On The Plains with Robert Lewis: ‘Best situation for me’

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn senior wide receiver Robert Lewis is new to the Plains but is excited to make a lasting impact in what will be his final season of college football this fall.

Lewis transferred from Georgia State this past January and spent the spring with the Tigers, preparing for what lies ahead.

After a successful career with the Panthers in Atlanta, Lewis came to the Plains looking to make an immediate impact. He set a Georgia State single-game record with 220 receiving yards on just six catches against Charlotte last fall; that effort included a 97-yard touchdown reception that also was a school record.

Lewis earned third team All-Sun Belt recognition in 2023, along with a spot on the AD Honor Roll, and finished with 102 receptions for 1,323 yards and 14 touchdowns in his final season with the Panthers.

With all that experience, Lewis felt that transferring to Auburn was the best move for him to make for what he plans to do with football and after college.

“I really just wanted to put myself in the best position of going into the NFL because I have dreams of going and playing at the next level,” Lewis said. “Auburn presented me with a good opportunity, and I think it was just the best situation for me as far as a player and academically.”

The Covington, Georgia, product also knows that the chance to wear the Orange and Blue will put him in a spotlight that only Auburn and the Southeastern Conference can bring.

“It’s SEC football,” Lewis said. “You can’t beat that because it’s the best in the country. To be able to showcase my talents in the SEC and be in front of so many eyes will complete my dreams in college.”

Lewis came from an athletic family and grew up playing sports. He played basketball and ran track, but football was the sport that stuck – and it became a family tradition.

His oldest brother, Akeem Hunt, played football at Purdue and was a running back in the NFL with the New York Giants, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs, while his other brother, Devonta Hunt, was a starting cornerback throughout high school.

Lewis made a name for himself beginning at the high school level, earning Class 7A all-state recognition at Newton High School.

“I first started playing football when I was 8,” Lewis said. “At first, I did not want to play. But having two older brothers play and just watching them gave me the confidence to go out there.”

Now at Auburn and coming into his final season of collegiate football, Lewis is fully embracing all that being on the Plains brings.

The time he has spent these past few months with his new coaches and teammates has been special to him, and he is grateful for the group that he gets to work and play football with every day.

“My relationship here with the coaches and players has been excellent," Lewis said. “I feel like each and every day is nothing but trending upward – just getting to know the players better, especially in the receiver room.

“I feel like the receivers are tight and I feel good with what is coming up in the fall, especially with the new freshmen coming in. I think I’m fitting in well, and I love being around these guys.”

Even though Lewis is new to Auburn’s gameday atmosphere, he already has gotten a glimpse of what it will be like in the fall through the team’s A-Day game this past April, and it is something that he knows he is going to miss after his time at Auburn.

“It’s the fans and the traditions that we have here at Jordan-Hare Stadium,” Lewis said. “I’ve never seen that many people at a spring game and it was amazing. I'm also going to miss the team, too, and the players within the team with the bonds we are making along the way. It is going to be a fun season.”

When playing the sport he loves best, Lewis knows that there can be many distractions, but he knows what he needs to do to succeed as a player and person and wants to pass that down to the younger players.

“Stay focused with what you want to do, especially if you want to play football,” Lewis said. “Train hard but focus on the right things when you're training. Don't just do any type of drill that doesn't translate toward the field and translate toward the game.”

Lewis is thankful for all that football has taught him, especially during his transition to Auburn.

“I think the biggest thing this experience has taught me is patience,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to play too much coming in, and I knew I had to get better especially in the position that I’m in. I’m working and waiting on my time and hopefully when my turn comes, I’m prepared.”

An interdisciplinary studies major with a minor in business, Lewis – who is scheduled to graduate next spring – is excited for how Auburn has helped him grow through his new roles on the Plains.

“This has helped me grow more in terms of a vocal leader,” he said. “I’ve really just tried to hone in on our young receivers and teach them things I know because I want everyone to get better. Any knowledge I’ve gained already playing in college, I want to bring that to the younger guys.”

Once his time at Auburn is done, Lewis wants to pursue a career in the NFL, but he also has other plans after his playing career that will always be a part of the sport and game he loves.

“After I'm done playing football, I want to get into coaching, at either the college level or the NFL,” Lewis said. “I’m also leaning toward being an athletic director. Whenever I’m done playing this game, I still want to be a part of it.”