Osia Lewis facts for kids
| Position: | Fullback / Linebacker |
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| Personal information | |
| Born: | December 3, 1962 Anchorage, Alaska |
| Died: | May 31, 2020 (aged 57) Nashville, Tennessee |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Tucson, Arizona |
| College: | Oregon State |
| Undrafted: | 1986 |
| Career history | |
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| As coach: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |
Osia Lewis (December 3, 1962 – May 31, 2020) was an American professional arena football player. He played for four seasons in the Arena Football League. His teams included the Chicago Bruisers and Albany Firebirds. He played college football at Oregon State University. Lewis also attended Tucson High School in Tucson, Arizona.
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Osia Lewis's College Football Journey
Osia Lewis played for the Oregon State Beavers for four years, from 1982 to 1985. He mostly played as a linebacker. However, he also spent time as a quarterback, safety, and wide receiver. In his final year, 1985, he was named the team's Most Inspirational Player. He was also a team captain.
Lewis earned special honors that year. He was named All-Pac-10, meaning he was one of the best players in his college conference. He also received honorable mention All-America honors from the Associated Press. Lewis set school records for the most fumble recoveries in a single season (four) and in his entire college career (eight).
Playing Pro Arena Football
After college, Osia Lewis played professional arena football. He joined the Chicago Bruisers from 1987 to 1989. In 1988, he was recognized as a Second Team All-Arena player. This means he was one of the top players in the league. In 1990, he played for the Albany Firebirds.
Osia Lewis: A Coach's Path
After his playing career, Osia Lewis became a football coach. He started as an assistant coach for the Western Oregon Wolves from 1989 to 1990. Then, he returned to his old college team, the Oregon State Beavers. He coached linebackers and special teams from 1991 to 1996.
Lewis then coached the defensive line for the Illinois Fighting Illini from 1997 to 2000. He later became their linebackers coach from 2001 to 2002. From 2003 to 2007, he was the defensive coordinator for the New Mexico Lobos. During this time, he also coached the defensive line and linebackers.
He continued as a defensive coordinator for the UTEP Miners from 2008 to 2009. In 2010, he was the defensive coordinator for the Hartford Colonials in the United Football League. From 2011 to 2015, Lewis coached the defensive line for the San Diego State Aztecs. In 2016, he joined the Vanderbilt Commodores. He worked as a senior defensive assistant and outside linebackers coach until 2020.
His Final Years
Osia Lewis passed away on May 31, 2020. He was 57 years old. He died from liver cancer.
