BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Former Indiana wide receiver and NFL Network broadcaster Rhett Lewis has been named the Hoosiers new football radio analyst, IU Athletics and IU Sports Properties announced on Monday afternoon.
Lewis played at Indiana from 2001-05. He graduated with a B.S. in sports broadcasting in 2005 and a M.S. in sports administration in 2006.
“You don’t stop being a Hoosier when you take the helmet off for the last time,” Lewis said. “The passion ‘For the Glory of old IU’ always remains. I’m so thankful to Scott Dolson, Coach Allen, Mark Deal, and Jeff Keag for allowing me to connect with IU Football these last few years in a way that was so accessible and welcoming. That connection made me want to get even closer to the program in any way I could. When Buck Suhr retired after a fantastic 17-year run in this role the fit was too good to be true. Most importantly, to get to work side-by-side with the legendary Don Fischer, the best voice in the business, is an absolute dream come true.”
Fischer, who will enter his 50th season as the ‘Voice of the Hoosiers’ in 2022, is excited to team up with Lewis.
“I’m really looking forward to Rhett joining our broadcast team this fall,” Fischer said. “Rhett has been a broadcaster ever since he graduated from IU, and his excellence is proven through his eight years with the NFL Network and on SiriusXM. He will be a great addition to our team.”
Lewis is a host across several NFL Network programs, including NFL Now, NFL Total Access, and Path to the Draft. He also is a host on various SiriusXM shows, including regular appearances on SiriusXM Big Ten Radio.
In 2014, Lewis spent five years as an anchor and reporter at WHDH in Boston, where he began using his middle name of Lewis as his last name professionally. He covered all four major pro championships (Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, Stanley Cup Finals), and five championships in total.
Before joining WHDH in May of 2009, Lewis spent eight months at WVUE, the Fox affiliate in his hometown of New Orleans, and he spent two years as the sports director at the CBS affiliate (KLBK) in Lubbock, Texas.
Lewis also interned with WISH-TV in Indianapolis. His father, Dean Kleinschmidt, served as Indiana’s head football trainer from 2004-06. Dean was a head trainer in the NFL for 41 seasons – 31 with the New Orleans Saints, two with the Washington Redskins, and eight with the Detroit Lions.
A 1970 IU graduate, Dean is in the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame and the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame.
Rhett’s wife, Kayna – an honorary Hoosier, is also in television as a national correspondent for ABC News. They have two future Hoosier wide receivers, Conway (4) and Wylder (3).
IU Sports Properties is the Hoosiers’ multimedia rightsholder. This locally based LEARFIELD team is dedicated to IU Athletics, overseeing all aspects of the comprehensive rights relationship which includes broadcast talent and affiliates.