For the first time since being wounded in a random shooting -- in broad daylight, no less -- over 13 months ago, Arizona State running back Deantre Lewis is preparing to get hit.
In February of 2011, Lewis was shot in the buttocks at around four in the afternoon as he was standing outside a Riverside, Calif., street with his mother and pregnant sister. While Lewis was able to recover enough from his injuries to practice with the Sun Devils during the season, he did not participate in any contact drills and took a redshirt for the 2011 season.
That, though, will change at some point this spring. According to the Arizona Republic, new ASU head coach Todd Graham said that while the back will be held out of contact for the first week or so, the plan is, barring a setback during that time, Lewis will be stripped of his no-contact jersey for the remainder of the spring.
Suffice to say, the new offensive staff is very pleased over the fact that it will have such a dynamic playmaker at its disposal when the sessions open this coming Tuesday.
“We’re excited about how he’s progressed (from his injury) and his attitude and his fight to get back on the field,” offensive coordinator Mike Norvell said. “There’s no question we like explosive playmakers, and he can definitely do that. We think he can bring a special dynamic to this offense.”
As a true freshman in 2010, Lewis was second on the team with 539 yards and totaled six touchdowns -- four rushing, two receiving.