BEREA, Ohio -- There comes a time in every running back's career when he has to prove that he's still got it.

For Cleveland Browns tailback Jamal Lewis, that time was last season.

Coming off a pair of years when Lewis averaged 3.6 and 3.4 yards per carry, he was released by the Baltimore Ravens, and there weren't any suitors offering the multiyear deal Lewis envisioned.

That is where the Browns and general manager Phil Savage came in.

Familiar with Lewis from his time scouting in Baltimore, Savage offered Lewis a one-year contract heavy in incentives to see if he's strong enough and good enough to still shoulder the load. Lewis proved that he was, rushing for 1,304 yards, nine touchdowns and averaging 19.9 carries per game, the second-highest total of his career.

"I had to prove it to people who had doubts and to people who thought I was done,'' Lewis said. "I knew where I was, and I knew I wasn't finished. Phil Savage and the organization knew I wasn't finished. So I'm just happy to be here and do what I do, and that's run the ball hard and offer this team all that I have."

After Lewis, 28, made his point, the Browns rewarded him with a three-year extension.

No longer with the same chip on his shoulder, Lewis' motivation this year is to remain one of the top running backs in the NFL. He certainly is one of the most consistent, amassing at least 1,000 yards in six of his seven active seasons.

There also are unspoken intangibles Lewis brings to the Browns.

Lewis provides much-needed confidence as one of the few players in Cleveland's locker room with a Super Bowl ring. He's extremely professional and never takes practices off. He's always in shape and has a good presence about him that inspires and commands respect.

"He's definitely a leader off the field and on the field, and guys rally around that,'' Browns right tackle Kevin Shaffer said. "We want to do good because of him. We're going to block for anyone, but when you got a guy like that that's busting it every play and going full speed, we want to go just a little harder because of him."

Lewis also fits in a blue-collar town like Cleveland. His running style is old-school -- little flash, all substance. The tailback runs with the mentality of a fullback. If someone is in the way, Lewis is lowering his shoulders, not wiggling his hips. He gets 3 or 4 yards per carry early, until he's able to explode for 30-plus yards later in the game.

Lewis actually got stronger as the 2007 season went on. He had four of his five 100-yard games after Thanksgiving.

So when it rains, Lewis pours it on.

When it snows, he packs his snow tires.

"If you tell J-Lew we're going to line up and run 30 times in between the tackles, he's going to be smiling,'' Browns center Hank Fraley said.

Here is more food for thought.

Last season was the first time Lewis played for an offensive juggernaut.

For most of his career, Lewis was the best weapon in the Ravens' offense. This year, Lewis is playing with five players coming off Pro Bowl seasons: quarterback Derek Anderson, tight end Kellen Winslow, receiver Braylon Edwards, and two linemen in guard Eric Steinbach and tackle Joe Thomas.

Lewis didn't make the Pro Bowl last season and may not be one of the top five players in Cleveland's offense. Yet being a cog this year and not the entire machine excites him.

"I didn't want to go anywhere,'' Lewis says, "because of all the talent that's around me."

Lewis has been bold but not cocky about his expectations this year. Coming off a 1,300-yard season, he says a repeat performance in 2008 would be an "understatement."

Lewis cites two games that he missed, including the contest against the New England Patriots when he was hurt in the first quarter, where he could've added to his season totals. He believes the sky is the limit if he stays healthy to play the full 16 games.

"With the receivers, with the quarterback and with the offensive line that we have, that's why I say 1,300-1,400 yards is an understatement," Lewis said.

So what sounds about right, Jamal ... 1,500 yards? Two thousand yards?

"Um … not 1,300 or 1,400 yards,'' he says with a grin.