At West Virginia, Lewis led the Mountaineers to five Southern Conference titles and an appearance in the 1954 Sugar Bowl.

At the age of 21, he enrolled at Ohio University, where he played tackle from 1932 to 1935 and earned All-American honors his senior year.

After serving in the United States Navy during World War II, Lewis became the head coach of Washington and Lee University.

The team went 8–1 in the regular season, captured the Southern Conference title and started a three-year winning streak against arch-rival Penn State.

After leaving West Virginia, Lewis accepted a position with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a talent scout and stayed with them until his death.

He has ten great-grandchildren, Caroline, Grace, and young Michael, Drew, Taylor, Sydney, Rissa, Molly, Casey and Tessa.