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Texas A&M All-Time Leading Rusher Darren Lewis Passes Away at 55

The Texas A&M Aggies lost one of their greatest players of all time, with legendary running back Darren Lewis passing away.

Matt Galatzan

Texas A&M Aggies running back Darren Lewis
Texas A&M Aggies running back Darren Lewis / Texas A&M Aggies Athletics
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The Texas A&M Aggies lost one of their greatest players of all time on Friday, with former running back Darren Lewis passing away after a battle with cancer. He was 55.

"Darren Lewis, a two-time All-American running back and the all-time leading rusher in both Texas A&M and Southwest Conference history, passed away after a battle with cancer," The Texas A&M Athletic Department said in a release.

Lewis, a Dallas native, came to Texas A&M from Carter High School in 1986 under head coach Jackson Sherrill, lettering for the Aggies every season from 1987 to 1990.

Lewis set many records during his time with the Aggies, including the Aggies single-season rushing record with 1,692 yards in 1988 - a record that stood until 2018 when it was broken by Trayveon Williams.

For his efforts in 1988, Lewis was named the Southwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year, while also earning All-SWC and All-American honors along the way. That season, he was also the nation's second-leading rusher, behind only Heisman-winning running back, Barry Sanders.

After an injury cut his 1989 season short, Lewis bounced back in a big way in his final season in 1990, rushing for 1,960 yards and 18 touchdowns, and once again earning All-SWC and All-American accolades.

By the end of his career, Lewis had rushed for 5,012 yards, breaking the all-time rushing record for not just the Aggies, but for the SWC as well. He also sits 22nd all-time in rushing in NCAA history.

Lewis went on to be draft by the in the sixth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He played three seasons in the NFL.

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Matt Galatzan

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and MizzouSportsTalk.com, as well as the Editor-In-Chief of InsideTheBears.com, TheGroveReport.com, RamDigest.com, AllSeahawks.com, and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com

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