Marcedes Lewis is living a dream come true as tight end on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Last year he signed a five-year contract reportedly worth $35 million and despite an ankle injury on Dec. 5, he was up to gaining 77 yards in a win against the Buccaneers on Dec. 11.

But Lewis is not one to rest on his laurels. His goal is to spread his good fortune to others, particularly kids and young people in their formative years. He founded the *Marcedes Lewis Foundation *in 2009 to give scholarships to students who would not otherwise be able to participate in youth sports. Scholarship recipients are required to maintain designated academic standards and report to the foundation periodically.

“The success of my own childhood dream is what prompted me to start the foundation,” he said. “We follow each scholarship recipient through his or her youth and high school years in the hope of being able to assist in any necessities that they need to enter college. Our ultimate goal is sending a child to college on a full ride.”

A full ride is something the NFL star knows well. As a member of the Long Beach Polytechnic football team, Lewis was recruited by USC during his sophomore year. In his junior year, UCLA began wooing him. He knew he would end up with a career in the NFL, but that was not the end of his dream.

“I wanted more than a football career,” he said. “I always saw that as a foundation from which to give back to my community and my family.”

Lewis started playing football at the age of 8. “I played street and Pop Warner football all through elementary and junior high school,” he says. “I got interested in basketball right before I started high school. I always planned to play in high school, and play well enough to establish myself in college sports and, eventually, the pros. I never lost sight of that goal.”

He may have been goal oriented but that did not keep him from doing his share of mischief as a boy growing up in a rough part of Long Beach. “Oh, I got into trouble every day,” he says. “My mom would have to get after me all the time for stuff we did. But that’s what kids on the street do.”

The street high jinks stopped, however, when he reached high school. “I knew I needed to do my part if I wanted to achieve my dream,” he said. “My mom encouraged me to pursue the opportunity I had and not to waste my high school years. She taught me the value of discipline and hard work and the importance of keeping sight of my goal.”

The problem was that, as a two-sport athlete, lettering in football and basketball three years running, he was offered scholarships for both sports. Once he entered UCLA, he was officially a two-sport standout.

Year-round travel and games in both sports took a toll, and Lewis began to slip academically. “That’s when my mom stepped in,” he said. “She told me to focus on the sport I love most and give it my all. Dividing myself between football and basketball was not the way to go if I wanted a career in the pros in one of them. As usual, my mom knew best.”

With his dominant skills, massive size and dedication, Lewis quickly began to build a solid career in the NFL. Not surprisingly, he began to emerge in the field of public relations as well. A trim 260 pounds at six feet, six inches, he possesses disarming personal charm that has combined with his physical attributes to make him an attractive television personality and the Jaguars’ go-to guy for interviews. He is frequently seen on sports talk shows airing nationally.

Yet, he remains at heart a family guy who has not forgotten his roots. “I loved growing up in Long Beach,” he says. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, even though my family eventually moved to Lakewood to improve our lifestyle. I would not change a thing about my childhood. Long Beach is where it all started for me, and one of my goals has always been to give back to my community.”

A look at his website shows Lewis in a whole new light. He could make a go of it as a model if he ever tired of the grid iron life. With and aw-shucks attitude, he grins as if he has been told this before. “Thank you for saying that, but I don’t feel as comfortable in front of the camera as I do on the field,” he says.

Right now he is riding the crest of a wave that seems to be heading into tidal proportions. He has recorded 14 career receptions of 25-plus yards, the most by a Jaguars tight end in team history. In 2009 he ranked first in the NFL among tight ends with a 16.2 average per reception and fourth with eight receptions of 25-plus yards. He is one of only three tight ends in franchise history and 12 players overall with 100-plus receptions. He produced career-high numbers in 2008 with 41receptions, and followed with a career-high of 518 receiving yards in 2009. He was named to the Player Leadership Council in 2008.

And he is the highest-drafted tight end in Jaguars history.
An impressive record on a national scale, to be sure, but he is also making his mark on the local scene.

This year his foundation will hold its fourth annual football camp at Poly High School, with more than 500 kids attending the free event. And it’s all organized by his mother, Yvonne Withers.

“My mom has always been my number one fan,” he says. “It’s great that she does work for the foundation. She loves it and it gives her a chance to give back to the community as well.”

That’s not the only thing Lewis has given his mom. Once he signed his first big contract, he did something he had wanted to do since he was 10 years old. “I bought her a house,” he said. “I can’t find the words to describe the look on her face when I told her about it. It was everything I had dreamed of for all those years. I couldn’t surprise her with it because I wanted to take her shopping to pick it out. But just being able to buy it for her was enough. I’ll always treasure the fact that I had that opportunity.”

In terms of the NFL, he has achieved fame and fortune. But in his life he has found the stuff that dreams are really made of — and he has truly hit the big time.

marcedeslewis.com/foundation