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- Mar 19, 2019
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GREEN BAY – There will come a time when Marcedes Lewis no longer boards a plane every July to travel to whichever NFL city he'll call home for the rest of the calendar year.
At some point, the Pro Bowl tight end's football career will give way to his interest in fashion, culture and martial arts. This offseason, the 36-year-old Lewis started co-hosting his own lifestyle show, "The Thre@d" on Uninterrupted's YouTube channel and intends to start working toward his belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
But as much as Lewis is ready for what life has to offer after football, he still feels a strong connection to the game and a burning desire to finish what the 6-foot-6, 267-pound tight end started as a first-round pick out of UCLA in 2006.
"I still love the game," said Lewis, one of the last active players from his draft class. "I'm still healthy, I'm still in good shape. I still have a lot to give to the game, not just on the field but off the field and why not empty the tank? I feel like when I retire I just want to be a position to know I left it all out there."
In talks with his mother and close friends, Lewis made the decision years ago he didn't want to be one of those ex-athletes who sits on a couch wondering if he left the game too soon.
That mentality kept Lewis focused during a difficult 2018, a year in which he was released by Jacksonville after 12 seasons and caught only four passes in his first year with Green Bay.
Last year was a career renaissance for Lewis. While no longer a featured target, the 15th-year veteran had a more defined role in Matt LaFleur's offense. He played 487 offensive snaps, catching 15 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown.