Leo Lewis

Infobox CFL player


Caption=
DateOfBirth=Birth date and age|1933|2|4|mf=y
Birthplace= Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
DateOfDeath=
Deathplace=
Position=Running Back
College=Lincoln University of Missouri
DraftedYear=1955
DraftedRound= 6th (64 overall) by Baltimore Colts (Did not sign)
Career Highlights=Y
Awards=
Honors=
ProBowls=
years=1955-1966
teams=Winnipeg Blue Bombers
DatabaseFootball=
PFR=
CFHOF=24&player=Lewis,%20Leo
CollegeHOF=90084

Leo Lewis (born February 4, 1933) was a famed American College football player (Running Back) for Lincoln University of Missouri in the 1950s (1951-54), who continued his success with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (1955-1966).

College

As a runningback at Lincoln University Lewis was nicknamed the "Lincoln Locomotive". Lewis holds the school records for touchdowns in a season (22), touchdowns in a career (64), rushing yards in a season (1,239) and career rushing yards (4,457).

Blue Bombers

After his stellar college career, he signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He was named All-Pro six times and eventually earned a spot in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Lewis was a member of an amazing four Grey Cup winning Blue Bombers teams. During his 11 year career in the CFL he rushed for 8,861 yards with a 6.6 yard average. He also was a remarkable kickreturner, averaging 29.1 yards on kickoff returns in his CFL career. Bud Grant, legendary Blue Bombers, and later Minnesota Vikings head coach, considered Leo Lewis the best player he had ever coached, whether in Canada or the United States. Lewis was voted one of the CFL's top 50 players (#29) in a poll conducted by Canadian sports network TSN.

His career rushing total of 8,861 yards stood as a Winnipeg Blue Bomber record for 41 years until it was passed by Charles Roberts in 2007. His career totals in return yardage, and yards per carry, still stand as Blue Bomber records. If he had received as many carries at Mike Pringle, the leagues all-time leading rusher, with Lewis' 6.6 yards per carry average, he would have surpassed Pringle's career total yardage by almost 4,000 yards.

Lewis was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1973. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in August 2005. Also in 2005, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the team the Blue Bombers named their 20 All-Time Blue Bombers Greats, of which Lewis was a member.

He had three children, two of whom played professional American football (one for the Minnesota Vikings - Leo Lewis III - and the other for the USFL Denver Gold and Oakland Invaders and the CFL's Ottawa Roughriders and the Calgary Stampeders)- Marc Lewis.

Inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2005.

External links

* [http://collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=90084 College Football Hall of Fame]
* [http://collections.ic.gc.ca/hamilton/hall.htm Canadian Football Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.lincolnu.edu Lincoln University of Missouri]
* [http://www.profootballencyclopedia.com/lewi0580.html Leo Lewis III]
* [http://www.halloffame.mb.ca/honoured/2005/lLewis.htm Leo Lewis’s biography] at [http://www.halloffame.mb.ca/ Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum]