ATLANTA (Dec. 29, 2021) – In keeping with its tradition of recognizing notable team alumni, officials announced today that Tim Lewis and Morten Andersen will be honorary captains for their respective alma maters at this year's Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between No. 12 Pitt and No. 10 Michigan State. The duo will join the team captains at midfield for the pregame coin toss prior to the 7 p.m. ET kickoff on Dec. 30 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Representing the No. 12 Pitt Panthers will be former defensive back, longtime NFL player and assistant coach Tim Lewis. Lewis played for the Panthers from 1979-82, intercepting four passes and returning 26 kickoffs for 679 yards during his Pitt career. The Panthers finished in the top 10 in the postseason polls every season of Lewis' tenure at Pitt and went on to win both the Gator and Sugar Bowls. After the 1982 season, he entered the 1983 NFL Draft where the Green Bay Packers selected him 11th overall. Lewis recorded 16 career interceptions and forced two fumbles in only three seasons with the Packers. His 99-yard interception return for a touchdown in 1984 still stands as the longest pick six in franchise history to this day. After his playing career, Lewis coached for almost 30 years in both the collegiate and professional levels at places such as Pitt, Texas A&M, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons and more. He won an AFC title as a Steelers assistant coach in 1995 and appeared in Super Bowl XXX. Most recently, Lewis coached in both the AAF and XFL, leading the Birmingham Iron to a winning record in the franchise's lone season.
Former Michigan State placekicker, 1981 All-American, and most prolific scorer in league history, Morten Andersen, will represent the No. 10 Michigan State Spartans. Andersen graduated from Michigan State after a Big Ten Conference record 63-yard field goal against Ohio State University and entered the NFL as the fourth-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints in 1982. He topped the 100-point total 14 times in his career, where he earned seven Pro Bowl nominations and was named first-team All-Pro five times. After 13 seasons in New Orleans, Andersen joined the Falcons in 1995 and in that same year he made NFL history when he became the first kicker ever to convert three field goals of 50 yards or longer in the same game. After six seasons with the Falcons, Andersen played for the New York Giants (2001), Kansas City Chiefs (2002-03), Minnesota Vikings (2004) and came out of retirement to finish his career with the Falcons (2006-08). Among the most notable league records he set were career points (2,544), most field goals (565) and games played (382). In addition, his 40 field goals of 50 yards or longer were the most in NFL history at his retirement. He is one of the rare players to be named to two NFL All-Decade Teams in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2011, Morten Andersen was inducted into the Michigan State University Athletics Hall of Fame.
The 54th Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will feature No. 12 Pitt and No. 10 Michigan State in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 30. Both the Panthers and Spartans will make their first-ever appearance in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in what will be the first New Year's Six bowl matchup of the 2021 season.
