He played
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partl ...
at
Alcée Fortier High School alongside other future NFL cornerbacks
Maurice Hurst and
Aeneas Williams
Aeneas Demetrius Williams (; born January 29, 1968) is an American former football cornerback and safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the Arizona Cardinals franchise. He played college footbal ...
. He earned all-district honors in football and basketball and graduated
valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution.
The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA) ...
of his class.
College football career
Lewis, who was just 5'7" and 146 pounds coming out of high school, persuaded
Northwestern State Demon coaches to let him
walk on as a
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create turnove ...
.
He played for the Demons from 1985 to 1988.
In 2007, he was inducted into the N-Club Hall of Fame and selected to the Top 100 Demons of the Century roster.
Professional football career
Phoenix Cardinals
Lewis played with the
Phoenix Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play th ...
in 1989.
He was released by the team on July 27, 1989.
San Francisco 49ers
1990 season
Lewis signed with the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
on April 26, 1990. He was released on September 4.
On September 27, he signed again with the 49ers. He played in four games with the team
before being released on November 5. However, he signed with the team for a third time on November 23. He then played in the 49ers' next six regular season games, as well as their two postseason appearances, a Divisional Round 28–10 win over the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
and a 15–13 loss in the NFC Championship Game to the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
.
Lewis recorded one interception in the 1990 season, which he returned for 28 yards during a 13–10 loss to the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
on December 23, 1990.
1991 season
Lewis played in all 16 games in the 1991 season, starting three.
His three starts were a September 15 game against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansio ...
, a September 22 game against the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
, and a December 8 game against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...
.
In the December 8 game, he was also used for a punt return, the only time he was in that role during an NFL game.
Lewis made two interceptions in 1991. The first was in the aforementioned game against the Vikings, and the second was during the last game of the season, a 52–14 win over the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
on December 23. He returned that interception for 20 yards.
1992 season
Lewis was injured during the 1992 preseason and put on injured reserve on September 1, less than a week before the beginning of the regular season.
Personal life
Lewis is married to Sarah Lewis, with whom he has children Kevin Lewis Jr., Cameron Lewis, and Makayla Lewis. Cameron, like his father, played cornerback at Northwestern State. Kevin Lewis lives in
Clinton, Mississippi
Clinton is a city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. Situated in the Jackson metropolitan area, it is the tenth largest city in Mississippi. The population was 28,100 at the 2020 United States census.
History
Founded in 1823, Clint ...
.
References
Living people
1966 births
African-American players of American football
American football defensive backs
Northwestern State Demons football players
Phoenix Cardinals players
Players of American football from New Orleans
San Francisco 49ers players
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