Colorado University Athletics
JAMES LEWIS BIOGRAPHY
JAMES LEWIS, ATH
6-1, 210, Los Angeles, Calif. (Venice)
HIGH SCHOOL?As a senior, he was the overall Los Angeles city Player of the Year (Los Angeles Times) as well as the Western League Player of the Year and a third-team All-American by Student Sports. Along with all-Western League and all-CIF honors, he earned All-West honors from PrepStar, with SuperPrep naming him to its all-Far West team in ranking him No. 100 overall for the region (the 14th wide receiver). As a senior, he caught 63 passes for 1,254 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 19.9 yards per catch; he accounted for 22 TDs overall, as he also scored four on punt returns and passed for another. He averaged close to 50 yards for nine punt returns, completed both his pass attempts for 110 yards, and ran a few reverses and trick plays for another 100 yards. On defense, where he split time between both free and strong safety, he racked up 32 tackles (20 solo), with two interceptions, five pass deflections, three fumble recoveries, one caused fumble and a half a quarterback sack. As a junior, when he earned second-team all-league accolades, he caught 17 passes for 503 yards and seven touchdowns on offense, with 50 tackles (15 solo) and two interceptions playing exclusively strong safety on defense; he returned one of the picks for a score. Two of his top games came his senior year: in a 63-12 win over Gardenia, he returned five punts for 200 yards and two TDS, with two catches for 120 yards and a TD and also threw for a score; in a 53-0 romp over Crenshaw, he caught five passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns. Venice was 13-1 his senior year, reaching the CIF title game, and was 10-3 his junior season, losing in the CIF semifinals under coach Angelo Gasca.
ACADEMICS?He is interested in business as his major at Colorado.
VITALS?Has 4.47 speed in the 40, bench presses 350 pounds and owns a 38-inch vertical leap.
RECRUITING?He selected Colorado over Mississippi State, Nebraska and Arizona; a year ago, he originally chose Utah over Oregon State.
PERSONAL?He was born November 15, 1986 in Los Angeles. Hobbies including playing video games and he is currently learning how to play the guitar. Due to a complicated family situation, he petitioned to play another year in high school (he entered his true senior year just 16 years old), but the appeal was denied. He wasn’t able to complete his degree requirements to graduate from Venice High School with his class in the spring of 2004, and later that year he moved to Frankston, Texas, to live with relatives; he’ll get his high school diploma from Frankston High this spring. He was a high school teammate with current Buff tailback Byron Ellis.