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Mullen says Lewis back at practice following death of his brother

Ethan Levine

By Ethan Levine

Published:

In the span of just 24 hours, the Mississippi State football program experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

The high was a convincing 49-0 win over Southern Miss in Saturday night’s season opener. The low came the following morning, when news broke that wide receiver Jameon Lewis’ brother, Tyriunce, had been tragically shot and killed.

Lewis returned to his hometown of Tylertown, Mississippi to be with family in the wake of Tyriunce’s death, but has since returned to Starkville, according to Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen in his weekly press conference Tuesday.

Mullen began his time with the media by extending his prayers to the Lewis family:

First let me say all our prayers in our program are with Jameon Lewis and his family with a tough situation they’re dealing with right now, and the tragedy they’re dealing with in the loss of his brother. I know that’s really tough on him. He’s been home. He just got back to campus this morning. It’s great to have him back for our football family here to put their arms around him and show him the love of our family here.

Lewis will rejoin his teammates at practice today, and is expected to dress for Saturday’s Week 2 showdown with UAB. How much he will play, if at all, remains to be seen.

Mullen said he is not concerned about Lewis’ ability to make up for the time he missed over the Labor Day weekend, explaining the fifth-year senior has a firm grasp of the offense and the role he plays in the offense.

“I don’t worry as much about the missed time on the football side of things,” Mullen said.

Instead, Mullen is focusing on Lewis’ emotional well-being, and how his emotions in the aftermath of the tragedy impact him both on and off the field.

“We just want to see how he is emotionally and see how he’ll emotionally handle things for us, and be there for him,” Mullen said. “A lot of times football is a great escape when you’re dealing with awful situations. That field is your safe place in the world, and it’s where guys feel most comfortable.”

Lewis took to Twitter Monday, sharing his gratitude for the support he’s received from the MSU fan base:

He also dedicated the rest of this season to his late brother:

Lewis was Mississippi State’s leading receiver last season. He caught three passes for 25 yards last week against Southern Miss.

Ethan Levine

A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.

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