RIP Sherm Lewis...
A name from our past...
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Sherman Lewis, a longtime NFL assistant coach who won four Super Bowl championships and spent two seasons as Vikings offensive coordinator, has died. He was 83.
Michigan State confirmed Lewis’ death Saturday. Lewis was an All-American halfback for the Spartans, and he finished third in Heisman Trophy voting his senior year of 1963, when he was a consensus All-American.
Lewis rushed for 16 touchdowns in his three seasons at Michigan State, averaging 6.2 yards a carry.
Lewis then made the jump to the NFL coaching ranks, with the San Francisco 49ers in 1983. He first was a running backs coach, then a receivers coach. He won three Super Bowl titles with the 49ers.
In 1992, he became offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers, staying until 1999, and winning another Super Bowl championship, the fourth and final one of his career.
In 1999, the Packers became the first NFL team with a Black head coach (Ray Rhodes) and Black offensive and defensive coordinators (Lewis and Emmitt Thomas). However, Rhodes was fired after an 8-8 season. Vikings coach Dennis Green hired Lewis and Thomas as his coordinators for the 2000 season, replacing Ray Sherman and Foge Fazio, respectively.
“I’m fortunate,” Lewis told the Star Tribune in 2000 before the Vikings played at Green Bay. “Really, I feel fortunate that I got a chance to come here. Because a lot of times you get a team on the decline, or get with a team that’s not doing very well, and it’s tough. I happened to catch on here with a team that has a lot of talent, and a great coaching staff.”
Lewis was not retained by Mike Tice after Tice replaced the fired Green in 2002. Lewis took that year off coaching in the NFL but returned to the NFC North with the Lions in 2003, reuniting in Detroit with his old colleague in Green Bay, Steve Mariucci.
Lewis’ last coaching job was an offensive consultant for the Washington football team in 2009.
In 2023, Lewis was honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame with an award of excellence.
STRIB
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
Bullazin wrote:
Jeezus, I remember him as a youngster…
how fucking old are you if you remember HIM as a youngster? 😜
Why isn't Chuck Foreman in the Hall of Fame?
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