Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Lewis played scholastically at Millwood High School,[1] where he was a four-year letterman playing both sides of the line. He also started on state championship basketball teams as a junior and senior. [2]
College career
Lewis played collegiately for the Oklahoma State Cowboys,[3] leading the team in sacks and tackles-for-loss as both a junior and senior.[4] He was selected to the All-Big Eight first-team both years.[5][6] As a senior, he was honored by the Associated Press as a first-team All-American,[7] as well as being named to the Blue-Gray and Senior Bowl squads.[2]
NFL career
Lewis was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth-round of the 1983 NFL draft.[8] He was placed on injured reserve in the preseason, and missed the first ten weeks. He was on the active roster for the last six games of the season.[9] He spent the entire 1984 season on injured reserve with the Saints, after a routine x-ray uncovered a lump in his chest, which turned out to be malignant.[10][11] He was released by the Saints on August 20, 1985, midway through the preseason.[12]
CFL career
Two weeks later he was signed by the Ottawa Rough Riders to a 21-day trial, midway through the CFL season.[13] He was activated shortly thereafter, appeared in two games for Ottawa, and was then transferred to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.[14] He appeared in four games for Saskatchewan, recording three sacks in his debut.
Lewis spent nine more years with the Roughriders, and was a member of the 1989 team which won the Grey Cup. For his CFL career he appeared in 150 games, recording 68 sacks and 10 fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown).[15] He was voted to the Western Division All-Star team twice, in 1988 and 1991.[16]
Lewis was inducted into the RoughRiders' Plaza of Honor in 2006.[16]
Life after football
After retiring from the CFL, Lewis returned to his hometown of Oklahoma City, pursuing a career as a federal prison guard and officiating high school football.[16]
↑ "Elliott on Reserved List". The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, LA). November 12, 1987. p.12. Retrieved June 4, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Erxleben among 6 Saints on Waivers". Morgan City (LA) Daily Review. United Press International (UPI). August 28, 1984. p.8. Retrieved June 5, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
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