Before he became the primary running back for the New England Patriots, Dion Lewis was still trying to get his bearings in the league. Interestingly enough, his struggles began with the Philadelphia Eagles after they selected him in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Lewis rarely saw the field behind then-Eagles bell-cow back LeSean McCoy. Needless to say, he has not forgotten all the time he spent on the sidelines in Philadelphia, per Kevin Duffy of MassLive.com:

“Dion,” a reporter started, “what do you remember about your time with the Eagles?”

Lewis smiled.

“Not playing,” he replied

Lewis was then traded after two seasons with the Eagles in exchange for Cleveland Browns linebacker Emmanuel Acho — who happened to be in the crowd as a reporter for ESPN. Lewis addressed Acho directly:

“I’m actually happy that you’re here,” Lewis said. “That reminds me of the struggle I’ve been through. I got traded for him. And actually, he played more than I did after the trade. I actually got cut a year or two after I got traded for him, so it’s definitely nice to see you.”

Lewis' stint in Cleveland was cut short after he suffered a broken leg. After a minor stint with the Indianapolis Colts, he finally got a shot with the Patriots.

Lewis now serves as the top back in New England, albeit by committee. He led the team in nearly every rushing category with 180 carries for 896 yards and six touchdowns in 2017.

Due to injuries in the backfield throughout the season, Lewis also made an impact on the passing game by finishing second among Patriots' running backs in receptions (32) and touchdowns (3).