Seattle Seahawks Guard Tandem Damien Lewis, Gabe Jackson Raise Stakes For Upcoming Season

RENTON, WA – Seahawk’s second grader Damien Lewis, like many young linemen in the state at the time, was aspiring to be Jackson’s next gift by doing a two-time standout at Canton High School.

Lewis’ affinity for the Mississippi-born compatriot should come as no surprise, as Jackson grew up in Liberty, just two and a half hours southwest of Canton. He stayed in the state to play collegially in the state of Mississippi, earned a starting role in the Left Guard as a Redshirt freshman, and never gave up his place as a four-year starter before being drafted by the Raiders in 2014.

“Gabe is from the north and I come from the central part of Mississippi,” said Lewis after the last training session at training camp on Thursday, referring inaccurately to where his new teammate had grown up locally. “But I was a fan. I’m still a fan of Gabe. When I got out of high school, I looked up at Gabe. I told people that one day I wanted to be like Gabe, and now I’m in same team as him. “

When he graduated from high school in 2016, Lewis simply wanted to emulate his idol and display the same physical, tenacious demeanor in the field. But he never imagined he would eventually become teammates with Jackson, which came true after Seattle traded a fifth round pick to Las Vegas to purchase it in March.

“I like how bad he is. He is mean. He Is hard. He has a guts and he always finishes guys. That’s one thing that caught Gabe’s eye, “noted Lewis.” Seeing his movie and how bad it is. This is my role. I like to be mean, tough, and angry. Perfect for me.”

With Jackson’s arrival, the Seahawks asked Lewis to slide the right guard over to the left after a very successful rookie season. Considering who would take his previous place, he accepted the request without hesitation and although the change initially felt uncomfortable, he now feels “more balanced” and has found his comfort zone in his new position in the training camp.

Although they’ve only been teammates for a few months and haven’t played actual game snaps together, Lewis has had a lot of fun meeting and learning from Jackson so far. In fact, the veteran spiced it up two weeks ago by suggesting a bet between the two mighty linemen for the coming season.

“We were just out there, having fun, teaming up and he just brings the excitement,” smiled Lewis. “Actually, we have a bet on who will get the most knockdowns this season, so he and me are now trying to compete to see who will get the most knockdowns.”

According to Lewis, the commitment to this battle royale between Seattle’s starting guard tandem is a matter of high stakes. Whichever player finishes second in the knockdowns between the two will have to buy a dinner for the entire offensive line at the end of the season, while the winner gets a free meal and the satisfaction of the loser having to pay for it.

When asked who would judge this competition, Lewis stated that center Kyle Fuller would do the duties and said they can “trust” him to keep track of things accurately and fairly.

If Lewis manages to win the bet – Jackson won’t be calm in a fight like this and it’s a long 17-game season – he won’t reveal any details of where the offensive line would feast at Jackson’s expense. But he stated the meal wouldn’t be in Seattle, with a particular southern California city hosting a notable football game as the preferred destination.

“We’re leaving the city. End of season, hopefully we’ll play until the end of February. After that we go somewhere and the loser doesn’t have to pay for it. “

Provided Lewis gets his wish, Seahawks fans will have much to cheer about, well beyond the results of a simple bet between teammates. This race is a great camaraderie building exercise and should be a lot of fun as it develops over the coming months.

As for the fine establishment that ultimately has to feed the offensive? Good luck.