Former Texas A&M RB Darren Lewis of Dallas dies of cancer at age 55 – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Texas A&M all-time rusher Darren Lewis has died of cancer, the school announced Friday. He was 55.

The university did not say how it learned of Lewis’ death.

A two-time All-American, Lewis also remains the top rusher in Southwest Conference history. He ran for 5,012 yards in four seasons with the Aggies, highlighted by a 1,692-yard season in 1988 and rushed for 1,691 yards in 1990.

In 1988, he was the Southwest Conference Player of the Year and was named to his first All-America team. He was the nation’s second-leading rusher that season behind Barry Sanders, who ran for 2,628 yards.

Nicknamed “Tank,” Lewis finished tied for eighth in Heisman Trophy voting in 1990, when he broke the Southwest Conference career record previously held by SMU’s Eric Dickerson, who ran for 4,450 yards. That season earned him his second All-America honor.

Lewis was selected in the sixth round of the 1991 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears and played for them for three seasons. His stock fell in the draft after he tested positive for drugs at the league’s club.

A native of Dallas, Lewis played at local Carter High School and then attended Texas A&M. He had the two best seasons for the Aggies before Trayveon Williams broke his record, rushing for 1,760 in 2018.

Lewis’s 5,012 career rushing yards placed him fifth on the NCAA’s all-time rushing list at the end of his college career.

He never tested positive after being drafted by the Bears. He played in 33 games with five starts and rushed for 431 yards.

After football, Lewis struggled with a cocaine addiction and experienced a divorce and the loss of his home. He was sent to prison more than once, most recently in August 2014 when he pleaded guilty to three criminal charges related to armed robberies in the Dallas area and received a 27-year sentence in federal prison.

His cancer was diagnosed in prison and he was allowed to leave prison for treatment. According to several published reports, he was recently admitted to hospice care.