Quick Facts
Biography
Albert Ray Lewis (born October 6, 1960) is a former American football player who played in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders. Considered one of the best cornerbacks in league history, Jerry Rice once said that Lewis was the "toughest" cornerback he faced. Lewis is a father of three children all of which played or currently play sports in college his son Julian Lewis is a former defensive back for the University of New Mexico, while his twin daughters Dylan and Dakota Gonzalez are currently members of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas women's basketball team.
Early life and career
Lewis was a 3rd round draft pick (61st overall) by the Chiefs in the 1983 NFL Draft. He enjoyed a stellar career that spanned 16 seasons in which he recorded 42 interceptions, 12.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, 13 fumbles recoveries and 2 touchdowns. In addition to his standout play on defense, Lewis blocked a stunning 11 kicks in 11 seasons with the Chiefs.
Lewis was named as the Chiefs MVP for the 1986 season after he recorded 69 tackles (61 solo), four interceptions, two fumble recoveries, one sack and one blocked punt. During his time in Kansas City, the Chiefs made the playoffs five times. This included an appearance in the 1993 AFC Championship game. Lewis finished with 38 interceptions in eleven seasons with the Chiefs, the fifth-highest total in franchise history. 20 of those came in his first four seasons before opposing teams decided not to throw to his side of the field as much. He played in 150 games for the Chiefs and was a starter in 128 of them. Lewis spent the final five seasons of his career with the Raiders. While with the team, he became the oldest player to score a defensive touchdown (38 years, 26 days) on November 1, 1998 when he returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks, his first and only interception return for a touchdown in his career. Lewis retired from the NFL after the 1998 season.
Lewis was known for his excellent acceleration and speed-at one point running a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash. At 6' 2", he was usually the tallest or one of the tallest cornerbacks in the NFL. He also had 35-inch long arms and a 38-inch vertical leap. Lewis credited his strong determination and work-ethic to his father, Brad.
Lewis was named to the Chiefs 25-Year All-Time Team in 1987 and was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame on March 4, 2007.
In 1999, Lewis bought Greystone, a 320 acres (130 ha) horse ranch north in Centreville, Mississippi.
In July 2008, Lewis, along with former Chiefs teammate Kevin Ross, was named to the NFL Network's "Top 10 Cornerback Tandems" list.