ELF: Barcelona Dragons sign former decorated college QB Levi Lewis
The Barcelona Dragons have found their quarterback for the 2024 European League of Football season, with the announcement of the signing of 25 year-old Levi Lewis.
A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the 5’11”, 185 pound Lewis played collegiately for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns) of the Sun Belt Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. He played in parts of five seasons there, serving as the primary starting quarterback in three of them. His first season as the full-time starter was in 2019, in which he threw for 3,050 yards and 26 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions, finishing the season by being named the MVP of the LendingTree Bowl.
In the 2020 season, Lewis threw for 2,274 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven touchdowns. He led the Cajuns to an upset victory over Iowa State (whose quarterback was Brock Purdy) in the first game of the season. After a win in the First Responder Bowl, Louisiana finished the season 10-1 and ranked #16 in the country.
In his final season of 2021, Lewis and the Cajuns had their best season yet. After dropping their first game against Texas, they won their last 12 straight games, including the New Orleans Bowl. Lewis finished the season with 2,917 passing yards with 20 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, and was named the MVP of both the Sun Belt Championship Game and the New Orleans Bowl.
By the time his college career was over, Lewis set the school record for passing touchdowns at 74, breaking former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme’s record. Throughout his college career, Lewis also proved to be a capable runner, as he rushed for a total of 1,088 yards and 14 touchdowns.
After leaving Louisiana, Lewis was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2022, but was later released. He then signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League, but was released without having played in a game. The 2024 season will be Lewis’ first one outside of North America.
The Dragons had a disappointing season last year finishing with a record of 2-10, and are looking to take a step forward in 2024. They seem to have found a gem at quarterback in Lewis, who immediately has one of the best resumes among quarterbacks in the league.
