The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Catching up with D.D. Lewis
07.19.2006 | Football
What does it mean to you to come back and to finish your degree after making it in the NFL, making it to the Super Bowl and having an outstanding year? That's something that as you're growing up you set certain goals and one of those goals for me was to graduate from college, as well as make it to the NFL. I'm not satisfied with just completing one task in my life; I want to make sure I reach every goal that I set for myself and my family.That's why it was so important for me to finish my degree. I was completing a mission that I set for myself.
How has it been being around campus, just being a student again? It's been four years out, so a lot of things change, but it's always a great feeling to go back into the clubhouse and see old friends.That's always a great feeling. I love The University of Texas for what it has done for my career and where it helped guide me to, I always come back here, and I love Austin. I am a Houston native, but I love my Longhorns.
You mentioned that you were looking to buy a house in Austin. Is this an area you think you want to settle in? The major factor is that The University of Texas is here and there isn't a better university in America. The atmosphere is nice and good for the family and things like that so this is one of those places where you can raise a family and feel secure.
In the locker room what do you tell the younger guys that you get to meet; about coming back to get your degree and what it is like to be in the NFL? The thing about that is that I don't have to talk to them that much because with the coaches that we've had here, it's been stressed that being a student athlete is the major thing.Don't just be an athlete, go out there and get your grades and get your books done and then the hard work you've put into the classroom will show on the field because your work ethic is something you can't hide, whether it's in the classroom or on the field. If you have a good work ethic, you'll finish what you've started. It carries to the NFL; the NFL is basically like a classroom. You're studying all the time and you're going out there on Sundays and taking what you learned the whole week and putting into that one game.It is really one of those situations where I think they have a great training ground starting at The University of Texas to get to the NFL pros.You have to have that work ethic.
Did you see that as soon as you got to the NFL, transferring how much you had to work to learn to pick up stuff here? I really did. You know with me being a free agent and coming into a situation where a lot of free agents don't make it into an opening day roster, it was one of those things that for me, being at Texas, and the things that I learned under Mack Brown, my position coaches and Mad Dog, I was able to take my work ethic and apply it to my daily living in Seattle in both on and off the field situations. I was able to apply those things and the coaches were able to see that work ethic in me. If you have that, it shows. It was just one of things that worked out in my favor and I'm extremely grateful to God that I was able to be put in a situation out of high school to come to The University of Texas to come to the NFL.
Do you ever think back to the running back days? Was that the perfect move for you or would you rather be playing running back in the NFL? I think that was a great move for me. I don't think I would have been able to get a shot really because we had Ricky Williams. You really can't get much better than that.Mad Dog and Mack Brown saw something in me and I'm glad that they saw that. I was willing to make the move to do whatever I could to help the team and we made that move and it has been great ever since.
For all of those young guys out there, what does it feel like to make that run through the playoffs and make the run to the Super Bowl? The Super Bowl is one of those feelings, you know it's the last game of the year and it's one of those dreams -- I'm playing in the Super Bowl. All of these highlights that I have seen growing up, I'm playing in one of those games. For me to be a starter in that game, it's something that words can't really explain. It's just a feeling and it is one of those feelings that you don't forget.
Weren't you out the year before with an injury? Did all of the patience and the work that you did cumulate with the Super Bowl year? How did it feel to come back for that? I've been dealing with a light injury and it gets frustrating because when I was at UT, I played every single game so it really kills me to miss a game and to not be out there helping my teammates.When I missed that year, I always told myself, I can't do this, football is a passion I have and I want to be able to play. You don't have too many more years to play in the NFL, so to miss a year because of an injury is not a good feeling, so you always want to get out there as quickly as possible. You want to make the right steps. For me to get back and to help my team in anyway that I did in making it to the Super Bowl, it's just one of those feelings where I feel like I accomplished something by being the teammate I am supposed to be.
What was going on in the Lewis household during the Texas vs. USC game? I'm smiling right now. It was one of those me against the world kind of moments, that's how I felt. Me and Marcus Tubbs, and couple of other guys who were going for UT because they felt that we were the underdogs, but me and Tubbs we never felt like we were the underdogs. When it came down to it, and people doubted us, it was like, "We'll see. We'll let the field do the talking." That's how we were brought up here to let the play on the field do the talking. When that time came and that game was going on and I saw USC run that casino blitz against Vince Young, I knew it was over. I knew he was about to take it in. That was one of the greatest feelings in my life. I loved it. For me to be able to go back into the locker room, and I always wear my UT stuff, I'm a Longhorn and I was able to get (former USC Trojan and current Seattle Seahawk) Lofa Tatupu to make a deal with me that whoever won that game had to wear the opposite teams colors for a whole week. For him to put on that burnt orange hat, warm up suit, I mean everything I had him decked out, even Longhorn slippers, it was just one of those things that I always knew they were going to win. They went up against a good team, but like we always said, the best team will prevail, and that's what my Longhorns did.
You went through a coaching change here and saw when Mack Brown first came in and had success immediately and you guys built on that and you always knew that 'that year' would eventually come. Did you have any feeling they day he came here and with the staff he brought here? The thing that Coach Brown brought when he came here was more of a personal relationship with the players. I know the players that were here, they wanted that from their coach. You know in high school you get that personal relationship with your coach and when Coach Brown brought that here, it was one of those feelings where you think, "I would go out there and do anything for this guy." He has shown me that he cares for me and he cares about what we are doing. He didn't have selfish ambitions. It was about The University of Texas, it was about the pride that this University has had over the years. He cared about that, and the guys just fed into that and it took years, but we got that Championship. I really don't see us going too far from there from now on.
How is life going for you? Are you doing any ministry? Always, my life is a ministry. I got away from defining myself by a title because I think you are what you are.You can't sit there and say I am a this and I am a that, but your lifestyle doesn't show that.A lot of people can say that they are this, but they are not really that because of their lifestyle. I just think for me, that if my lifestyle shows ministry and if I'm doing ministry, then I feel that should speak for itself. Me and my family, we are so blessed, we are so blessed by God that it's totally crazy, we look to Him for every single thing we do in our life and we have been overjoyed in how we have been rewarded for being faithful to Him. We are really blessed in every area of our lives. Ministry is always the most important thing to me and just being in Seattle and seeing a different part of the country, because I had never been out of Texas, just to go to Seattle and to have any type of impact that I am having up there as far is ministry is really great.
How many kids? We have three, but my wife wanted four, but I thought three was a good number. We have two boys and one girl.
What is the message you're giving your kids, as you are a full time father and an NFL player? For my older son, my two youngest kids don't really know it, but he has an appreciation for what I do. He sees the hard work that I put into it, the injuries I have been through and he appreciates that and it touches me every time that he says, "Daddy thank you for what you do." He is only five and he comes to me and says, "Daddy I love you and thank you for doing what you do for us." That pushes me even harder. It's one of those things about me being in the NFL that I want my kids to be able to reap from what I have sown. I just don't want to be in the NFL so that I can say I was in the NFL, I want my kids to be able to reap from what I have sown. I don't want to be selfish and leave my kids out; we save up for our kids and do things like that. It feels good as a parent to be able to do that. It's just one of those situations where you know you're doing the right thing and after it's all said and done, I know my labor won't be in vain because I spent it on all material things instead of investing in things that will have return for me.
Speaking of investments, when you get your diploma what is the first thing you are going to do? My thing is, and I've been doing this over the years, my major is Health Promotion and Fitness, and I'm always stressing not to exercise to look like something, but exercise to become fit. If you exercise to be fit you will end up looking the way that you want to look. But if you have a constant regime that you do everyday because you want to be fit and healthy and not trying to look like something what you desire will eventually come to pass. For me, that's what I like to preach as far my degree is concerned, a healthy lifestyle because it is really hard to regain your health once you lose it. That's why it's important to stay on top of your lifestyle and what you are doing and what you are putting in your body, what you are giving out as well emotionally, because all of that ties into health.
What would you tell someone to do, if they were going to Seattle? It's really big on nature; it's similar to Austin but at a different level as far as the scenery and the greenness goes.If you really enjoy a trip on the lake, it's awesome. You get to go around the city and things like that. Eating on the lake, they have a lot of lakefront restaurants that you can go to or something like Mt. Rainer. You have so many nature things that you can do in Seattle that I really enjoy doing with my family. When we move back to Texas, and my son is in history or a geography class and they are talking about Seattle, he can say I've been there. I know that sounds cheesy, but it has a purpose behind it because he will feel like he did something while he was there or he got to see stuff.
Because you never really got out of Texas? When I was growing up we stayed in Panama because my dad was in the Army and then we moved to Texas, so I have been in Texas for basically my whole life and I never got out of Houston until I came to Austin. When I was in Austin for the first time, it was my recruiting trip so for my son to be able to go to different cities and different areas and to be able to see things like that, I want him to be able to say I've been here, here, and here. I want him to be able to enjoy himself. You know the NFL is an opportunity to go to different states and go out of the country and for our kids to be able to see things like that makes me proud.
With so many UT players now in the NFL, how does it feel when you're in a pre-game and you get to go over and talk to a fellow Longhorn? Seattle, Detroit and now Tennessee have become little Longhorn areas because the guys are there. It's a great feeling when you can go across the field and say, "Hey what's up?" You can call them the night before and say let's go get a bite to eat. It's always good to see those guys who you fought with on the field and you labored with. It's always good to see those guys make it to the next level. I know they feel the same way about me. To sit down with them and talk about the new adventures they're having with their team is always a great feeling.
What was it like to be at the Super Bowl and to have three Longhorns there? It was one of those things that after the situation that I was happy for Casey (Hampton) because he was a Longhorn. I know that it's all of our dreams, especially coming from The University of Texas, to become the Super Bowl Champion. Tubbs and I, we got there and we fell short, but I'm happy for Casey. We had a nice run and this is our NFC championship ring (showing the ring) and it's really nice.These are some of the rewards you get when you work hard every single day and as your team comes together you get to that point. I'm hoping and praying this year we get to do the same thing.
You have been the Super Bowl, you have had success in the NFL, you have had success at UT, where does getting your T-ring going to rank? Oh man, that is important. That's like a fraternity thing. It's like you get that T-ring and, "Hey, I played at one of the most prestigious schools in America and I graduated." It is both of those combined together. I can't wait to get my T-ring. I'm excited about it because over the years you still have that and you know this (the NFC championship ring) right here and I'm not taking anything away from this, but when you have that T-ring, that's renewed every single year it is not something where the glory of it is going to fade. It's always going to be there, that's the reason that I feel so strong about the T-ring.
