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Oklahoma unleashes a freak of nature' in linebacker Ronnell Lewis

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  • Originally published September 17, 2009 at 7:36 p.m., updated September 17, 2009 at 8:39 p.m.

EDITORS: Chart at bottom of story. () —

By Mike Jones

McClatchy Newspapers

(MCT)

NORMAN, Okla. — The town of Dewar, Okla., sits a few miles up the railroad tracks from Henryetta, universally known as the hometown of former Dallas Cowboys star Troy Aikman.

But this rural community (population 1,200) has its own favorite son in Sooners freshman linebacker Ronnell Lewis. Classes were let out last February so students could watch him sign his OU letter of intent as the first Dewar player to sign with a major college program.

"This is the biggest event I can remember ever in Dewar," second-grade teacher Jo Mahaffey told "The Oklahoman". "Especially for these elementary kids. They all look up to him."

One game into his freshman season, Lewis is turning heads outside the square-mile city limits of his hometown.

"He is really coming on," OU coach Bob Stoops said.

Lewis describes himself as "an Oklahoma country boy" who enjoys the solitude of riding horseback into the countryside, which is not far from a town with a gas station, a Mexican-food restaurant and a car wash across from the school.

He also enjoyed a brief fascination with bull riding — until his high school coach frowned upon the pastime.

"That's a done deal," Lewis said this week. "I used to do it back in the day... but my bull-riding days are over. I won't say I miss it, because I've got something better to do that is going to provide for my family hopefully in the future."

For the moment, the 6-foot-2, 234-pound Lewis is content to move up OU's depth chart at middle linebacker, an area of critical need given Mike Balogun's eligibility situation and the August injury to another promising freshman, New Braunfels graduate Tom Wort.

But his teammates are bullish on Lewis' early impact as one of the emerging stars of what is shaping up to be a notable freshman class.

"If you say, 'Go run into that wall,' " defensive tackle Gerald McCoy observed, "he will run through it.

"Once he gets everything down as far as his reads and everything like that, he's going to be problems for somebody, I promise you that. Somebody is going to get injured.

"He will hit anything. And when he hits it, it goes down."

Dewar coach Josh Been says that's nothing new.

"He's been like that since he was a freshman," Been said. "By far the best talent I've ever coached and probably will ever coach, being a small-town guy.

"Physically, he has all the attributes to really shine at a high level."

Lewis figures hitting is part of the job description.

"It's a physical sport," he said. "I try to lay a hat on guys. I love hitting people.

"I just come out and play the game and do all my talking on the field."

McCoy isn't the only one impressed. Senior offensive guard Brian Simmons describes Lewis as a "freak of nature."

"Since I've been here — and I'm talking about Curtis Lofton and all the linebackers I've seen come through — Ronnell is the strongest linebacker I've ever seen," he said.

"And on the field, he's fast, strong and hard to handle."

In his middle linebacker debut, Lewis stuffed an Idaho State run for a safety.

If not for the season-ending injury to Wort, Lewis might have been a redshirt candidate. But that late-August blow accelerated his move into the picture in the middle after working at both the strongside and weakside.

"It really doesn't matter," Lewis said. "Whatever position I'm in, I'm going to work hard at it and show them I can play and that I'm not just some guy who will come in here and loaf and want a position."

Lewis came out of Dewar ranked as the No. 2 linebacker prospect nationally by SuperPrep despite playing all but one year of high school in eight-man football. But Lewis sees that as an advantage.

The speed of the college game is one of the main things most players struggle with initially. Not him.

"In eight-man football, you've got to cover a lot of ground," he said. "I feel I have the ability to run people down and make plays."

He said he feels he has a solid concept of the defense, enriched by daily film study. But he has a straightforward approach.

"I just play the game," he said. "Football is football."

No matter how many are on the field.

The Ronnell Lewis file

Ht./Wt.: 6-2/234

Class: Freshman

Position: Linebacker

High school: Dewar

(Okla.)

This and that: Lewis was ranked nationally in the top 10 at both inside and outside linebacker, and was ranked the No. 2 linebacker in the nation by SuperPrep. ... Unanimous all-state on both sides of the ball ... Returned a fumble for a touchdown and caused another in the ESPN Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando, Fla. ... Rushed for 2,219 yards with 33 touchdowns his senior year, along with 156 tackles, in 11-man competition. Had 11 interceptions as a junior in eight-man football with 2,000 yards rushing and 40 touchdowns.

___

(c) 2009, Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Visit the Star-Telegram on the World Wide Web at http://www.star-telegram.com.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.


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