by Tony Grossi, Plain Dealer Reporter , Plain Dealer

The big 3-1 hit the big 3-0 on Wednesday.

Contrary to perception, Jamal Lewis did not limp off the field after coach Eric Mangini's final practice of training camp needing the assistance of a walker, cane or crutches.

Lewis took the milestone birthday in stride. He laughed heartily as Braylon Edwards joked about Lewis' career highlights "in the '70s."

"It's what everybody's been talking about," Lewis said of turning 30.

"Now I'm actually 30, not 29 or 28. And I still feel like I did yesterday."

Tired of answering questions about it? No doubt.

"I've been doing it five years," he said. "Now the day is here and I'm still kicking, running, competing and trying to do my job. This is one of my goals - to be able to play 10 years in the league. And here I am."

For NFL running backs, turning 30 is an occasion worthier of red flares than birthday candles. Statistically, it is undeniably the age at which most NFL feature backs noticeably leak oil, backfire, and, often, break down.

Just two recent examples:

Edgerrin James, a 12,121-yard career rusher, slumped to 514 yards in 2008 after he turned 30.

James was unemployed until Seattle signed him this week for insurance.

Rudi Johnson, who toppled 1,300 rushing yards three years in a row for the Cincinnati Bengals, turns 30 in October. He flamed out last year for 237 yards with the Detroit Lions and can't find a team to give him another chance.

Everybody says Jim Brown retired at the top of his game in 1965 at age 29. Did he know something the rest of us didn't back then?

"I don't have an age bias," said Mangini.

That's for sure. There are 19 players on Mangini's training camp roster older than Lewis - and 10 of them project as probable starters on opening day.

"I don't really look at it as once you hit 30, suddenly you fall off a cliff," Mangini said. "I've had a lot of older backs and been around a lot of older ones who've been productive. He's in great shape. He works every day."

In fact, Mangini saw up close two workhorse backs enjoy their finest career seasons at age 30.

One was Corey Dillon, whose career stats are remarkably similar to Lewis'. After leaving the Bengals for New England in 2004, Dillon produced 1,635 yards, a 4.7-yard average, and 12 touchdowns for Bill Belichick's Super Bowl-bound Patriots.

As coach of the Jets last year, Mangini worked Thomas Jones for an AFC-high 1,312 yards, a 4.5 average and 13 touchdowns.

"There was no different approach because he turned 30," Mangini said. "He did everything that everybody else did. Similar to Jamal, they're both really good workers. I think that aspect is timeless."

Lewis' work ethic and conditioning simply awes his teammates and coaches.

A sampling:

"Just look at the guy with his shirt off. He's a specimen," quarterback Derek Anderson said. "He comes back in incredible shape every camp. He takes care of his body."

Mangini said: "I've enjoyed watching him work with the younger guys. I think that's always the trademark of someone who's a pro and very confident in his abilities. He has a lot of great things to share with those guys. He spends time with them. He's just been a pleasure to deal with as a person in the things we've asked him to do."

This was supposed to be the year in which Jerome Harrison gets more carries as a change-of-pace back in the offense, but he has been sidelined for two weeks with an apparent ankle injury. In Harrison's place, rookie James Davis, Lewis' understudy, has been one of the camp's surprises. Davis' young and eager legs have magnified Lewis' age. Lewis looks slow and tentative as he hits a hole, goes the refrain.

Not to worry, says Lewis.

"When the regular season comes around, of course, everybody picks it up a notch. It's almost like going to the playoffs," he said.

It didn't take Lewis a week into Mangini's training camp to pronounce this "the most physical camp I've been in in my 10 years." Now that it's over, he views it as a positive.

"As hard as we've worked out here, I expect nothing but good things," Lewis said. "I'm never one to shy away from hard work. I've always worked hard. That's what I'm known for. But at the same time, any camp we go through, we want to see results during the season. But the way we worked this camp and the way I worked as a whole, I expect nothing but good things."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: tgrossi@plaind.com, 216-999-4670

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