There’s No Predicting What He Might Say

Sam Farmer, pro football specialist for The Times, is spending some of his time this season swapping e-mail with NFL personnel. This week, Farmer was online with Baltimore running back Jamal Lewis, who two weeks ago rushed for 295 yards against Cleveland, setting the NFL single-game rushing record.

Did Lewis predict he would break the record in that game? Or did he just tell friends on the Browns he’d have a career day? On that point, he’s as elusive as he is on the field.

Farmer: Let’s set the record straight on the 295-yard game: Did you say you were going to have a career day, or did you predict you were going to break the NFL single-game rushing record?

Lewis: It was a conversation on the phone with another player. I didn’t think I was going to actually do that. But it happened. It was my day.

Farmer: How long do you think that mark will hold up?

Lewis: Records are made to be broken, how long it might take, I don’t know. It might be next week or the middle of the season, end of the season. It might be five, six years from now. But hopefully it’s by Jamal Lewis.

Farmer: I understand you incorporated boxing into your off-season workout routine. Were you any good?

Lewis: No, not at all. I was really training for footwork and hand and eye coordination for football. The workout was great to prepare me for football, but I am not a good boxer.

Farmer: You’ve got to have a nickname if you’re a pro boxer. What would we call you?

Lewis: Probably Killa. It lets you know what is going to happen right off the bat.

Farmer: How much would it take to get you in the ring with, say, Mike Tyson?

Lewis: I can’t answer that question, I would have to refer you to my promoter ... Don King.

Farmer: How long would you last against Tyson?

Lewis: Depends on how much I am getting paid.

Farmer: Your mom was a warden with the Georgia Department of Corrections. What gets you in trouble with her?

Lewis: I don’t know, really. When I was younger, the most I got in trouble for was skipping school.... I guess just doing things that I wasn’t supposed to do.