{{Short description|American football player (1962–2020)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox NFL biography |name=Osia Lewis |image=Osia Lewis.jpg |upright=.8 |caption=Lewis while at Vanderbilt |number= |position=Fullback / Linebacker |birth_date={{birth date|1962|12|3}} |birth_place=Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|2020|5|31|1962|12|3}} |death_place=Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |height_ft=5 |height_in=11 |weight_lbs=235 |high_school=Tucson (Tucson, Arizona) |college=Oregon State |undraftedyear=1986 |pastteams= * Chicago Bruisers ({{AFL Year|1987}}–{{AFL Year|1989}}) * Albany Firebirds ({{AFL Year|1990}}) |pastcoaching= * Oregon State (1987–1988)<br/>Graduate assistant * Western Oregon State (1989–1990)<br/>Linebackers coach * Oregon State (1991–1992)<br/>Special teams coordinator & outside linebackers coach * Oregon State (1993–1996)<br/>Inside linebackers coach * Illinois (1997–2000)<br/>Defensive line coach * Illinois (2001–2002)<br/>Linebackers coach * New Mexico (2003–2005)<br/>Defensive coordinator & defensive line coach * New Mexico (2006–2007)<br/>Defensive coordinator & linebackers coach * UTEP (2008–2009)<br/>Defensive coordinator * Hartford Colonials ({{UFL Year|2010}})<br/>Defensive coordinator * San Diego State (2011–2015)<br/>Defensive line coach * Vanderbilt (2016–2020)<br/>Outside linebackers coach |highlights= * Second-team All-Arena (1988) * Second-team All-Pac-10 (1985) |afl=961 }}
'''Osia Lewis''' (December 3, 1962{{spnd}}May 31, 2020) was an American football player and coach. He played college football at Oregon State University, and professionally in the Arena Football League (AFL) for four seasons with the Chicago Bruisers and Albany Firebirds. He was a football coach from 1987 to 2020.
==Early life and college== Lewis attended Tucson High School in Tucson, Arizona.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Osia Lewis |url=http://www.golobos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=26000&ATCLID=209093952 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101152044/http://www.golobos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=26000&ATCLID=209093952 |archive-date=January 1, 2015 |access-date=December 31, 2014 |publisher=golobos.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 19, 1995 |title=Mary Lewis, 67, 'dream team' mom |url=http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/1995/12/19/15502-mary-lewis-67-dream-team-mom/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101152046/http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/1995/12/19/15502-mary-lewis-67-dream-team-mom/ |archive-date=January 1, 2015 |access-date=December 31, 2014 |publisher=tucsoncitizen.com}}</ref>
Lewis was a four-year letterman for the Oregon State Beavers from 1982 to 1985. He primarily played linebacker but also saw time at quarterback, safety and wide receiver for the Beavers. As a senior in 1985, he was named the team's Most Inspirational Player, served as team captain and earned All-Pac-10 and honorable mention All-America honors by the Associated Press. Lewis set school records for single-season defensive points, season fumble recoveries with four and career fumble recoveries with eight.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Osia Lewis |url=http://www.utepathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/lewis_osia00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101152046/http://www.utepathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/lewis_osia00.html |archive-date=January 1, 2015 |access-date=December 31, 2014 |publisher=utepathletics.com}}</ref>
==Professional career== Lewis played for the Chicago Bruisers from 1987 to 1989, earning second-team All-Arena honors in 1988.<ref name="A">{{Cite web |title=Osia Lewis |url=http://www.arenafan.com/players/Osia_Lewis-961/ |access-date=December 31, 2014 |publisher=arenafan.com}}</ref> He played for the Albany Firebirds in 1990.<ref name="A" />
==Coaching career== Lewis was an assistant coach for the Western Oregon Wolves of Western Oregon State College from 1989 to 1990.<ref name="B">{{Cite web |title=Osia Lewis |url=http://www.goaztecs.com/sports/m-footbl/bio-Lewis-Osia.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026064246/http://www.goaztecs.com/sports/m-footbl/bio-Lewis-Osia.html |archive-date=October 26, 2014 |access-date=December 31, 2014 |publisher=goaztecs.com}}</ref>
He served as an assistant coach for the Oregon State Beavers of Oregon State University, working with linebackers and special teams from 1991 to 1996.<ref name="B" />
He was defensive line coach for the Illinois Fighting Illini of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 1997 to 2000 before serving as linebackers coach from 2001 to 2002.<ref name="B" />
Lewis was defensive coordinator of the New Mexico Lobos of the University of New Mexico from 2003 to 2007 while also serving stints as defensive line and linebacker coach.<ref name="B" />
He served as defensive coordinator of the UTEP Miners of the University of Texas at El Paso from 2008 to 2009.<ref name="B" />
He was defensive coordinator of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League in 2010.<ref name="B" />
Lewis served as defensive line coach of the San Diego State Aztecs of San Diego State University from 2011 to 2015.<ref name="B" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Goe, Ken |date=December 11, 2014 |title=San Diego State's Osia Lewis says he interviewed at Oregon State; praises Gary Andersen |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/index.ssf/2014/12/san_diego_states_osia_lewis_sa.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101152054/http://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/index.ssf/2014/12/san_diego_states_osia_lewis_sa.html |archive-date=January 1, 2015 |access-date=December 31, 2014 |publisher=oregonlive.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Evans, Thayer |date=February 10, 2016 |title=Source: San Diego State DL coach Osia Lewis to join Vanderbilt |url=http://www.si.com/college-football/2016/02/10/vanderbilt-hires-osia-lewis-defensive-line-coach-san-diego-state |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160712001839/http://www.si.com/college-football/2016/02/10/vanderbilt-hires-osia-lewis-defensive-line-coach-san-diego-state |archive-date=July 12, 2016 |access-date=July 11, 2016 |publisher=si.com}}</ref>
In February 2016, he joined the Vanderbilt Commodores of Vanderbilt University as a senior defensive assistant and outside linebackers coach.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 24, 2016 |title=Osia Lewis joins Commodores as senior defensive assistant, outside LBs coach |url=http://www.vucommodores.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/022416aab.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160712002002/http://www.vucommodores.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/022416aab.html |archive-date=July 12, 2016 |access-date=July 11, 2016 |publisher=vucommodores.com}}</ref>
==Death== Lewis died May 31, 2020, from liver cancer. He was 57 years old.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Daschel |first=Nick |date=May 31, 2020 |title=Osia Lewis, former Oregon State linebacker, coach, dies from cancer at 57 |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/2020/05/osia-lewis-former-oregon-state-linebacker-coach-dies-from-cancer-at-57.html |access-date=May 31, 2020 |website=Oregonlive.com |publisher=The Oregonian}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.justsportsstats.com/footballstatsindex.php?player_id=lewisosi001&recsort=6 Stats Crew profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Osia}} Category:1962 births Category:2020 deaths Category:American football fullbacks Category:American football linebackers Category:Oregon State Beavers football players Category:Chicago Bruisers players Category:Albany Firebirds players Category:Western Oregon Wolves football coaches Category:Oregon State Beavers football coaches Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football coaches Category:New Mexico Lobos football coaches Category:UTEP Miners football coaches Category:Hartford Colonials coaches Category:San Diego State Aztecs football coaches Category:Vanderbilt Commodores football coaches Category:Players of American football from Anchorage, Alaska Category:Players of American football from Tucson, Arizona Category:Tucson High School alumni Category:Deaths from liver cancer in Tennessee Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:Coaches of American football from Arizona Category:Coaches of American football from Alaska Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:21st-century American sportsmen