James Lewandowski
 | |
| No. 82 – Baltimore Hawks | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Tight End |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | January 7, 1999 (aged 62) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight: | 232 lb (105 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | Temple University |
| Career history | |
| Roster status: | Retired |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| 2x Pro Bowl (S25 & S28) Nominated for Breakout Player of the Year (S25) | |
James Lewandowski (born January 7, 1999) was an American football tight end for the Baltimore Hawks of the National Simulation Football League (NSFL). He played college football for Temple University.
Contents
Early years
James Lewandowski was born in an alley on the streets of Trenton, New Jersey. He was youngest of 7 children. His parents, disgusted at the thought of taking care of another unwanted child, gave up on him at an early age. James was left to fend for himself in numerous foster homes throughout the city of Philadelphia. His only outlet was football. He put all of his passion into the sport he loved. Eventually, the hard work paid off. He was given a walk-on roster spot at Temple University where he had to scratch and claw to prove his worth to the coaches. In his final year at Temple, he was a full-time starter and the one true bright spot on a mediocre football team.
College career
Lewandowski was a well-rounded athlete who also excelled in basketball in high school. He graduated from Temple with a double major in marketing and management. In his final season at Temple, James had 77 catches and 12 receiving touchdowns. His head coach, Sal Michigas, stated that James was the best tight end they have had in over a decade. After graduating with honors, James has been working out with professional trainers hoping that a scout will notice him. His dream is to land a spot on a professional team in the NSFL in 2020.
College career statistics
| Career statistics | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Rec | Yards | TD | |
| 2018 | Temple | 13 | 77 | 1,562 | 12 | |
Professional career
| Ht | Wt | 40‑yd dash | 20‑ss | 3‑cone | Vert jump | Broad | BP | Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
232 lb (105 kg) |
4.68 s | 4.47 s | 7.18 s | 33.5 in (0.85 m) |
9 ft 11 in (3.02 m) |
23 reps | 32 |
DSFL Season 2035
Entering his first DSFL season, Lewandowski was looking to earn respect. He was drafted by the Norfolk Seawolves and had a respectable first campaign, finishing with 44 receptions for 350 yards and one touchdown. In his best game of the season, he snagged 5 receptions for 50 yards against the Luchadores, and also hauled in his only touchdown of the season. He had his second best game of the year against the Grey Ducks with 5 catches for 55 yards. He played in all 14 games and just like his career in college, he did not miss a game due to injury. James prides himself on his ability to stay healthy for his team, and his contributions on and off the field make him an interesting prospect. He does not drink, he goes to bed early, and he starts the daily workout grind at 5am. He is usually the first player at practice and the last player to leave. His work ethic has even made it so teammates with much more talent look to him for advice and guidance in their life. He is an amazing locker room presence and is a dedicated team player. This pattern started back in grade school, continued through high school and college, and remains an important part of his daily life. The NSFL is buzzing about Lewandowski, and he expects to make a big impact this year. His consistent season for Norfolk turned some heads in the NSFL, and numerous scouts reached out to Lewandowski prior to the S21 draft. Following the season, he was selected by the Baltimore Hawks in the 7th Round of the S21 NSFL Draft.
DSFL Season 2036
In his second season with the Norfolk Seawolves, Lewandowski had another solid campaign. He finished the season with 47 catches, 387 yards and all 2 Touchdowns. Those were all career highs. In addition, he was very solid as a blocker with 21 pancakes. In 2 full seasons he has allowed only sack on the line. He had his best game in week 8 against the Pythons, hauling in 6 catches for 63 yards. He had 5 or more catches in 5 games this season, which he only accomplished only 3 times in 2035. He was only flagged for 1 penalty in 2036, which is 5 less than last season. His worst game came in Week 9 against Kansas City, finishing with zeros across the entire stat line. Lewandowski had a strong finish to the regular season, with 13 total catches in the final 3 games. Unfortunately, he was unable to keep the momentum going, and he had a very disappointing playoff game against Myrtle Beach, yielding only 2 catches for 15 yards and a penalty. His 47 catches was the league high in the DSFL among Tight Ends, and his name was mentioned in numerous articles as a potential Award Winner for Tight End of the Year. Despite his two consecutive solid seasons, Lewandowski is expected to play in the DSFL again in 2037. It seems that the NSFL's Baltimore Hawks do not have a spot for him on the roster yet. Lewandowski has patiently been waiting his turn, and he expects to lead the the DSFL in catches once again for TEs. He believes that Norfolk is primed for a run at the Ultimini this coming season.
DSFL Career Statistics
| Career statistics | Receiving | Offensive Line | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Rec | Yards | Avg | Lg | TD | Pancakes | Sacks Allowed |
| 2035 (S20) | Seawolves | 14 | 44 | 350 | 8.0 | 19 | 1 | 22 | 1 |
| 2036 (S21) | Seawolves | 14 | 47 | 387 | 8.2 | 22 | 2 | 21 | 0 |
NSFL Season 2037 (S22)
In his first season in the NSFL, Lewandowski was a member of the Baltimore Hawks. He finished the season with 35 catches for 300 yards. His normally solid line blocking took a step backwards in his first NSFL season, with only 11 pancakes and 2 sacks allowed. He had his best game in week 11 against the Liberty, hauling in 4 catches for 41 yards. He hauled in 4 or more reception on three occasions, and had at least 2 catches in 11 of the 13 games this season. Lewandowski had a strong start to the regular season, with 11 total catches in the first 3 games, and also had a strong finish to the regular season, with 10 total catches in the final 3 games. However, the passing game was inconsistent and he struggled to be targeted by Hawks QB Fujiwara. Despite those issues, his 35 catches was good enough for second on the team behind future Hall of Famer Errol Maddox's 37. His 8.6 yard average per catch was third in the league among Tight Ends. Baltimore's entire pass offense struggled, and that helped lead to the diminishing numbers for Lewandowski. Many pundits expect the Hawks to bounce back next season from a disappointing 3 and 10 campaign. Lewandowski was quoted as saying he expects to have at least 50 catches and 5 touchdowns next season. He said those goals are lofty, but he is intent on focusing his attention on being an offensive leader and believes he can be the next great NSFL Tight End. Lewandowski is ready for S23 and doesn't back down from a challenge.
NSFL Season 2038 (S23)
In his second year in the league, Lewandowski finished second on the Baltimore Hawks with 53 receptions. He ended the year with 477 receiving yards and his first 2 career touchdowns. He hauled in 4 or more catches 9 times over the course of the season. He had his two best games in Week 1 and Week 14, when he had 6 receptions in each contest. He was held without a catch in two straight games (Weeks 5 & 6 against the Sailfish and Outlaws respectively) which really hurt his overall numbers. While many experts expected more from Lewandowski, he made some big strides in his sophomore season. He went from 35 catches to 53, from 300 yards to 477, and from 0 TDs to 2. He accomplished these numbers while on the 4th worst passing team in the league, which makes them pretty impressive in comparison. He accounted for 19.8% (53) of Baltimore's total team receptions (268) and 14.8% (477) of the Hawks' total receiving yards (3,215). He had 22 pancake blocks and allowed 1 sack in 16 games. He started the season off very strong with 16 catches and 166 yards in his first 4 games. His best stretch of the season, however, came in weeks 11 through 14, when he had 19 combined receptions for 152 yards and 2 TDs. Lewandowski expects a minimum of 60 catches and 5 touchdowns next season. With the Hawks' excellent running game, he expects the passing game to open up as he and QB Fujiwara develop eve more chemistry in their third full season together.
NSFL Season 2039 (S24)
In his third season with Baltimore, James Lewandowski hauled in 50 catches for 462 yards. It was an all around disappointing season for the Hawks as they went 3 and 13, tying them with the Philadelphia Liberty for the worst record in the league. Lewandowski had his best game in Week 16, with 7 receptions (a career high) for 43 yards and 1 touchdown. Prior to that, he had 7 total receptions in the previous 3 games combined. His 2 touchdowns on the season were in Week 2 and Week 16. He had a great stretch of games in Weeks 6 through 9, as he brought in 19 catches for 128 yards, tying him for the best 4 game stretch of catches in his career. In Week 3, his 40-yard reception was the ISFL season high among Tight Ends. While not an exceptional blocker, Lewandowski ended the season with 22 pancake blocks and 0 sacks allowed. He has given up only 3 total sacks in 3 seasons, averaging 1 per year, while accumulating 55 total pancake blocks in the same timeframe. Weeks 9 and 10 were very disappointing, as he was only able to finish with 1 total reception for 9 yards in both weeks combined. There will be a number of new faces on the offensive side of the ball in S25 for Baltimore, and Lewandowski hopes to get more involved in the passing game. S24 saw James eclipse both the 100 total catches and the 1,000 total yards mark for his ISFL career. He hopes that this is the year that the league as a whole notices his talent, and gives him the respect he feels he deserves.
NSFL Season 2040 (S25)
Lewandowski's fourth season with Baltimore, proved to be his best. His breakout year yielded 96 catches, only 7 shy of his previous 2 seasons combined (103). He finished third in the entire league in receptions, and was 3rd in yards receiving among tight ends. His 8.9 yards per catch was consistent with his career average, and he once again finished a season with 2 touchdown receptions (3rd season in a row). His 14 catches in week 16 tied a Baltimore Hawks record and also ties for the 2nd most receptions in a game in league history. James had 42 receptions in the final 4 weeks of the season, shattering his previous 4-game best of 19 from S24. Lewandowski's performance this season should earn him a Tight End of the Year nomination, which will be his first since playing for Norfolk in the DSFL. Baltimore finally seemed to take advantage of his ability and it really showed in the second half of the season. He should be a force in the next few seasons and he is just reaching his prime. Often overlooked throughout the league, Lewandowski is soon to be a household name. Baltimore has a young receiving corps with perhaps the best rookie in league history in Doug Howlett. The Hawks expect to be an offensive force for years to come, and Lewandowski will be a key part of it. He is a dominant tight end, with great hands. His S25 season will not be forgotten by his teammates and it will prove to be the beginning of his superstar career. James may one day end up in the Wing of Honor, quite a feat for a 7th rounder that nobody wanted. The chip on his shoulder is still there, and it shows on the field. Lewandowski is now the force he knew he could be. He took his opportunity and the dividends are just starting.
ISFL Career Statistics
| Career statistics | Receiving | Offensive Line | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Rec | Yards | Avg | Lg | TD | Pancakes | Sacks Allowed |
| 2037 (S22) | Hawks | 13 | 35 | 300 | 8.6 | 26 | 0 | 11 | 2 |
| 2038 (S23) | Hawks | 16 | 53 | 477 | 9.0 | 30 | 2 | 22 | 1 |
| 2039 (S24) | Hawks | 16 | 50 | 462 | 9.2 | 40 | 2 | 22 | 0 |
| 2040 (S25) | Hawks | 16 | 96 | 851 | 8.9 | 36 | 2 | 28 | 1 |
Achievements and records
Nominated for DSFL Tight End of the Year (S21)
Nominated for Offensive Breakout Player of the Year (S25)
Nominated for Offensive Breakout Player of the Year (S28)
Nominated for Tight End of the Year (S29)
Selected to the S25 ISFL Pro Bowl
Selected to the S28 ISFL Pro Bowl
Selected to the S29 ISFL Pro Bowl
Selected to the S30 ISFL Pro Bowl
Selected to the S31 ISFL Pro Bowl
9 consecutive seasons of 50 or more receptions
6 seasons of 70 or more receptions
8th all-time in receiving yards among TEs
19th all-time in receptions (6th among TEs)
