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 | Jun 21, 2024

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.

Published Jun 21, 2024

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He 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 in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.