Ronnell Anthony Lewis (born September 17, 1990) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
outside linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
. He was drafted in the fourth round of the
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
Dewar, Oklahoma
Dewar is a town in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 818 at the 2010 census, a decline of 11.0 percent from the figure of 919 recorded in 2000. Founded in 1909 by workers for the Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway (MO& ...
, where he accounted for 2,219 yards on 150 rushes with 33 touchdowns in 2008 along with 156 tackles while he picked off 11 passes on defense and added 2,000 yards and 40 rushing touchdowns as a junior.
College career
Known for his big hits, Oklahoma Sooner fans have nicknamed Lewis "The Hammer". He rose to national prominence after two big hits on special teams against Stanford in the 2009 Sun Bowl. Lewis followed up a promising freshman season with a stellar sophomore campaign in 2010 in which he logged 3.5 sacks, 37 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and a 12-yard interception return for a touchdown against the
Baylor Bears
The Baylor Bears are the athletic teams that represent Baylor University. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as one of only two private school members of the Big 12 Conference. Prior to j ...
despite only starting four games. In the 2012 NFL Combine, Ronnell ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68s and performed 36 repetitions of 225 lbs.
Professional career
2012 NFL Draft
Detroit Lions
In the 2012 NFL draft, Lewis was drafted with the 125th overall pick (30th pick of the 4th round) to the Detroit Lions.
On August 25, 2013, he was released by the Detroit Lions.
Toronto Argonauts
On September 10, 2013, Lewis was signed by the
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
to a practice roster agreement. He was released by the Argonauts on October 2, 2013.
Oklahoma Defenders
On November 26, 2013, Lewis was signed by the
Oklahoma Defenders
The Oklahoma Defenders were a professional indoor football team and a charter member of the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL). Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Defenders played their home games at the Cox Business Center.
It was ...
of the
Champions Professional Indoor Football League
The Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) was an indoor football minor league based along the Midwestern United States region. The league began play in February 2013. In August 2014, the CPIFL and Lone Star Football League (LSFL) ...
for the 2014 season.
Boston Brawlers
Lewis played for the
Boston Brawlers
The Boston Brawlers were a professional American football team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The team was based at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Massachusetts as the Boston Brawlers, and were a charter member of the Fall Experimental Football L ...
of the
Fall Experimental Football League
The Fall Experimental Football League (FXFL) was a professional football minor league that played two seasons in 2014 and 2015. This league's stated goal was to become a professional feeder-system for the National Football League (NFL).
The lea ...
in Fall 2014.
Spokane Shock
On December 3, 2014, Lewis was assigned to the
Spokane Shock
The Spokane Shock were a professional indoor American football team based in Spokane, Washington, that played their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The team was initially a member of arenafootball2 (af2), the Shock won divisio ...
of the
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
.
Los Angeles KISS
On March 14, 2015, Lewis was traded to the Los Angeles KISS in exchange for Rod Harper. He was placed on reassignment on May 19, 2015.
Spokane Empire
On September 11, 2015, Lewis signed with Spokane again, but this team with the new
Spokane Empire
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Canadi ...
of the
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football. It has one of the largest number of currently active teams amon ...