Tommy Lewis (American football)
| Date of birth | October 7, 1931 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Greenville, Alabama |
| Date of death | October 12, 2014 (aged 83) |
| Place of death | Huntsville, Alabama |
| Career information | |
| CFL status | International |
| Position(s) | FB |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| University | Alabama |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1956–1957 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
Thomas Edison Lewis (October 7, 1931 – October 12, 2014) was an American gridiron football player.[1] He played fullback for the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 1951, 1952 and 1953 seasons. He wore number 34. He scored two touchdowns in the team's 1953 Orange Bowl victory over Syracuse.
Playing career
In the first quarter of the 1954 Cotton Bowl Classic against Rice, he scored his team's only touchdown to give The Tide a 6–0 lead. Lewis is best remembered for his second quarter off-the-bench tackle of Rice’s halfback Dicky Moegle on a running play that started at the Rice 5-yard line. Moegle took the handoff and raced along the sideline near the Alabama bench. As Moegle passed midfield, Lewis sprang from the bench to tackle Moegle. The referee awarded Rice a 95-yard touchdown on the play. Rice won the game, 28–6.[2][3][4]
Lewis also played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Ottawa Rough Riders.
Coaching career
In 1962, Lewis became the head coach of the Huntsville Rockets, an expansion club in the minor Dixie Professional Football League.[5]
References
- ↑ "Tommy Lewis, Who Made a Tackle That Wasn't, Dies at 83". The New York Times. 14 October 2014.
- ↑ "Sport: Alabama's Twelfth Man". Time. January 11, 1954. Retrieved January 5, 2011.
- ↑ Heller, Dick (January 1, 2007). "Refs didn't Cotton to off-bench stop". Washington Times. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
- ↑ Dickey Moegle in the 1954 Cotton Bowl. Article. Retrieved on December 29, 2008.
- ↑ Halbrooks, Hap (April 24, 1962). "Test Begins Tonight For Bucs To Show Strength". TimesDaily. p. II-5. Retrieved May 10, 2010.