Gary Lewis (born January 14, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for ten seasons. Previously, he played one season in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints. He won the Grey Cup in 1989 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
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| Born: | January 14, 1961 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| CFL status | American |
| Position(s) | Defensive tackle |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Weight | 260 lb (120 kg) |
| College | Oklahoma State |
| High school | Millwood (Oklahoma City) |
| NFL draft | 1983, round: 4, pick: 98 |
| Drafted by | New Orleans Saints |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1983–1984 | New Orleans Saints |
| 1985 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1985–1994 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| CFL West All-Star | 1988, 1991 |
| Honours |
|
Early life
editBorn 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
editLewis 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
editLewis 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
editTwo 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
editAfter 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]
References
edit- ^ "Gary Lewis Stats". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
- ^ a b "New Saints Report: NFL Draft Picks". St. Mary and Franklin Banner-Tribune (LA). July 8, 1983. p. 7. Retrieved June 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gary Lewis Stats". NFL.com. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
- ^ "Saints sign Gary Lewis". St. Mary and Franklin Banner-Tribune (LA). June 7, 1983. p. 3. Retrieved June 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Associated Press All-Big Eight". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 25, 1981. p. 68. Retrieved June 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1982 AP All-Big Eight team". The Des Moines Register. November 24, 1982. p. 2S. Retrieved June 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1982 Associated Press All-America Team". Santa Cruz Sentinel. December 7, 1982. p. B2. Retrieved June 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1983 NFL Draft Listing". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Peter King (December 8, 1984). "Bengals Scouting Report (vs Saints)". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. C5. Retrieved June 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jerry Byrd (August 20, 1985). "With a clean bill of health, Saints will come marching in". The Shreveport Journal (LA). p. 1c. Retrieved June 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Tom Casey (September 3, 1985). "Moss faces difficult decisions". The Ottawa Citizen. p. B1. Retrieved June 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Nick Miliokas (September 24, 1985). "Gotta makes first move". Saskatchewan Leader-Post. p. C1. Retrieved June 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gary Lewis Pro Football Stats". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c Darrell Davis (September 22, 2006). "Plaza of Honor: Lewis has changed his stripes". Saskatchewan Leader-Post. p. C3. Retrieved June 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
