During a difficult season with the Cleveland Browns, veteran running back Jamal Lewis decided he’d had enough; he began openly talking about retirement.
But with Lewis not officially retiring, the team opted to cut him loose.
And though it’s possible that he might never play again, he apparently has more than 25 million reasons to consider an eleventh NFL season.
A reader has tipped us off to a December 2008 civil judgment against Lewis and two other defendants. It appears that the plaintiff, Stillwater Asset Backed Fund, L.P., had at some point obtained a judgment against Lewis and two other entities in Georgia, and that an action was filed in Ohio in the hopes of pursuing any local assets of Lewis and/or the other two defendants.
With interest and attorneys’ fees, the total bill as of December 2008 was more than $25 million. (To explore the matter for yourself, click here and then insert Lewis’ name.)
It’s unknown whether the matter has been resolved, but anyone possessing a civil judgment worth more than $25 million holds a damn strong chip. Unless Lewis found a way to stick the other defendants (Top Flight Investment, LLC, and Matthew White) with the bill, Lewis either wrote a big check or still needs to write one.
Either way, there’s a good chance he needs more football money.