Cleveland Lewis facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cleveland Lewis | ||
| Date of birth | November 1, 1955 | ||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1973 | Kennedy High School (Willingboro, NJ) | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1974–1978 | Brandeis University | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1978 | Memphis Rogues | 3 | (0) |
| 1979 | New Jersey Americans | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Cleveland "Cleve" Lewis was born on November 1, 1955. He is a former professional soccer player from the United States. Cleve Lewis made history as the first African American player to be chosen in the draft by the North American Soccer League (NASL).
Cleve Lewis's Soccer Journey
Cleve Lewis was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He grew up in Willingboro Township, New Jersey. During his time at John F. Kennedy High School, he was an amazing soccer player. He scored more than 100 goals in his high school career. As a senior, he earned special honors for being one of the best players in the state.
College Success
Cleve Lewis continued his soccer career at Brandeis University. He was chosen as an All-America player, which means he was recognized as one of the best college players in the country. In 1976, he was the captain of the Brandeis team that won the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the championship game. In that final match, he scored both goals for his team. One of those goals was a "golden goal" scored in double overtime, which instantly won the game. By the time he graduated, Cleve Lewis was the school's all-time leading scorer with 58 goals.
Professional Career
In January 1978, Cleve Lewis was drafted by the Cosmos. At that time, the Cosmos were the champions of the Soccer Bowl '77. Even though he was drafted by them, he never played for the Cosmos.
Later in 1978, he joined the Memphis Rogues team, which was also part of the North American Soccer League. He played in three regular season games for the Memphis Rogues. In 1979, he moved to the New Jersey Americans team, which played in the American Soccer League. After a short time with the Houston Hurricane in 1980 during their preseason training, Cleve Lewis decided to retire from professional soccer.
In 1993, Cleve Lewis was honored for his achievements. He was inducted into the Brandeis University Athletics Hall of Fame as one of its very first members.
Cleve Lewis's Family
Cleve Lewis comes from a very athletic family. His mother, Evelyn Lawler, was a U.S. hurdler. He is also the older brother of two famous Olympians. His brother, Carl Lewis, is a U.S. Olympic gold medalist. His sister, Carol Lewis, is also a U.S. Olympian. Cleve was named after his mother's track and field coach at Tuskegee University, Cleveland Abbott.
