Williamstown, NJ (Rutgers Football App) - Rutgers senior defensive end Aaron Lewis from Williamstown, New Jersey will be playing his last game at SHI stadium as the Scarlet Knights host #24 ranked Illinois in a Big Ten matchup at 12 noon on Saturday, November 23, 2024. His amazing football journey, that still has many chapters to be written, may have gone in a total different direction, as Lewis had the desire to play and pursue basketball in the eigth grade.
"I was going to quit, I was going to quit football" said Lewis,
"I don't know why, but I thought I can become a basketball player, I played basketball in high school and I was ok, but for some reason in my mind I was convinced that I can play center, you know I can do that and I can get to the league" I was 6'5" and there were not really any 6'4" or 6'5" centers and I can dribble."
Convinced that he was headed straight for the National Basketball Associationwis wanted to tell his football coaches his plans for the future.
"I came into the fieldhouse and I told the coaches that I can't do it anymore, I am gonna go into another direction and pursue basketball," Lewis said. The coaching staff at Williamstown knew his potential as a high school football player and was not about to let that slip away. Head Football coach at Williamstown high school Frank Fucetola recalled telling him "you have to be smart with this, you can really do this on the football field, you are really good at what you do."
Williamstown defensive line coach Justin George spent a lot of time with Lewis and got in his face pretty good about playing football according to Fucetola, "he said someday you might be in the pro's, not the NBA, but the National Football League. These messages started to resonate with Lewis and he decided to stick with football. "After talking with my mom and talks with coach George and Fucetola, I realized that I was kind of out of my mind," said Lewis.
Having his mind made up about playing football, Lewis took his 6'5" frame and was ready to make his presence felt in the world of high school football in New Jersey.
"He had such energy, just constant energy," said Fucetola,"he had an air about him, but the thing is, he backed it up." "Full of energy for practice, game, pre game, after game, just a player that you enjoyed coaching."
This football potential played itself out on the field for Lewis and his high school teammates. As a high school football player, Lewis was 24-2 combined for his junior and senior seasons, with both the 2018 and 2019 teams going 12-1. The only 2018 loss was 14-7 to Sayreville at MetLife stadium in the championship game.
One big highlight came in the 2019 NJ state sectional semi-final against Lenape. Lewis came off the end and had a sack to secure the win and the game in a Braves 14-10 win. "That was an amazing sack in a tight spot during that game," said Fucetola. The Braves would advance to the finals against Cherokee, who they beat 30-14 at Rutgers SHI stadium for the state championship, ironically the same field Lewis would spend his next four years creating chaos on the defensive line for the Scarlet Knights.
"His biggest asset was coming off the ball, he was quick off the ball" said Fucetola, "we played him everywhere on the defensive line, we played him in a one technique, zero, three, five, seven, we moved him to make plays, he had such a nose for the football" added Fucetola. As for the skills and techniques Lewis likes to use on line, "I use a combination of the swim and rip moves on the line depending on where I am lined up on the field" says Lewis
Lewis brought that energy from Williamstown, NJ to the banks of the Ole' Raritan and it has become contagious throughout the team and program.
"That's what I think really makes a good football team if I'm being honest, on a really good football team you know everybody feeds off each other's energy and that's just how I live" says Lewis
"I really feed off other people doing good, so when I see my teammates, not even just in football but in everyday life something good happening to them, I get happy and I can't contain it and it just comes out, like I just let it out and I guess that makes me an intense person" said Lewis.
"For example on the field, if my brother makes a play, that drives me, now let's go, it's my turn now."
Recently over the stretch of the past few games for the Scarlet Knights, Lewis has not been 100 percent on the field and has been playing through pain, which has provided only limited reps on the field. The energy that has helped him become one of the best pass rushers in the Big ten, now had to be directed and packaged in a different direction.
"I would just do whatever I can to make my presence felt", I would switch it from the physical part of the game to the mental part". "I tried to help Jabril, DJ, Kyonte, if they ever asked anything about the defensive end position, I would help them with the technique."
The four years have passed so fast on the banks, and along the way, the natural attraction and energy of Lewis has built the foundation for many life-long friendships.
"I will miss the camaraderie, just being there with your brothers, I've built so many great relationships from being on this team, I am not going to let them fade, but you know it's going to be different when you're not seeing each other every day."
Part of that Lewis energy will always be felt in a post game ritual, following a win at Rutgers. The passing of the sword from Sir Henry is where the sword is given to Lewis, while surrounded by his teammates, the sword is raised high in the air, like a scene from the movie Braveheart, and planted firmly into the turf as a finishing move of the Scarlet Knights victory.
"It just started out a couple years ago, me and Sir Henry made eye contact, and one day, I could just tell we were on the same wavelength, so I grabbed the sword, and it just got everybody pumped, I just started doing that from then on." It's just legendary".
At an imposing 6'5" 270 pounds, there is only one thing that scares the big man.
"One of my dogs running out the house, that's what scares me the most, I live in fear at night when I think about it." says Lewis
For Rutgers football fans, a scary scene will rear its ugly head on Saturday as they will watch #71 play his last game at SHI stadium before he tackles the NFL. Maybe Lewis will end his college football career like high school, with a game winning sack to secure the win over Illinois for the Scarlet Knights.
This Bigtime feature is served by Ama Pizza of Hillsborough, NJ broadcasting live on the Pizza Hunters App with speed by Chuck Mound.
