Former Bears running back Darren Lewis died after a battle with cancer, Texas A&M announced Friday. He was 55.
Lewis was a two-time All-American running back for the Aggies and the all-time leading rusher in both A&M and Southwest Conference history. Nicknamed Tank, his career total of 5,012 rushing yards broke the old SWC record of 4,450 yards set by Eric Dickerson at SMU.
The Bears made Lewis a sixth-round pick in 1991, and he played three NFL seasons.
He played 33 games, with six starts, and ran for 431 yards and four touchdowns on 112 carries while catching 22 passes for 201 yards.
Lewis, who lettered for the Aggies in 1987-90, earned induction into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.