OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Asked to describe the one thing he finds most surprising about the NFL, Baltimore Ravens rookie Alex Lewis answers without hesitation.The money, he replied.Lewis is earning every bit of his $450,000 salary. The fourth-round draft pick has been versatile and invaluable as a starter on an offensive line that has been torn apart by injuries.Drafted 130th overall out of Nebraska, Lewis had no intention learning from the sideline with the hope of garnering playing time as the season went on.I dont play football to watch it, Lewis said Wednesday. When I came here I expected to play.Lewis launched his career at left guard against Buffalo alongside fellow rookie Ronnie Stanley, the sixth overall pick and starting left tackle. It marked the first time since 1995 that an NFL team started a pair of rookies on the left side of the line in the opening game.The pair continued to flourish together until Oct. 2, when Lewis missed the Oakland game with a concussion and Stanley was sidelined with a foot injury. Lewis took over at left tackle the following week.Stanley still hasnt returned. If he remains hurt this Sunday, Lewis will receive a third straight start at tackle against the New York Jets.Making the transition from college to the NFL is tough enough. Moving from guard to left tackle -- arguably the toughest position on the offensive line -- is even more difficult.Its a little bit of a shuffle but I played two years at tackle (at Nebraska), Lewis said. I did a lot of training this offseason at guard, so its going to take a little bit of adjusting to get comfortable at tackle again.Lewis got beat a couple of times in his debut at left tackle and had a costly holding penalty last week against the Giants.I think Alex has done great, coach John Harbaugh said. The thing I like about him is he doesnt repeat mistakes. He improves. Hes a smart guy and he works hard.Maybe its in the genes. Lewis father, Bill Lewis, was a center at Nebraska before playing seven years in the NFL.The key to success, not just in the NFL but in life, is learning from a mistake and get better from that mistake, Alex Lewis said. Thats the mentality I have. Its what my father taught me.Lewis hasnt been perfect. But the 6-foot-6, 335-pounder has been plenty good enough to make a positive impression on his teammates.Hes a tough guy. Hes a fighter, hes a scrapper, center Jeremy Zuttah said. With him, its just about being more confident. Hes a rookie, so every game hes going to get better and better. The skys the limit for him.Stanley has a mountain of potential, but at this point Lewis just might be the best rookie in Baltimores Class of 2016. Hes more interested in how he will be perceived in the future.To be successful at this level, youve got to be willing to grow, Lewis said. You cant think that, just because youre playing in the NFL youve made it now. Its, how do I get better, how do I keep getting better, how do I get to be great?He could ask Zuttah or Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda, but Lewis knows his place -- with the rest of the rookies, whose lockers are lined up along a back aisle of the locker room.The veterans, they dont want to be bothered, Lewis said. Ill ask a question if I have to, but most of the time you want to keep quiet around those cats.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Clearance Hockey Jerseys .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. Hockey Jerseys From China . Just as Montreal was settling into the first full working week of a new year, the Impact announced the appointment of their new head coach. http://www.cheapadidashockeyjerseys.com/ . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. Hockey Jerseys Outlet . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. Wholesale Hockey Jerseys Authentic . Bjorn, who had a 36-hole total of 8-under 134, made a testing six-foot putt to save par on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th before bogeying the final hole after a misjudged approach shot. American Kevin Streelman was in second place after shooting a 69. LAS VEGAS -- Not one player in Dukes basketball program was born when the 1991 Blue Devils pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Final Four history.So, Thursday, on a five-hour flight to Las Vegas, coach Mike Krzyzewski made his players watch footage from 25 years ago, when Duke beat UNLV 79-77 an epic upset in the national semifinals. It was revenge for the year prior, when UNLV throttled Duke 103-73 in the national championship.It was the perfect motivation that set the tone for the fifth-ranked Blue Devils, who got a career-high 34 points from Grayson Allen en route to a 94-45 victory over UNLV on Saturday in the first college basketball game ever at T Mobile Arena.(We wanted) to let them know that theyre going into a game where were playing against a very proud opponent that has accomplished a lot, Krzyzewski said. Thats why we watched (the 1991 game). Those games were moments. Moments in history in the game of basketball. So its an honor to come here today.Allen embraced the honor, and rose to the occasion by shooting 75 percent from the field -- including a perfect 7 of 7 in the second half. It was easily the junior guards most complete game of the season, as he appeared to be healthy after battling through leg and toe injuries since mid-November.He was making the athletic plays that he can make, but couldnt make from being injured, Krzyzewski said. That was a big plus for us. The guys responded really well.Once he knocked down the first of his six 3-pointers, three minutes into the game, Allen led an offensive charge that saw four Blue Devils score in double figures.Luke Kennard had 16 points and five rebounds for Duke (10-1), while Jayson Tatum had 13 points and five rebounds, and Amile Jefferson contributed with 10 points and 12 rebounds.Jalen Poyser had 16 points for UNLV.We ran into, if not the best, one of the top (teams). Thats a Final Four team, UNLV first-year coach Marvin Menzies said. I am disappointed we werent able to put our best foot forward. I know I have better players than that. This is one game. It is what it is. We will be fine.The Rebels (5-4) tried to make a couple of runs to challenge Duke, getting as close as 38-26 late in the first half after an 8-0 spurt..dddddddddddd. The Blue Devils answered with their defensive prowess and proved to be too much for an outmatched UNLV team that committed 13 turnovers a little more than 14 minutes into the game, and shot just 34 percent (10 of 29) in the first half.Though UNLV was competitive on the glass, outrebounding the Blue Devils 20-17 in the first half, Duke outscored the Rebels 26-10 in the paint while opening a 42-26 halftime lead.We prepared well, Krzyzewski said. We prepared to try to beat a really good team, and we did.The standing-room only crowd of 19,107 was the highest attendance for a basketball game in Las Vegas since, ironically 1991, during UNLVs back-to-back Final Four run under the late-Jerry Tarkanian. The previous largest crowd was 19,147, at UNLVs home, the Thomas & Mack Center, on Feb. 14, 1991, against Cal Santa Barbara.BIG PICTUREDuke: In his last four games, Amile Jefferson is averaging 17.7 points and 12.2 rebounds, while shooting 69.7 percent (30 of 43) from the floor. Jefferson came into Saturdays game leading the ACC in field goal percentage, converting at a rate of 67 percent for the season. He is a career 63 percent shooter from the field.UNLV: After opening the season 5-2, the Runnin Rebels have lost their last two after allowing an average of 95.5 points per game. UNLV lost at Arizona State 97-73 last Saturday.BET YA DIDNT KNOWWhen Duke and UNLV met in 1990 and `91, Nevada sports books were banned from posting point spreads on teams from the Silver State. That also meant whenever UNLV or Nevada made the NCAA Tournament, future odds on teams winning the title couldnt be posted until either the Runnin Rebels or Wolf Pack were eliminated. Gaming Regulation 22.120(b) went into effect in 2001, and ever since, both schools are included on the regular sports betting rotation. Jay Kornegay, who runs the Westgate Superbook, said he opened Duke as a 15.5-point favorite eight weeks before the game. The Blue Devils closed as a 24.5-point favorite at tip-off on Saturday.UP NEXTDuke: hosts Tennessee State on Dec. 19UNLV: hosts Incarnate Word on Wednesday Cheap Throwback Baseball Detroit Tigers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Colorado Rockies Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Houston Astros Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Kansas City Royals Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Los Angeles Angels Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Los Angeles Dodgers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Miami Marlins Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Milwaukee Brewers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Minnesota Twins Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball New York Mets Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball New York Yankees Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Oakland Athletics Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Philadelphia Phillies Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Pittsburgh Pirates Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball San Diego Padres Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball San Francisco Giants Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Seattle Mariners Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball St. Louis Cardinals Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Tampa Bay Rays Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Texas Rangers Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys Cheap Throwback Baseball Washington Nationals Jerseys ' ' '