He first showed up on my radar as a hard-hitting special teams player that played with fire and ferocity. It did not take long before the put that on display as a cornerback. He had a swagger that was missing on defense back then. I loved watching him play.
It was a pleasant surprise to get to know him off the field last year. Some of you may remember my series on Chris Carter, an undrafted wide receiver trying to make the team. Carter was not a household name. He did not play at a big-time school. There were not many obvious friends to be made, but Lewis made a point to reach out to Carter and show him around the city. He offered Carter advice as a guy who had made it into the NFL as an undrafted free agent himself.
I got to see Lewis sign autograph after autograph for fans, and treat every person he met with respect and a smile. I dubbed him “The Mayor,” after witnessing him work the room after a Seahawks pre-season game. He made his way to every table to talk to all the players and their families.
He was having a great camp this year, and looked to be doing a great job at nickel corner and swing safety. This latest injury must have been enough to cause the team to look elsewhere on the roster.
Whatever the case, Lewis is everything Seahawks fans should want in their players. I wish him the best wherever he ends up, and thank him for the great years of play while he was here.