Former Michigan State QB Brian Lewerke Wins First UFL Start
The Michigan Panthers of the United Football League entered the week leading up to their most recent game searching for a quarterback to keep their two-game win streak alive. The Panthers would settle on former Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke.
The Panthers quarterback didn’t disappoint, as he helped lead the team to their third straight victory in his first career start.
Lewerke split time at quarterback during the Panthers’ 22-9 win against the D.C. Defenders on Mother’s Day. He ran for a touchdown in his first start with the team. The third consecutive win moved the Panthers to 5-2 this season, and the victory helped the Panthers secure a spot in the USFL conference playoff.
Lewerke was a three-year starter for the Spartans and ranks first in program history with 9,548 yards of total offense while throwing for 47 touchdowns and rushing for ten scores. He went undrafted in 2020, signed with the Patriots, and spent time with the Giants. Lewerke was picked up by the Panthers last year but didn’t appear in a game.
While at Michigan State, Lewerke was the starting quarterback for three seasons. Lewerke left MSU with the highest total offense, totaling nearly 9.600 yards, most of which came through the air. He finished as one of Michigan State’s career leaders in pass attempts and completed almost 60% of his passes.
Lewerke threw for 47 touchdowns and 32 interceptions in his career as a Spartan. He finished his career ranked second in school history in pass completions, fourth in passing yards and third among Spartans quarterbacks in rushing yards. He ended his college career with 10 rushing touchdowns.
Lewerke appeared in over 40 games for the Spartans, including 38 starts. He finished with a winning record and the third-most career starts and wins in Michigan State history.
According to Michigan State University Athletics, Lewerke was “one of only two quarterbacks and six players overall in the Mark Dantonio era to be voted a team captain twice and only Spartan player to win two bowl MVPs (2017 Holiday, 2019 Pinstripe) [and] one of three Spartan QBs to win two bowl games as the starter (2017 Holiday, 2019 Pinstripe).”
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Ezekiel is a former Sports Editor from the Western Herald and former Atlanta Falcons beat writer.