Lewis was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles fifth round, 153rd overall, in the NFL draft.
The 5-6, 190-pound running back had an opportunity to train with McCoy last summer at Heinz Field. McCoy also attended the University of Pittsburgh, leaving college for the National Football League a year before Lewis began his Panther career. Though Lewis was McCoy's successor, the two will be teammates together next year for the first time.
"It's going to be good having a guy like Shady; a guy that I'm familiar with and a guy I know," Lewis said. "He's going to help me out. He's going to be able to help me out and get used to some things, go over the playbook with him and things like that. So it's good to have somebody that you know in the same backfield."
Lewis says that McCoy was a major factor in his decision to attend Pittsburgh.
"He was really influential. Obviously, he did a great job there and he talked highly about Pittsburgh and their coaches and I trusted his word."
Lewis entered the draft as an underclassman, leaving Pittsburgh after just two years at the collegiate level. After the 2009 season, he was named National Freshman of the Year, as well as the game's "most complete runner" by Sporting News. He rushed for 2,860 yards in two seasons at Pitt.
Lewis says that he has spoken with McCoy over the last year about being a running back in the National Football League.
"We talked a lot," Lewis said. "I actually worked out with him down in Miami when I was down there working out getting ready for the combine and stuff. And he was just giving me hints; you have to work hard.
The Eagles are a great organization. He told me how he loves everything about the Eagles and he told me some good stuff."
Lewis is small but extremely shifty with dangerous explosiveness.
The Eagles "like to get their running backs involved in space," Lewis said. "They have Michael Vick. They have (wide) receivers DeSean Jackson and (Jeremy) Maclin that can stretch the field and it gives the running back a lot of space when he does get the ball. So it's a great fit for me."
When Lewis does take the field for the Eagles this September, he will be the youngest player to play in a game in the Andy Reid era. The second youngest? LeSean McCoy.
