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Defence (defense in the United States) in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, defensemen, D, D-men or "blueliners" (the latter a reference to the blue line in ice hockey which represents the boundary of the offensive zone; defencemen generally position themselves along the line to keep the puck in the zone). They were once called cover-point.

In regular play, two defencemen complement three forwards and a goaltender on the ice. Exceptions include overtime during the regular season and when a team is shorthanded (i.e. has been assessed a penalty), in which two defencemen are typically joined by only two forwards and a goaltender.

Distinguished defencemen[link]

Each year the NHL, the premier ice hockey league in the world, presents the James Norris Memorial Trophy to the best defenceman in the league. Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins – an eight-time Norris Trophy recipient^[1] – is often considered to be the greatest defenceman in NHL and ice hockey history. In addition to his Norris Trophy honours, he is the only defenceman in NHL history to capture the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer.^[2] In 1998, Orr was selected as the best defenceman of all-time (second overall player behind Wayne Gretzky) in The Hockey News' Top 100 NHL Players of all-time.

Conversely, according to the IIHF Centennial All-Star Team (also chosen by The Hockey News), the greatest defencemen to play in IIHF-sanctioned international competition are Vyacheslav Fetisov and Börje Salming.^[3]

'Stay-at-home' and 'offensive defence'[link]

Defence players are often described by the amount they participate in the offence. The extreme of non-participation in offence is a Stay-at-home defender, who takes few risks and does not score much, instead focusing on defending against the opposing team. A good example is Rod Langway, who won the Norris Trophy while scoring only 3 goals that season, as the award winners preceding him were primarily offensive defencemen such as Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin, and Larry Robinson.

The extreme of participation is an offensive defenceman, who gets aggressively involved in the team's offence. To accomplish this, the offensive defence player often pinches in to keep the play from going offside and moves towards the halfboards and high-slot area for scoring opportunities. This makes it difficult for the opposing team to protect their net from being scored upon if the team can maintain control of the puck. However, this can lead to more odd man rushes and breakaway opportunities for the opposing team if the defender does not succeed. Bobby Orr's end-to-end rushing allowed him to defend effectively as well as attack. By contrast, Paul Coffey enjoyed high offensive production but his defensive play was considered mediocre for most of his career.

Defensive zone play[link]

When in the defensive zone, the defence player is responsible for keeping the opposing forwards' opportunities to a minimum when they are on a rush, forcing them to the corners and blocking both passing and shooting lanes. When the opposing offence is putting pressure on the defence's team, the defence skater usually plays closer to the goal, attempting again to block shooting lanes but also ensure that the goalie is not screened (prevented from being able to see the puck at all times). It is especially critical for the defenceman to keep opposing forwards from being able to move effectively in front of the net. If a shot on net is made, an unguarded forward can often redirect it too quickly for the goalie to adjust or else score on a rebound. Another important duty is clearing rebounds away from the goal, and preferably to the defenseman's teammates, before opposing forwards can get to them.

Neutral zone play[link]

In the neutral zone, the defence hangs back towards his or her own blue line, usually playing the puck up to other teammates. According to Jay Leach, who writes for NHL.com's "learn to play hockey" section, the defence must "Move the puck hard and quick to the open man. Join the rush, [but] do not lead it." Because of this responsibility, defencemen must read the other team's defensive strategy effectively in order to make an effective first pass that furthers the offensive momentum without leaving the defenceman out of position should his team lose control of the puck. In certain situations the best option could be to skate the puck into the zone to maintain offensive speed as well as preventing an offside.

Offensive zone play[link]

In the offensive zone, the defence skaters usually "play the blue line." It is their duty to keep the puck in the offensive zone by stopping it from crossing the blue line that demarcates where the offensive zone begins. Should the puck cross this line, the offense cannot touch the puck in their opponent's zone without stopping play (see offside). Defencemen must be quick to pass the puck around, helping their forwards to open up shooting lanes, or taking open shots themselves when they become available. The defence must also be able to skate quickly to cut off any breakaways, moving themselves back into the defensive zone ahead of the onrushing opponent.

Essentially in all three zones of the rink, the defence is the backstop for the puck. It should never go behind the defence, unless the player lets it. The defence keeps the momentum of play squarely directed towards the opposing goal or at least, away from his own.

Because defencemen are often expected to shoot on the opposing net from long range, these players often develop the hardest and most accurate slapshots. This is because taking a more stationary position on the blueline rewards pure accuracy and patience, rather than the adept hand-eye coordination attributed to forwards. Al MacInnis, who was seven times decorated with "Hardest Shot" in NHL skills competitions was able to score frequently from the blueline because his slapshot was simply too fast to block effectively.

When a team is on a power play, a defence player can set up plays in the offensive zone, and distribute the puck to the teammate that he or she feels is in the best position to score, similar to a point guard in basketball and a quarterback in American football and Canadian football. For this reason, a defenceman will often be described as the power play "quarterback". This is also referred to as "playing the point" (this term derives, not from the basketball position, but from an older name for the defense position in hockey itself).

Faceoffs[link]

During faceoffs in the defensive zone, most teams have their defence players pair up with opposing forwards to tie them up while leaving the team's forwards open to move the puck, though this is at the discretion of the individual coach. In the offensive zone, the defence player acts in his or her usual role, keeping control of the puck as the forwards fight for position.

In the first organised ice hockey, (see Amateur Hockey Association of Canada), defencemen used to line up in an "I" formation behind the rover (defunct) as point and coverpoint. Defence is still referred to as "playing the point", though this term now refers mostly to the role of defencemen on the power-play.

Skating[link]

Defencemen must also be adept at skating backwards with a higher skill level than offensive players. This allows them to face the offensive players as they rush down the ice.

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ice hockey defensemen

• Centre
• Winger
• Forward
• Rover
• Goaltender
• List of NHL players

References[link]

External links[link]

• List of NHL defencemen (present players and recently retired)

Positions on the hockey rink
Forwards:		Left winger | Centre | Right winger
Defencemen:		Left defenceman | Right defenceman
Goaltender:		Goaltender
Power forward | Enforcer | Grinder | Pest | Captain | Head coach | Referee & linesman

Chris Campoli
Born	(1984-07-09) July 9, 1984 (age 27) Mississauga, ON, CAN
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Montreal Canadiens New York Islanders Ottawa Senators Chicago Blackhawks
NHL Draft	227th overall, 2004 New York Islanders
Playing career	2004–present

Chris Campoli (born July 9, 1984) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens. Campoli previously played with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders.

Playing career[link]

Junior career[link]

Campoli played minor hockey in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) for the Mississauga Senators. He then spent four years playing major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League for the Erie Otters, from the 2000–01 season, through the 2003–04 season, being named team captain during his final season. He volunteered his time at the Erie Unit of the Shriners Hospital for Children, playing card and board games with the children, and assisting staff by taking height and weights of the patients^{[citation needed]}. Having made himself very involved with charity work in and around the city of Erie, PA, which was home to the Otters, Campoli earned Humanitarian of the Year awards on several occasions^{[citation needed]}.

Chris Campoli attended John Cabot Catholic Secondary School for two years before leaving to play for the Erie Otters.

NHL career[link]

Campoli was a seventh-round selection, 227th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He appeared in 80 games with the Islanders in his rookie NHL season of 2005–06, recording nine goals and twenty five assists. Campoli scored his first goal in his first game on his first shot when he beat Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller on a rebound to tie the game at one at the 6:40 mark of the first period.

A groin injury towards the end of training camp, coupled with changes to the Islander coaching staff delayed Campoli's 2006–07 season debut. Following the trade of Alexei Zhitnik, Campoli was recalled from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League (AHL). On July 16, 2007, Campoli was signed to a three-year extension by the Islanders. On November 3, 2008, Campoli became the first player to score in overtime twice in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets when he fired an initial shot past goaltender Fredrik Norrena that went through the netting, but was not seen by the officials, then circled around, shot and scored again.

On February 20, 2009, Campoli was traded by the Islanders, along with Mike Comrie, to the Ottawa Senators for Dean McAmmond and a first-round draft pick in 2009.^[1]

On February 28, 2011, Campoli was traded by the Senators, along with a conditional 2011 seventh-round draft pick, to the Chicago Blackhawks for a conditional 2011 second-round draft pick and Ryan Potulny.^[2] Campoli entered the 2011 off-season as a restricted free agent. According to Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman, the two sides were far apart in contract negotiations and on July 15, 2011, Bowman announced that Campoli would not be returning to the team for the 2011-12 season.^[3]

He was signed as a free agent by the Montreal Canadiens on September 26, 2011 to a one year deal worth $1,750,000.

Awards[link]

• 2004 Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy
• 2004-05 AHL - All-Rookie Team

Career statistics[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Chris Campoli's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database

Brandon Gormley
Gormley as a member of Team Canada at the 2012 World Junior Championships
Born	(1992-02-18) February 18, 1992 (age 20) Murray River, PEI, Canada
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Left
NHL team (P) Cur. team Former teams	Phoenix Coyotes Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) San Antonio Rampage (AHL) Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
NHL Draft	13th overall, 2010 Phoenix Coyotes
Playing career	2011–present

Brandon Gormley (born February 18, 1992) is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He was selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. During his junior career, he has been named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team, is a two-time QMJHL Second Team All-Star and won the President's Cup with the Wildcats in 2010. Internationally, he has competed in two World U-17 Hockey Challenges, one Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and one IIHF World U20 Championship.

Playing career[link]

Gormley left his home in Prince Edward Island at the age of 14 to compete with the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame's hockey program in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. He played two years of midget hockey with the Notre Dame Hounds in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League. In 2007–08, he scored 23 goals and 53 points over 42 games as a 16-year-old, after which the Moncton Wildcats made him the first overall selection in the 2008 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Draft.^[1] He joined the Wildcats in 2008–09 and scored 7 goals and 27 points for Moncton in 62 games. His efforts earned him QMJHL All-Rookie Team honours.

He improved to 9 goals and 43 points for the Wildcats in 2009–10 and added 17 more points in the playoffs, the third highest post-season total among league defencemen.^[2] Gormley and the Wildcats won the President's Cup as QMJHL champions, earning a berth in the 2010 Memorial Cup.^[3] He scored three points in three games in the national tourmament,^[4] but the Wildcats lost all three games and were eliminated.^[5] Individually, he was voted the recipient of the Mike Bossy Trophy in 2010 as the Quebec League's top professional prospect.^[3] He was also named a Second-Team QMJHL All-Star.^[6]

Gormley finished the season highly-rated for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau listed him sixth among North American skaters, while the International Scouting Services listed him third among all skaters.^[7][8] Scouts described Gormley as "well rounded, but not dynamic" and praised his intelligence on the ice and ability to move the puck.^[9] Gormley went on to be selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes.

He attended his first NHL training camp in September 2010 before being returned to the Wildcats. Playing in his third QMJHL season, Gormley recorded 13 goals and 48 points over 47 games; he was namd to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team for the second consecutive year. He addded an assist over five post-season games as the Wildcats were eliminated in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs, failing to defend their league title. With his junior season over, the Coyotes assigned him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. He played in four AHL games, recording an assist.

International play[link]

Medal record
Competitor for Canada
Ice hockey
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
Gold	2009 Slovakia
World Junior Championships
Bronze	2012 Canada

Gormley represented Atlantic Canada twice at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge.^{[notes 1]} He scored six points over five games in back-to-back years in the 2008 and 2009 tournaments.^[10] He moved on to the national under-18 team for the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and scored three goals to help Canada win the gold medal.^[1]

Gormley participated in the Canadian national junior team's selection camp for the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, but failed to make the under-20 team as a 17-year-old.^[11] He was expected to participate in the 2011 tournament, but was sidelined with a knee injury.^[1] The following year, he was selected to the team for the 2012 World Juniors, held in Alberta. During the preliminary round, he was named Canada's player of the game after scoring two goals and an assist in a 10–2 win against Denmark.^[12] He was named Top Defenseman of the Tourney in addition to being named to the tournament All-Star team.

Career statistics[link]

Awards and honors[link]

Notes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Brandon Gormley's career stats at Eliteprospects.com
• Brandon Gormley's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database

Wade Redden
Redden with the New York Rangers.
Born	(1977-06-12) June 12, 1977 (age 35) Lloydminster, SK, CAN
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Left
AHL team Former teams	Connecticut Whale Ottawa Senators New York Rangers
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	2nd overall, 1995 New York Islanders
Playing career	1996–present

Wade Redden (born June 12, 1977) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing in the New York Rangers organization for its American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Connecticut Whale. He is the captain of the Whale. ^[1] He joined the New York Rangers in 2008 after 11 seasons with the Ottawa Senators. He has played for Canada internationally seven times, winning two gold medals in the World Junior Championships and one in the World Cup of Hockey.

Early life[link]

Redden grew up in Hillmond, Saskatchewan. As a youngster, Wade played hockey and softball. Wade completed Kindergarten to grade nine at the Hillmond School. He then went to attend the Lloydminster Comprehensive School for grade ten, and then he completed grade 11, and lastly 12 in Brandon, Manitoba. He is the youngest of three children and has an older sister Niki and an older brother Bart.

Playing career[link]

Junior[link]

Wade Redden played minor hockey with the teams at Hillmond High School, and the Mid West Red Wings, which were from the rural area. After that Wade played one year with the Lloydminster Blazers, before joining the Brandon Wheat Kings. After that Wade was named rookie of the year. The Wheat Kings made it to two Memorial Cup while Redden was a member of the team. Wade was a member of the 1995 and 1996 Canadian teams at the World Junior Hockey Championships, both teams winning gold medals. He was the New York Islanders' first pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, second overall, but he never joined the Islanders. He was then traded to Ottawa by the Islanders along with Damian Rhodes for Don Beaupre, Martin Straka and Bryan Berard on January 23, 1996. The trade had become necessary on the Senators part to move Berard, who refused to join the Senators, a team in turmoil at the time.

Ottawa Senators[link]

Redden joined the Senators for the 1996–97 season, making the team out of his first training camp. He scored his first NHL goal on his first shot, against Jocelyn Thibault of the Montreal Canadiens on October 5, 1996.^[2] Redden would be named "NHL Rookie of the Month" for April 1997, and was an important part of the team's drive to qualify for the playoffs that season.^[3] The team would go on to make the playoffs that season, the first time in the modern Senators' history.

By the 1999–2000 season, Redden was an important part of the team. On October 2, 1999, Redden was named alternate captain of the Senators, a position he held for nine seasons afterwards.^[4] Near the end of the season he suffered an ankle injury, forcing him to miss the playoffs, a contributing factor in the Senators losing in the first round to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The following year Redden continued his improvement, averaging over 25 minutes of ice time per game, scoring 37 assists, a three-point game and several two-point games. After the Senators were eliminated from the NHL playoffs, he was named to the Canadian national team for the first time, for the 2001 IIHF World Championship. He followed that up the next year with a trip to the 2002 NHL All-Star Game to represent the Senators. He would have nine multi-point games in 2002–03 and would set a personal best of 17 goals in the 2003–04 season which helped earn him a spot in the 2004 NHL All-Star Game. He was named to the gold-medal winning Canadian team for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He would also play for Canada in the 2005 IIHF World Championship.

Redden with the Ottawa Senators, 2007.

In the 2005–06 NHL season, he missed games because of a knee injury and to be with his mother, Pat as she battled cancer. Redden finished the season with a career-high 50 points, and a league-leading +/- of 35, in 65 games. He had twelve multi-point games including a four-point game against the New York Rangers on December 26, 2005.^[4] Redden was selected for the Canadian Olympic team along with teammate Dany Heatley. After the 2005–06 season, the Senators were faced with having their two top defencemen (Redden and Zdeno Chara) becoming unrestricted free agents, and having to choose to sign only one to keep the team salaries within the league-mandated salary cap. The Senators chose Redden and the Senators and Redden agreed on a two-year contract worth $13 million with a no-trade clause, and Chara signed with the Boston Bruins. His salary made him the highest paid player on the team and the media and fans expected another top-notch season. The 2006–07 NHL season was a difficult one for Redden, playing with a new defensive partner, Andrej Meszaros, who had played with Chara. However, by the time of the playoffs, Redden and Meszaros had jelled and were a strong pairing for the Senators. Redden participated in all of Ottawa's run to the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals, recording 10 points in 20 playoff games. The Senators lost to the Anaheim Ducks in 5 games.

The 2007–08 NHL season was eventful for Redden. Newly-promoted general manager Bryan Murray attempted to trade Redden to the Edmonton Oilers during the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.^[5] Redden turned down the trade proposal. Trade rumours would swirl around Redden for most of the season. Redden remained a starter with the team and he played in his 800th career NHL game, all with the Senators, on January 10, 2008, against the Buffalo Sabres. As the team started to slump, Murray started to look for solutions to turn the team around. In February 2008, it was revealed that Redden used the no trade clause in his contract to kill a deal that would have sent him to the San Jose Sharks for Matt Carle and a draft pick.^[6] As the leaked deal became public, Redden publicly declared his desire to win the Stanley Cup with Ottawa, at the time still the Eastern Conference leader. Within weeks of the aborted trade, the Sharks surpassed Ottawa in the league-wide standings, and the Senators performance continued to decline, the coach was fired and the team struggled into the playoffs.

Redden's numbers improved slightly over the previous season, but this was overshadowed by the size of his contract and the team's overall performance. The 2007-08 season was also the last season of the contract and speculation about his re-signing was regularly discussed in the media. Redden made clear that he would take a 'hometown discount', taking less money to stay in Ottawa. After the season, the media openly speculated that Redden would be leaving the Senators.^[7]

New York Rangers[link]

July 1, 2008 he signed a six-year, $39 million contract with the New York Rangers.^[8] Redden's performance continued to decline in New York where he faced considerable criticism. One writer for the New York Post even called the contract "the worst in the history of the NHL, if not in the history of hard-cap pro sports."^[9] On September 25, 2010, the Rangers placed Redden on waivers, the result of the defenseman's declining play.^[10] The move also allowed the Rangers to fit under salary cap.^[11]

Redden cleared waivers and was assigned to the Rangers' minor league farm team, the Hartford Wolf Pack,^[10] becoming the highest-paid player in the history of the American Hockey League in the process.^[12] Redden, who admittedly contemplated retirement, decided to report and play for Hartford.^[13] Of Redden's ill-fated signing with the Rangers, one newspaper later commented that "through no fault of his own, (Redden) has become the poster-boy for free-agent foolishness".^[14]

Personal life[link]

Since moving to Ottawa to play NHL hockey, he became involved in the Ottawa community. Redden sponsored a suite at the Scotiabank Place named Wade's World reserved for critically and terminally-ill children, that he paid for while a member of the Senators from 1997 until 2008.^[15] He was also involved with the charity "65 Roses Club" committed to raise money for cystic fibrosis research.^[16] Wade also appeared in Road Hockey Rumble in his hometown.

During the off-season Redden and his wife, Danica Topolnisky, have a home near Kelowna, British Columbia. After two years of involvement, the couple became engaged in September 2007.^[17] The couple married in August 2008.^[18]

Awards[link]

• WHL Rookie of the Year - 1994
• WHL East Second All-Star Team - 1995
• WHL East First All-Star Team - 1996
• Memorial Cup All-Star Team - 1996
• NHL Rookie of the Month - April 1997
• Played in NHL All-Star Game - 2002
• NHL Defensive Player of the Month - January 2004
• Named to NHL All-Star Game - 2004 (did not play due to flu)
• Best Defenceman - 2005 IIHF World Championship
• NHL Plus/Minus Award - 2006 (joint winner)
• Victoria Cup (as a member of the New York Rangers) - 2008

Career statistics[link]

International play[link]

Played for Canada in:

• 1995 World Junior Championships (gold medal)
• 1996 World Junior Championships (gold medal)
• 1999 World Championships
• 2001 World Championships
• 2004 World Cup of Hockey (gold medal)
• 2005 World Championships (silver medal)
• 2006 Winter Olympics (failed to medal)

International statistics

References[link]

• Ottawa Senators 2007–08 Media Guide. Ottawa Senators. 2007. 

External links[link]

• Wade Redden's NHL player profile
• Wade Redden's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Wade Redden at TSN.ca

Trey Lewis (born May 23, 1985) is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washburn University.

After being drafted as the 185 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, Lewis moved his way up the depth chart to become a starter in week 4 (September 30, 2007).^[1] He played until Week 11, when he tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament and was later placed on the Falcons' injured reserve list.^[2] Since then, he has recovered, but then retore his ACL in March when he fell down the stairs.^[3] He spent the 2008 season on Injured Reserve after not recovering from knee surgery.^[4]

Personal[link]

Lewis is the son of Verna Chapman and Wynn Lewis, and has one brother.^[4] He was born in Topeka, Kansas.^[4] He attended Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, Kansas, where he played football.^[4] He was an honorable mention all-Class 6A, second-team all-City and all-Centennial League and was named the team's defensive MVP.^[4] In 2003, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts.^[4]

College career[link]

In 2003, as a freshman, Lewis played in all 11 games recording 18 tackles including six solo stops and two tackles for loss with 1 sack.^[4]

He was named second team all-MIAA after collecting 31 tackles including three for loss with a forced fumble, fumble recovery, a sack, and blocked punt in 2004.^[4]

Lewis was selected as a first team all-MIAA pick after recording 45 tackles including eight for loss with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, had 4 sacks, 8 tackles for loss in 2005.^[4] In a game against Northwest Missouri, he had 3 sacks for -27 yards en route to MIAA Player of the Week honors.^[4] Lewis was a third team all-Football Gazette selection that same year.^[4]

In 2006, Lewis' final year as an Ichabod, he became the first Ichabod to be named to the Associated Press Little All-American team since 1963.^[4] He was also named to the American Football Coaches Association All-American (AFCAAA) team – becoming the first Ichabod player and only the second Ichabod overall to be named to the coaches team since 1988.^[4] Lewis recorded 62 tackles as a senior season with 36 solo stops while he recorded 10 tackles for loss and four sacks for 25 yards.^[4] He also had a forced fumble with two pass break ups and a blocked field goal attempt.^[4] Lewis gained MIAA's Most Valuable Defensive Player honors in that same week.^[4] He was named a Daktronics first team All-Southwest Region pick and a unanimous first team All-MIAA selection.^[4] Lewis also played in the first Texas vs. The Nation Game on Feb. 2, 2007.^[4] He became only the sixth player in school history to be invited to a college all-star game.^[5] He was named first team All-American by the Football Gazette and second team All-American by D2football.com. Lewis finished his career at Washburn with 156 total tackles, including 68 solo stops, 23 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.

On NFLDraftScout.com, he was rated number 25 out of 148 defensive tackles, and 348 out of 2353 overall players going into the NFL draft.^[6] Results from a University combine test had Trey showing a 5.14 in the 40-yard dash, Bench-pressing 225 pounds 21 times, having a 582-pound squat, a 417-pound hang clean, a 30½-inch vertical jump, and a 9-foot broad jump.^[5]

According to Lewis, the teams that scouted him the most were the Chicago Bears, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Atlanta Falcons, and the New York Giants.^[7]

Lewis graduated with a computer information sciences degree.^[7]

Stats[link]

Professional career[link]

Atlanta Falcons[link]

2007[link]

Lewis was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 6th round, being the 185 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.^[4] He is the fourth Washburn University player ever to be drafted to an NFL team, joining offensive tackle Ed Schneider, who was picked in the 17th round and the 169th overall pick by the New York Giants in 1944 and outside linebacker Troy Stedman, who was picked 170th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the 1988 NFL Draft.^[12][13]

Lewis made his first start of the season against the Texans on September 30, 2007.^[1] Teammate Michael Boley said of Lewis starting "He's shown a lot of good things, Coming in as a rookie, he's accepting his responsibility now. With us releasing Grady, there's going to be a big weight on his shoulders and I think he's going to take it in stride." He was then listed as the Starting Defensive Tackle in week 10 after the Falcons cut veteran Grady Jackson. During training camp, his number was listed as #67, because in college, he was #76, but that number was already taken. Then his number was changed to #97 before the season began because an older falcons player had the same number as him. He finished the 2007 NFL season with 23 tackles and one interception. Because of his size, Lewis played both Defensive Tackle and Nose Tackle during the season.^[1] According To Lewis, the most hard adjustment from NCAA Division II to the NFL was working on his Technique.^[14] Around this time, Lewis lost 20 pounds and slimmed down to 294 pounds.^[4]

The Georgia Dome, where Lewis plays his home games

In November 2007, during a week 11 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Trey Lewis went down with a torn right ACL and was later placed on the Falcons' injured reserve list.^[2][4] He had his knee operated on to fix the torn ligament. On March 4, 2008, Lewis fell down a set of stairs and re-injured his right knee. Falcons coach Mike Smith said "It's tough for us, but it is also disappointing for Trey because he was making tremendous progress in his rehabilitation,". His Agent, Richard Katz, told reporters "He's having some surgery this week. Basically, he's lost the three months that he's been rehabbing"'. The accident was described as a "freak accident" due to the nature of the injury. Trey Lewis was inactive during mini-camp.^[15] The situation had caused the Falcons' Management to consider drafting Glenn Dorsey of LSU with the 3rd pick of the first round in the NFL draft.^[16] The Falcons instead drafted Matt Ryan of Boston College while the Kansas City Chiefs picked Dorsey with the 5th pick.^[17]

2008[link]

On July 26, 2008, after not fully recovering from his torn ACL, Lewis was placed on the non-football injury list, where he remained for the rest of the season.^[4][18]

2009[link]

The Atlanta Falcons website reported in an article that Lewis was "ready to put his knee injury behind him".^[19] The article interviews Lewis about his knee injury and his future.^[19] When asked about what he initially thought of the knee injury, he replied "I just thought I tweaked it, When you have your surgery the knee feels different every day. I just thought something was weird. I didn't know until a couple days later when I got a call with the results of the MRI. You just have to pick up the pieces and start over again."^[19] Since his injury, Lewis has been cleared to participate in organized team activities, including on-field work, but he wants to make sure he remains healthy for the rigors of the preseason.^[19] He was quotes as saying "As of right now I want to get through this offseason program and make sure everything is good," he said. "I want to get confident with my knees right now so, when training camp starts, I'm full throttle and there's no holding back whatsoever."^[19] When asked about off-season conditioning, Lewis replied: "I think I'm a lot stronger, especially in my upper body. My lower body feels stronger than it was prior to the injury. I'm excited to see what I can do now with a year of NFL lifting and training without banging on (the knee)."^[19] He competed for the starting job in the 2009 NFL Season.^[19]

Lewis was inactive for the first 2 weeks, but after DT Peria Jerry was placed on Injured Reserve, Lewis was bumped up a spot on the depth chart.^[20] On September 28, 2009, against the New England Patriots, Lewis played in his first regular season NFL game since November 2007.^[20] He amassed 6 tackles.

2010[link]

Lewis started in the opening game of the 2010 season against the Pittsburgh Steelers and had two tackles, but was inactive for the remainder of the season.^[21]

2011[link]

Lewis was released by the Falcons during final cuts on September 2, 2011.

Impact[link]

Cary Williams, a Washburn defensive back who was drafted in the 7th round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, was scouted heavily by scouts coming into the NFL draft. Williams stated that if it hadn't been for Trey Lewis being scouted and drafted, he would not have had a chance at even being scouted. "Trey really opened the door for Washburn (University)," Williams said in an interview with KTKA-49 News in Topeka. KS.^[22]

Stats[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Atlanta Falcons bio