Previously, he played one season in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints.
[2] Lewis played collegiately for the Oklahoma State Cowboys,[3] leading the team in sacks and tackles-for-loss as both a junior and senior.
[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.
[12] Two weeks later he was signed by the Ottawa Rough Riders to a 21-day trial, midway through the CFL season.
[16] 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.