2011 NFL Combine: Pitt's Dion Lewis Off To Rocky Start

by CardiacHill on Feb 26, 2026 8:01 AM EST in Pitt Football

The NFL Combine is barely off the ground, but Dion Lewis' height is already causing a stir.

Lewis has been listed at 5'7" or 5'8", but at the combine he was measured at only 5'6 1/2." That might not sound like a lot, but Lewis already had size working against him. Now, he's listed even shorter and while that doesn't necessarily mean the end for Lewis, it definitely gets him off on the wrong foot.

Dion wasn't the only one who was hurt by the measurements - West Virginia's Jock Sanders also measured below 5'7." That said, I think the whole talk about him possibly being undrafted (as mentioned in the link) is a bit of a reach. Lewis clearly had a down season last year, but he still rushed for more than 1,000 yards. When you add in his unbelievable 1,799-yard 2009 season, it's hard to imagine a team not taking a chance on him in the middle or even late rounds.

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Comments

PittGrad99

I would be concerned about whether I made the right decision to come out if I were Dion. He is short for a running back and apparently did not run very well at the combine. Small and slow isn’t going to get you very far. He had a great Freshman season, but was not very good last year. I think he would have been better off staying for one more year.

by wietersforpresident on Feb 28, 2026 3:53 PM EST reply actions

I'd definitely agree

Even if he didn’t get much faster, he would have helped his stock infinitely more if he would have put together another good year.

But sometimes all a player wants is money (not that there’s anything wrong with that) and it might not matter to him if he gets drafted in the 5th or 6th round. It’s not guaranteed money, but he probably figures someone will pay him something.

by CardiacHill on Feb 28, 2026 6:02 PM EST up reply actions