Remembering former Jets player and NFL coaching trailblazer Sherman Lewis
· Yahoo Sports
He wasn't here long, nor was he here recently, but that isn't the point. The New York Jets are mourning the loss of a former player whose impact on professional football reached far beyond his brief stint in green and white. Sherman Lewis, a former AFL player and longtime NFL assistant coach, passed away Friday, May 15, at the age of 83.
Again, Lewis wasn’t with the Jets long. His playing career in New York lasted just two seasons (1966-67), but that isn’t really the point. Some football lives are measured less by the length of a stop and more by the size of the legacy left behind.
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Lewis built one of the most respected coaching resumes of his era. After starring as an All-American running back with the Michigan State Spartans, where he also excelled in track and field, Lewis transitioned into coaching and carved out a career that spanned decades. He began at the collegiate level with Michigan State before leaping to the NFL in 1983, joining Bill Walsh’s San Francisco 49ers staff.
That move changed everything. Lewis became one of the architects behind one of football’s great dynasties, helping guide the 49ers to three Super Bowl championships as their running backs coach. Later, he added a fourth Super Bowl ring as the Green Bay Packers’ offensive coordinator, cementing his place among the most accomplished assistants of his generation.
And yet, many believe his contributions were never fully rewarded. It seems disrespectful that he never earned an opportunity to lead a team as its head coach. Even Lewis’ final NFL chapter felt uniquely memorable. In 2009, after enjoying retirement and reportedly calling Bingo games at a senior center, he returned to football as an offensive consultant for Washington. Weeks later, he was calling plays in one of the more unusual late-career turns the league has seen.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame recognized his impact in 2023 as part of its Awards of Excellence class. For Jets fans, Sherman Lewis may not be remembered as a franchise cornerstone, but football history remembers him as something far greater: one of the game’s most respected offensive minds and one of its most overlooked pioneers.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Remembering former Jets player and NFL coaching trailblazer Sherman Lewis