| Number: | 40 |
| Position: | Running back Kick returner |
| Birth Date: | 15 November 1949 |
| Birth Place: | Bostic, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 5 |
| Height In: | 11 |
| Weight Lbs: | 210 |
| College: | North Carolina |
| Draftyear: | 1972 |
| Draftround: | 3 |
| Draftpick: | 56 |
| Teams: | |
| Highlights: | |
| Statlabel1: | Rushing attempts |
| Statvalue1: | 7 |
| Statlabel2: | Rushing yards |
| Statvalue2: | 6 |
| Statlabel3: | Rushing TDs |
| Statvalue3: | 0 |
| Pfr: | JollLe00 |
Lewis Elman Jolley (born November 15, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Houston Oilers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels.[1] [2]
Jolley began his college career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a wingback after not playing football his senior year in high school due to an injury.[3] He was converted to a running back in 1971, his senior year in college.[4] He capped his college career playing in the December 1971 Gator Bowl, which North Carolina lost to the Georgia Bulldogs by a score of 7-3.[5]
Jolley was selected by the Oilers in the third round of the 1972 NFL draft with the 56th overall pick.[6] [7] He was cut before the 1972 regular season began, but then joined the Oilers' taxi squad before being activated as a special teams player.[1] [8] He returned 11 kickoffs for 267 yards, or 24.3 yards per return.[6] In 1973 for Houston he played in 10 of the team's 14 games, rushed 7 times for 6 yards, had 3 receptions for 56 yards, and returned 2 kickoffs for 41 yards.[6] His last game was also his most active. In a December 2 game against the Oakland Raiders, he rushed 5 times for 1 yard and caught 2 passes for 56 yards.[9] But he also had a critical fumble that led to the Raiders' victory.[10]
The Oilers waived Jolley before the 1974 regular season.[11] After being waived by the Oilers, he signed with the Charlotte Hornets of the World Football League.[12] [13] [14] He played for the Hornets in 1974 and 1975.[15] [16] After the Hornets folded, Jolley became a traveling salesman for Worthington Steel, where he was still working as of 1986.[17] [18] [19]