Former Saints wide receiver Michael Lewis showed the American dream is alive and well when he joined the Saints roster in 2001.
The Grace King graduate was working in the city as a beer truck driver when he earned a tryout for the Saints and eventually found a roster spot. Lewis went on to set records as a kick return specialist for the Saints. Lewis set the NFL record for combined kick and punt return yards in a single season with 2,432 in 2002.
Fans nicknamed him the “beer man” and the slogan “The beer man delivers” caught on some time after that. Since his retirement, Lewis was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame and maintains a strong relationship with the Saints.
His story is a true grit story that will translate to the film screen well. The film is still in early development and doesn’t yet have a title or a distributor. Lewis story is being spearheaded by local filmmaker and screenwriter David DuBos. The film will also be based on Lewis 2014 autobiography “Dreams: The Michael Lewis Story.”
In a recent interview with NOLA.COM Dubos and Lewis longtime agent, Karl Bernard talked about how Lewis story is one of inspiration to fans and youth football players.
“(This story is) different because Michael not only accomplished a childhood dream of playing in the NFL, but he’s an NFL record holder,” Bernard said. “He’s an All-Pro football player. He changed the game, many would say, in terms of kick returning and punt returning.”
Bernard and DuBos hope the film can make it select screens & streaming services by 2020. Follow River Beats New Orleans to stay up to date on this story!