) : Against tbd
dfosterf (23h) : Answer to your question is yes, it's a Thursday, will be the Chiefs aga
dfosterf (23h) : Luckily for all concerned, I don't post them. I did one, but that was like 25 mocks ago
Zero2Cool (23h) : NFL 2024 gonna start Sept 5th isn't it???
Zero2Cool (23h) : Ugh... kids these days!
dfosterf (23h) : I'm gonna go do some more mock draft hell instead 🤪
Zero2Cool (27-Mar) : Did we do one of those prediction threads yet for 2024 season?
dfosterf (27-Mar) : In my city, they are playing the nimby game, in order to keep some railroad tracks vs. 2 professional sports teams and a concert venue.
dfosterf (27-Mar) : And/Or a city council, of which I haven't seen a good one in a very long time
dfosterf (27-Mar) : That sounds like a Mayor, not a city.
buckeyepackfan (26-Mar) : Packers halt scheduled 80mil upgrade of stadium until lease agreement talks are restarted
Zero2Cool (26-Mar) : City of Green Bay puts Packers' Lambeau Field lease talks on hold
buckeyepackfan (26-Mar) : Packers 1 of 3 teams to vote no on new kickoff rule.
Zero2Cool (26-Mar) : Packers sign another Kicker
dfosterf (26-Mar) : Lengthy explanation at PFF if you click the link
dfosterf (26-Mar) : Kickoff rules officially changed.ngthy explan
Zero2Cool (26-Mar) : lol
Cheesey (26-Mar) : 2009? No thanks! One open heart surgery is enough!
dfosterf (26-Mar) : Good for you!
Zero2Cool (26-Mar) : Yes. That's the one.
dfosterf (26-Mar) : Is that "Lady Dugan" per chance?
dfosterf (26-Mar) : Crystal?
dfosterf (26-Mar) : Please refresh my memory
Zero2Cool (26-Mar) : Alan posts. Crystal back in my life. It's 2009 all over again! Lol
Mucky Tundra (26-Mar) : BAH GAWD! THAT'S CHEESEYS MUSIC!
Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : Gutekunst said early stages of Jordan Love contract being discussed.
Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : Shouldn't be penalized cuz official screwed up
Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : Yeah, challenge until you are incorrect twice.
Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : Fining them is the goal, per the people who made the rule anyway.
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Still waiting on the kickoff rule changes. Did hear yesterday that the touchback proposal will now be the 30 yard line, not the 35
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Probably speed of game issues with your proposal
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Hopefully the refs don't get in the habit of throwing flags on this
beast (25-Mar) : I think when it comes to Challenges should get two strikes, so unlimited challenges as long as they keep winning them, but 2 wrong then done
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Still subject to the fines etc
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Yes, I should have been more specific. Also, they are now saying it would be a 15 yard penalty. That makes more sense .
beast (25-Mar) : Simply fined in the week to follow
beast (25-Mar) : I agree with one NFL official, it'll probably be like some of the helmets hits, not really called by the refs on the field but simply fined
Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : Hip drop is not. Super confusing. Referees job is harder
Zero2Cool (25-Mar) : Swivel hip drop is banned
dfosterf (25-Mar) : The hip drop enforcement will be in the form of fines, etc. Not flags
dfosterf (25-Mar) : A major foul will be enforced on the offense if there are offsetting penalties in a change of possession situation
dfosterf (25-Mar) : Teams will receive a 3rd challenge if 1 was successful. Previously, it took 2
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2023 Packers Schedule
Sunday, Sep 10 @ 3:25 PM
Bears
Sunday, Sep 17 @ 12:00 PM
Falcons
Sunday, Sep 24 @ 12:00 PM
SAINTS
Thursday, Sep 28 @ 7:15 PM
LIONS
Monday, Oct 9 @ 7:15 PM
Raiders
Sunday, Oct 22 @ 3:25 PM
Broncos
Sunday, Oct 29 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Sunday, Nov 5 @ 12:00 PM
RAMS
Sunday, Nov 12 @ 12:00 PM
Steelers
Sunday, Nov 19 @ 12:00 PM
CHARGERS
Thursday, Nov 23 @ 11:30 AM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 3 @ 7:20 PM
CHIEFS
Monday, Dec 11 @ 7:15 PM
Giants
Sunday, Dec 17 @ 12:00 PM
BUCCANEERS
Sunday, Dec 24 @ 12:00 PM
Panthers
Sunday, Dec 31 @ 7:20 PM
Vikings
Sunday, Jan 7 @ 3:25 PM
BEARS
Sunday, Jan 14 @ 3:30 PM
Cowboys
Saturday, Jan 20 @ 7:15 PM
49ers
Recent Topics
10h / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

10h / Green Bay Packers Talk / bboystyle

10h / Green Bay Packers Talk / bboystyle

17h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

21h / Random Babble / Zero2Cool

27-Mar / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

26-Mar / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

26-Mar / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

26-Mar / Green Bay Packers Talk / bboystyle

25-Mar / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

25-Mar / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

24-Mar / Around The NFL / dhazer

24-Mar / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

24-Mar / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

22-Mar / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

Headlines
Copyright © 2006 - 2024 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.