The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Former Jackrabbits Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. & Tyson Ruffins.
Long Beach Poly alum Marcedes Lewis was on the sideline of a Jackrabbit game a few weeks ago, watching longtime Poly boys’ athletic director Rob Shock’s daughter Kendall be honored as one of the school’s International Ambassadors. Shock was Lewis’ tight ends coach when he starred for the Jackrabbits in the late 90s and early 2000s, what feels like an eternity ago.
Lewis has retained close ties in Long Beach and at his alma mater, having hosted 15 free football camps for Long Beach youth, most of them on Poly’s campus. Still, it was his first time back at a Poly game in a couple of decades, perhaps a surprise given how frequently Poly’s NFL alums visit games. Why has he stayed away? Well, because Long Beach’s ageless wonder went from Poly to an All-American career at UCLA and then on to a record-setting 19-year NFL career.
In other words, the 41-year old Lewis was on the sideline a few weeks ago because it was his first Fall not playing football since he was five years old.
“It’s definitely different,” he said. “It’s weird.”
Now, Lewis will be back on the field, with the news today that he’s signed a practice squad contract with the Denver Broncos, and is one roster move away from suiting up to take the field for an unprecedented 20th NFL season.
The Broncos have been enduring a run of injuries at the tight end position–it’s a not uncommon occurrence that underlines how rare Lewis’ career has been. The 2010 Pro Bowler has already set an NFL record for most games played by a tight end in league history at 285, and could become the first-ever 41 year-old to suit up at the position if the Broncos elevate him to the gameday roster.
His 285 games is not only the most games played ever by a tight end, it’s No. 19 all-time for any player at any position in NFL history. Eleven of the players ahead of him were primary kickers or punters, with Lewis trailing only NFL legends George Blanda, Tom Brady, Jerry Rice, Brett Favre, Bruce Matthews, Darrell Green, and Drew Brees as non-specialist players in league history.
Lewis’ relentless offseason conditioning has helped lengthen his career. Last year at the age of 40 he played in 17 games for the Chicago Bears.
