Browns' Lewis digging in for big season

Several times last season, Savage referred to Lewis as "a hungry Jamal," alluding to him being motivated by his one-year contract. Well, if there were any concerns about Lewis getting fat because of the payday, he put them to rest by reporting to training camp in possibly the best shape of his life.

Thanks to a strict diet and relentless workout schedule, Lewis weighs 237 pounds, the lightest he has been since his junior year at Tennessee.

"I needed to get down so I could hit the corner and get back to what I used to do," he said. "The main reason is to help my quickness and help my speed on the stretch plays."

Lewis' commitment may be a surprise to some fans, but it's nothing new to his coaches or his teammates, who regard him as a leader.

"He's a pro," said second-year quarterback Brady Quinn, one of the few players on Cleveland's roster who could challenge Lewis' passion to train. "When you first come in as a rookie, everyone talks about what it is to be a pro, and he is that by definition."

Lewis enters the season as one of only 26 players with more than 9,000 yards, and he will most certainly join the elusive 10,000-yard club before season's end. As for how many more years he wants to play, Lewis, the fifth overall pick in the 2000 draft, doesn't want to be tackled on that issue.

"I'm not going to put a number on that," he said. "I want to leave the game. I don't want the game to leave me. That's my goal. It's not the games. It's not the training camps. It's the training in the offseason. When I feel like I can't train in the offseason like I used to, that's when I can't do it."

Brown quit the game at his peak, leaving to pursue an acting career. Lewis, who owns a successful trucking company, has no plans to stop playing as long as he can perform at a high level and wants to create a legacy.

"I'm playing for big numbers and playing for a championship," Lewis said. "It's not all about the money anymore. It's about accomplishing my goals and my long-term goals that I set when I first came into the league."

Is part of his motivation making the Hall of Fame?

"Oh yeah," Lewis said. "Big time."