Atlanta Falcons' Trey Lewis has come full circle and is excited to be back on the field

March 26, 6:51 PMAtlanta Falcons ExaminerDaniel Cox

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Trey Lewis, AP Photo/John Bazemore

Atlanta Falcons fans hope to never see an image like the one to the left again.

After being drafted in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Washburn University, DT Trey Lewis was having a promising rookie season.

Injuries and the surprising mid-season release of Grady Jackson in '07 opened the door for Lewis to step in and start full-time in Week Nine.

Falcons linebacker Michael Boley spoke of the work Lewis, only the third player from Washburn to be drafted by an NFL team, had put in to that point and his attitude about his new role after the release of the veteran Jackson.

"He's shown a lot of good things. Coming in as a rookie, he's accepting his responsibility now. With us releasing Grady, there's going to be a big weight on his shoulders and I think he's going to take it in stride."

But just as the 6'3", 323-pound Topeka, KS native was hitting his stride, Week 11 came and so did a torn right ACL against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He found himself on the injured-reserve list and it's been all downhill ever since.

To be exact: Down the stairs.  

In early March of 2008, after months of rehab on his knee, Lewis stumbled down a set of stairs and effectively ended what would have been his second year in the NFL and the opportunity to win a starter's role on the defensive line.

Of the injury Falcons coach Mike Smith said, "It's tough for us, but it is also disappointing for Trey because he was making tremendous progress in his rehabilitation."

After the initial injury the former first-team NCAA Division II All-American remained optimistic, but most of all, thankful.

"Of course, it's disappointing," Lewis said following the '07 season-ending injury. "I wish I could keep playing. At the same time, accidents happen and I've been blessed this far in my career not to have any serious injuries until now. This is the first time I've ever missed a game because of an injury.

He added, "I couldn't ask for a better opportunity. I achieved a lot. I'm not going to let it get me down."

His achievements in his rookie season were notable (nine games played, five starts, 17 tackles, one pass defensed and one interception) and they were enough to have the new Falcons regime excited in '08 before he went down the stairs the wrong way.

Once last season began, it became clear that Lewis would not be able to play after reinjuring his knee.

“It doesn’t look like I’m going to get out there this year,” Lewis said of the realization that his second NFL season. “It’s kind of too risky right now. They want me to come back 100 percent next season.”

He expressed his disappointment in not being able to play, but said, "Once I do come back I want to be 100 percent.”

And 100 percent, with organized team activities beginning this week, is where he finds himself.

Lewis is one of the Falcons players on which a lot of focus will be placed this season. He's expected to be an integral part of the defensive line rotation with returning starter Jonathan Babineaux.

In the nine games the organization has seen him play, he's flashed quickness and intelligence to combine with his run-stuffing size, a characteristic valued at the nose tackle position he will likely assume.

With the 2009 season approaching, Lewis is poised to continue where he left off.

Speaking on Tuesday with AtlantaFalcons.com, he said he's anxious to test his knee and get back on the field with his teammates, but he also knows he has to stay patient and pace himself, reminding himself of the bigger picture.

"As of right now I want to get through this offseason program and make sure everything is good," he said. "I want to get confident with my knees right now so, when training camp starts, I'm full throttle and there's no holding back whatsoever."

Full throttle is exactly where the Falcons want him and he's been preparing for that feeling for 16 months.

He's had no on-field practice time since his injury, but attended every meeting last season. He feels the mental aspect of the game combined with his strength training may have done him some good.

I think I'm a lot stronger, especially in my upper body. My lower body feels stronger than it was prior to the injury. I'm excited to see what I can do now with a year of NFL lifting and training without banging on (on the knee).

He added, from the studying "I know the system well and it shouldn't be hard for me to get back into the swing of things."

So now Lewis has come full circle and it couldn't come at a better time. The player that describes the opportunity to play in the NFL as "a dream come true" will be looked upon to help fortify the middle of the front line of a defense that allowed 127 rushing yards a game, 25th in the league.

The Falcons obviously believe Lewis has the chance to make an impact. General manager Thomas Dimitroff said earlier in the offseason, "We have a lot of coaches on this staff as well as myself who are sitting on the edge of their seats to see exactly what Trey Lewis will bring to the field. We are looking forward to what he may offer us.”

Even with that anticipation, there's no lack of mock draft experts saying Atlanta should draft a defensive tackle as early as possible. Regardless, you get the sense Lewis doesn't care about that sort of thing. That's all out of his control and after all he's got some experience dealing with things he doesn't control.

As he said, "As long as I'm on the ground with my hand in the dirt I'm good."

That certainly seems to be good enough for him and that's exactly what you'd expect one of the few Eagle Scouts in the NFL to say.