Hoosiers Now

Former IU Receiver Rhett Lewis Joins Don Fischer as IU Football Radio Analyst

Rhett Lewis played wide receiver for the Hoosiers in the early 2000's and graduated with a Master's degree in sports administration in 2006. After hosting several shows on NFL Network, Lewis returns to Bloomington as an Indiana football radio analyst.

Jack Ankony

IU Athletics

Legendary Indiana broadcaster Don Fischer is entering his 50th season as the 'Voice of the Hoosiers,' and this year he's teaming up with former Indiana wide receiver Rhett Lewis for football games.

Lewis, known as Rhett Kleinschmidt during his playing career, played for Indiana from 2001 to 2005, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in sports broadcasting in 2005 and a Master's degree in sports administration in 2006. Lewis will replace Buck Suhr, who retired in January after 17 years, as the Indiana football radio color analyst. 

"You don't stop being a Hoosier when you take the helmet off for the last time," Lewis said. "The passion 'For the Glory of old IU' always remains. I'm so thankful to , Coach Allen, , and for allowing me to connect with IU Football these last few years in a way that was so accessible and welcoming. That connection made me want to get even closer to the program in any way I could. When Buck Suhr retired after a fantastic 17-year run in this role the fit was too good to be true. Most importantly, to get to work side-by-side with the legendary Don Fischer, the best voice in the business, is an absolute dream come true."

Lewis appeared in 27 games as a Hoosier, hauling in eight receptions for 72 yards. He played two seasons under former head coach Gerry DiNardo and one season for Terry Hoeppner. 

Lewis has spent the last eight years with NFL Network, hosting shows such as NFL Now, NFL Total Access, and Path to the Draft. He's also been around Big Ten football recently, making regular appearances on SiriusXM Big Ten Radio.

His broadcasting career started as an intern with WISH-TV in Indianapolis. He used this experience to return to his home town of New Orleans, where he worked for the FOX affiliate, WVUE, for eight months. Lewis then worked as the sports director at KLBK, a CBS affiliate in Lubbock, Tex. And before joining the NFL Network, Lewis was an anchor and reporter at WHDH in Boston for five years, where he covered the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, Stanley Cup Finals and first started using his middle name of Lewis as his last name, professionally. 

Lewis has longtime connections to Indiana, as his father Dean Kleinschmidt was the football team's head trainer from 2004 to 2006. Dean, a 1970 IU grad, worked as a head trainer in the NFL for 41 seasons, and is in the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame and the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame.

Lewis will return to Bloomington with his wife Kayna, who is a national correspondent for ABC News, and their two sons Conway, 4, and Wylder, 3. 

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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.

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