FLOWERY BRANCH – Don't let the nice smile and quiet demeanor of defensive tackle Trey Lewis fool you.
Lewis returned to action against New England, his first game after being out for 22 months after two knee surgeries. He's admittedly shaking off the rust, but is hoping to regain the form he flashed as a promising rookie in 2007.
As the Falcons try to replace first round draft pick Peria Jerry, the 6-foot-2, 323-pound Lewis, wants to regain his form quickly.
In a conversation with the AJC, Lewis discussed his long layoff, his father's baptismal and returning to action.
Q: How was it getting back out there after 22 months of rehab after your knee surgeries?
A: Just getting to play in the National Football League again was wonderful. It was a great feeling to be back out there. I definitely showed that there are some things I need to work on.
Q: How lonely was it being away from the team, detached for so long?
A: For me, it was horrible. I had never been injured significantly before. All through college and high school I had never really missed a game. Just not being out there on that field was real tough for me to get over. The camaraderie and all of that stuff goes along with it. I'm back now.
Q: Who helped you deal with your situation when you were off the field?
A: Definitely, my family. We have an excellent training staff here. They know about the physical part, but also the mental part that comes with it. They keep you motivated and moving in the right direction as far as your rehab and keeping that end-goal in mind, which was getting back on the field.
Q: Who did you lean on family wise?
A: Mostly, my Dad and my fiancée.
Q: How did they help you out?
A: Sometimes just talking when I needed to talk. Not talking when I didn't want to talk. Some days you are down and you don't want to have a whole lot of conversation with people. Especially after you have one of those rough days, when you think you can do more but you really can't get through it. There was a shoulder there to lean on when I needed it and the patience when I was not ready to talk or do something.
Q: Did you get back to Topeka, Kan. much?
A: You're almost here more when you are hurt than when you're not hurt. This was my first off-season, where I actually got to go home because I was healthy.
Q: How much of your drive to make it in the NFL comes from being from a smaller college like Washburn?
A: It's huge. Coming out of high school. I wasn't sure I was going to play college ball. That opportunity presented itself. It was kind of the same thing when I got done with college ball, I didn't know the NFL was a possibility until it was right there in my face. I've always played hard and had the drive to be successful in the sport, but coming from a Division II school we never had scouts there. We never had anybody go to the NFL (in a long time). There was a lot of motivation.
Q: What type of fun did you have over the bye week?
A: I just went home. Chilled out with family a little bit. My Dad actually got baptized at Church. So I got to see that.
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