Lew Nichols III
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | August 16, 2001 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Cass Tech (Detroit, Michigan) |
| College: | Central Michigan (2019–2022) |
| Position: | Running back |
| NFL draft: | 2023 / round: 7 / pick: 235 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Arthur Lewis Nichols III (born August 16, 2001) is an American professional football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at Central Michigan. During the 2021 regular season, he led the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision with 1,710 rushing yards.
Early life
[edit]Nichols attended Cass Technical High School in Detroit. He played football under Cass Tech head coach Thomas Wilcher. As a senior in 2018, Nichols rushed for 1,078 yards and 23 touchdowns on 84 carries. He was named to all-state teams selected by the Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News, and the Associated Press.[1]
College career
[edit]During the 2019 season, Nichols appeared in four games for Central Michigan, carrying 19 times for 89 yards.[1] As a redshirt freshman during the COVID 19-shortened 2020 season, Nichols rushed for 196 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 31–23 victory over rival Eastern Michigan.[2] For the season, he rushed for 508 yards on 78 carries, an average of 6.5 yards per carry.[1] He won the Mid-American Conference (MAC) freshman of the year award.[3]
Due to special eligibility rules enacted for the 2020 season, Nichols repeated as a redshirt freshman in 2021. He led all players in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with 1,710 rushing yards during the 2021 regular season.[4] He also led the nation with 311 carries.[4] His He had nine 100-yard rushing games in 2021, including totals of 219 yards against Ball State, 215 yards against Kent State, 194 yards against Eastern Michigan, 192 yards against Northern Illinois, and 186 yards against Ohio.[5][6][7] His 1,710 yards was the second highest single-season total in Central Michigan history (behind Brian Pruitt's 1,890 yards in 1994).[8]
After the 2021 season ended, Nichols was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year.[8][9] Despite leading the nation in rushing, Nichols was not selected as a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award.[10]
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
220 lb (100 kg) |
31+1⁄4 in (0.79 m) |
9 in (0.23 m) |
4.61 s | 1.55 s | 2.58 s | 4.20 s | 7.43 s | 37.0 in (0.94 m) |
9 ft 7 in (2.92 m) |
22 reps | |
| Sources:[11][12] | ||||||||||||
Green Bay Packers
[edit]Nichols was drafted 235th overall by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.[13] He signed his rookie contract on May 5.[14] He was waived/injured on August 29, 2023, and placed on injured reserve, then released on September 7.[15]
Philadelphia Eagles
[edit]On October 16, 2023, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Nichols to their practice squad.[16] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 18, 2024.[17] He was waived on August 27.[18] Lew Nichols was the recipient of the 2024 Bo Wulf Camp Crush Award.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Lew Nichols III". Central Michigan University. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ "Central Michigan scores 25 in 4th quarter, beats EMU". Detroit Free Press. Associated Press. November 28, 2020. p. B8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "CMU, EMU, WMU football players win All-MAC honors". Detroit Free Press. December 16, 2020. p. B2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "College Football Player Rushing Stats 2021". ESPN. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ "Lew Nichols III". ESPN. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ Ford, Ryan (November 27, 2021). "Lew Nichols III rolls again as CMU locks up Michigan MAC trophy with 31–10 win over EMU". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ Fowler, Ryan (November 26, 2021). "Lew Nichols III Dominating CFB on the Ground". The Draft Network. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Booher, Christian (December 1, 2021). "Pimpleton, Nichols earn individual All-MAC honors, 10 Chippewas make All-MAC teams". Central Michigan Life. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ Paul, Tony (December 1, 2021). "CMU, WMU take home top individual honors for MAC football". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ Champion, Brandon (November 22, 2021). "CMU's Lew Nichols III not a Doak Walker semifinalist despite nation-leading 1,516 yards rushing". mlive.com. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ "Lew Nichols III Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Lew Nichols III College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ Spofford, Mike (April 29, 2023). "2023 NFL Draft: Packers select Central Michigan RB Lew Nichols in seventh round, No. 235 overall". Packers.com. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "Packers sign eight draft picks". Packers.com. May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
- ^ "Packers announce roster moves". Packers.com. August 29, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
- ^ "Eagles sign Lew Nichols to the practice squad". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. October 16, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ Erby, Glenn (January 18, 2024). "Eagles sign 20 players to Reserve/Futures deals". Eagles Wire. USA Today. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ^ "Get your first look at the Eagles' initial 53-man roster". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. August 27, 2024.