GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Airman Donovan V. Lewis, an Air Force technical school trainee at Goodfellow, competed and took first place at the second annual Caliber Collison Military Combine finals at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, March 31. The first place honor earned Lewis the distinction of announcing one of the Cowboy’s fourth through seventh-round picks at the 2018 National Football League Draft, April 28.
“I heard about the Military Combine competition from a fellow student, and that there were more event details at the base fitness center” Lewis said. “So I went to the gym, read more about the combine and signed up for the preliminaries.”
“That day and the win were surreal...“
Two hundred military athletes from nine Texas military installations competed at the preliminary trials held during February in Frisco, Texas. Some of the installations included Fort Hood, Fort Riley, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland and Goodfellow Air Force Base. From that event, the top 50 competitors were invited to the Military Combine finals in March.
“I was invited to a football camp at AT&T Stadium when I was in the seventh grade,” Lewis said. “This was the second time I stepped on the Cowboys’ field, but the stadium felt just as big this time as it did when I was 12 years old.”
The service members competed in some of the same physical challenges, like the 40-yard dash and vertical jump, which NFL college prospects compete in at the annual NFL Combine. Some of the military athletes posted times that made them competitive against pro-level combine athletes.
“I clocked 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash, which stayed on top of the leaderboard,” Lewis said. “So when they revealed the top finalists’ times and statistics, I knew I had a chance at hearing my name announced as the winner.”
Lewis’ top 40-yard dash time would have placed thirteenth at the NFL Combine. According to NFL.com his time was comparable to stand out Penn State running back and projected top ten NFL draft pick Saquon Barkley.
During the trials Lewis also met Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys legends Mike Singletary and Darren Woodson, respectively.
“That day and the win were surreal, made even more special because the day of the competition was also my birthday,” Lewis said. “I appreciate the opportunity to represent my hometown, Salem, New Jersey and the Air Force.”
The top female from the Military Combine, Air Force Staff Sgt. Erin Hutcherson, from JBSA-L, will also announce a Dallas Cowboys’ third-day draft pick at the 2018 NFL Draft.
“I love the game of football and I love to compete,” Lewis said. “I always want to do my best as an athlete, but most importantly I strive to progress as a person every day.”