Patriots Playoffs Star Dion Lewis Hired as Coach

Dion Lewis, best known for some playoff heroics with the New England Patriots, is returning to his hometown of Albany to coach collegiate running backs.

Dion Lewis is going back to school. 

The tenured NFL running back, best known for his three-season excursion with the New England Patriots has accepted an assistant running backs coach position with the University of Albany. Lewis earned 2,109 yards from scrimmage and 14 scores with the Patriots and earned a Super Bowl ring after the 2016-17 campaign.

Joining the Great Danes, they of Football Championship Subdivision, creates a homecoming for Lewis, who was born in the New York state capital and originally starred at Albany High School before transferring to Blair Academy in New Jersey. He'd later move on to Pittsburgh, where he'd earn All-American honors en route to a fifth-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, donning the green of the Philadelphia Eagles as the first of six NFL stops over 10 years.

"It's great to be back in the Capital Region," Lewis  "I'm extremely grateful to join the Great Dane family. I'd like to extend my thanks to Coach (Greg) Gattuso, the entire football staff, and (athletic director) Mark Benson for welcoming me. I'm excited to get to work and hit the ground running with this group."

In New England, Lewis was a multi-threat talent after missing two full seasons due to a fractured fibula. Listed as a running back when he signed a reserve/future deal at the end of the 2014-15 season, Lewis also made an impact in the receiving and return games. He needed just three appearances to earn a contract extension with the Patriots, earning 622 yards from scrimmage over seven games before a torn ACL ended his maiden New England voyage prematurely. 

Lewis returned to the Patriots the following November and played a major role in the team's eventual victory in Super Bowl LI. During the 34-16 Divisional round victory over Houston, Lewis became the first player in the Super Bowl era to score a receiving, returning, and rushing touchdown in a single postseason game. He'd cap off his New England career the following season with 1,110 yards and nine scores from scrimmage and averaging 24.8 yards per kick return. A Lewis run got the Patriots back to the Super Bowl, as he picked up 18 on a nine-yard third down in the final stages of the AFC title game win over Jacksonville. 

After his Patriots career, Lewis would cap off his career with two seasons in Tennessee and one with the New York Giants.

The Great Danes are coming off a 3-8 season in the Colonial Athletic Association. They're coached by Gattuso, who formerly collaborated with Lewis at Pitt. Albany opens its 2023 season, its 10th under Gattuso's watch, on Aug. 26 when they battle Fordham before facing FBS competition at Marshall and Hawaii. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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