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NASHVILLE, Tenn. –** Dion Lewis met fellow Titans running back Derrick Henry for the first time last month, and it was an eye-opening experience.
"He's a lot bigger than me - that's the first thing I noticed," said the 5-foot-8, 195-pound Lewis, offering a smile. "He's a lot bigger than I thought he was."
In time, he's found out more about his new teammate.
"Just as a person, he is cool, very down to earth, a funny guy," Lewis said of Henry. "He is definitely a great guy to be around. Being around him all day in meetings and the weight room, it has been great. So we are just building that chemistry between us and I definitely think it will carry over on the field."
Lewis and Henry made the rounds on the Titans Caravan together earlier this week, when they had a chance to spend the day on a bus, and in communities in Thompson Station, Tennessee, and Florence, Alabama.
This fall, the two running backs plan to deliver for the Titans – with different styles.
"I think it will (good), just because he is very quick," the 6-3, 247-pound Henry said of Lewis. "He can run physical as well, but he can catch it out of the backfield. It will bring more playmakers to us as well.
"It's been great (being around him) – I feel like I have known him. We have a great relationship, and we talk about everything, especially football. It is always easy. He is a great player, and I am excited to have him.
"I am definitely excited he is on our side now."
Henry led the Titans with 744 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 2017. In his first two NFL seasons, Henry has 1,234 yards and 10 touchdowns, on 286 carries. He was drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft after racking up a school-record 3,591 yards and 42 rushing touchdowns at Alabama.
Lewis ran for 896 yards and six touchdowns last season. In the last eight games of the 2017 season, Lewis led the NFL in rushing yards (625), with an average of 5.12 yards per carry. Compared to all backs with 150 or more rushing attempts, his per-carry average of 4.98 yards led the NFL in 2017. Lewis had a pair of 100-yard games in 2017 – vs Buffalo (129) and Miami (112).
Lewis, who spent the last three seasons with the Patriots, said he's been getting acclimated to his new coaches and teammates during the team's offseason program.
Many of them know him well from an athletic standpoint – Lewis racked up 141 all-purpose yards in last year's playoff game against the Titans (62 rushing yards on 15 carries, and he also caught nine passes for 79 yards).
Lewis said it's been great to get to know his new teammates, including Henry.
The Titans will begin organized team activities later this month, and then hold a minicamp next month.
"We are locker mates, we work hard every day, we compete against each other in drills and working out," Lewis said of Henry. "We push each other, and that is definitely a good thing to have. So I has been great.
"I think it could be great – two different running styles, and we are both productive guys. So we complement each other very well. I am excited to work with him and the past three weeks have been great, just working with him, getting to know him. I think it's been great for us."
