Sherman Lewis, a former New York Jets player who went on to build a long and decorated career as an NFL assistant coach, has died. He was 83.
Lewis’ death was confirmed by Michigan State University, where he once starred as an All-American running back before launching a football career that stretched across decades.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sherman Lewis,” Michigan State said in a statement. “Lewis, a first-team All-American in 1963, served as an assistant coach at MSU before a decorated NFL coaching career that included four Super Bowl titles. We send our deepest condolences to the Lewis family.”
Lewis played defensive back and returned kicks for the Jets during the team’s AFL era, appearing with the franchise during the 1966 and 1967 seasons.
But it was on the sidelines where he made his biggest mark.
Over a 26-year NFL coaching career, Lewis won four Super Bowl rings and became one of the respected offensive minds of his generation.
He earned three of those championships with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1980s while working as running backs coach under legendary head coach Bill Walsh. Lewis later won his fourth Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 1996, when he served as offensive coordinator on Mike Holmgren’s staff.
Despite his success, Lewis was never given a head coaching job in the NFL.
After his years in Green Bay, he went on to work as offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. His final NFL season came in 2009 with Washington.
Long before his NFL coaching success, Lewis spent 14 years as an assistant coach at Michigan State, the same school where he had once been a standout athlete.
As a Spartan, Lewis rushed for 1,566 yards and scored 16 touchdowns across three seasons. He served as team captain and earned first-team All-American honors in 1963.
That same year, Lewis finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Navy star Roger Staubach and Georgia Tech’s Billy Lothridge.
He was not just a football star, either. Lewis also shined in track and field, winning Big Ten championships in the long jump and the 300-yard dash.
In 2001, he was inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame.
Lewis was selected by the Jets in the ninth round of the 1964 AFL Draft and by the Cleveland Browns in the 18th round of the 1964 NFL Draft. Before joining the Jets, he played two seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders.
From college star to AFL player to Super Bowl-winning coach, Lewis built a football life that touched generations of players and fans.