Cleveland Lewis facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cleveland Lewis | ||
| Date of birth | November 1, 1955 | ||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1973 | Kennedy High School (Willingboro, NJ) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1978 | Memphis Rogues | 3 | (0) |
| 1979 | New Jersey Americans | ||
|
|||
Cleveland "Cleve" Lewis (born November 1, 1955) is an American retired professional soccer player. He made history as the first African American player picked in the draft for the North American Soccer League (NASL).
Contents
Cleve Lewis's Soccer Journey
Early Life and High School Success
Cleve Lewis was born on November 1, 1955, in Birmingham, Alabama. He grew up in Willingboro Township, New Jersey. Cleve went to John F. Kennedy High School.
During his high school soccer career, Cleve scored over 100 goals! This amazing achievement helped him earn "all-state" honors in his senior year. This means he was recognized as one of the best players in the entire state.
College Achievements at Brandeis University
After high school, Cleve became an All-America selection at Brandeis University. He was also the captain of the Brandeis soccer team in 1976. That year, his team won the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship.
Cleve was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the championship final game. He scored both goals for his team. One of these goals was a "golden goal" in double overtime, which means it instantly won the game! By the time he graduated, Cleve was the school's all-time leading scorer with 58 goals.
Playing Professional Soccer
In January 1978, Cleve was drafted by the Cosmos. They were the champions of the Soccer Bowl '77. Even though he was drafted by the Cosmos, he never played for them.
Instead, he joined the Memphis Rogues in the North American Soccer League (NASL). He played in three games for Memphis in 1978. In 1979, Cleve moved to the New Jersey Americans. This team was part of the American Soccer League.
After a short time with the Houston Hurricane in 1980, Cleve decided to retire from professional soccer.
Hall of Fame Recognition
In 1993, Cleve Lewis was honored for his amazing college career. He was inducted into the Brandeis University Athletics Hall of Fame. He was one of the very first people to be included in the Hall of Fame.
Cleve Lewis's Family
Cleve Lewis comes from a very athletic family! His mother is Evelyn Lawler, a former U.S. hurdler.
He is also the older brother of two famous U.S. Olympians. His brother is Carl Lewis, who won many Olympic gold medals. His sister is Carol Lewis, who also competed in the Olympics. Cleve was named after his mother's track and field coach at Tuskegee University, Cleveland Abbott.
