Sherman Lewis
Encyclopedia
Sherman Lewis is an American football
coach and former player, most recently an offensive consultant and offensive play-caller for the Washington Redskins
of the NFL
. He spent thirty-four years as a coach, but had been out of football since the end of the 2004 season before joining the Redskins mid-way into the 2009 season, where he replaced head coach Jim Zorn
as the team's offensive play-caller after the sixth game of the season. He attended Michigan State University
as an undergrad and later received his graduate degree from Michigan State in education administration.
Lewis began his football career at Michigan State as a halfback
. He was named to the College Football All-America Team
and finished third behind winner Roger Staubach
and runner-up Billy Lothridge
for the Heisman Trophy
in 1963. His professional playing career included parts of the 1964 and 1965 seasons with the Toronto Argonauts
of the Canadian Football League
.
After a brief career as a professional football player, he was hired as an assistant coach for the football team at his alma mater, Michigan State, from 1969 through 1982. He went on to become the running backs coach for Bill Walsh, under whom the San Francisco 49ers
won three Super Bowl
s. Subsequently, in 1992, he became the offensive coordinator
for Green Bay Packers
head coach Mike Holmgren
.
On October 6, 2009, Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder
announced that Lewis had come out of retirement to serve as an offensive consultant for the team under head coach Jim Zorn
. On October 19, ESPN
reported that Redskins General Manager, Vinny Cerrato
, had taken away play calling duties from Zorn and given them to Lewis. Zorn & Cerrato were both fired following the 2009 season. Lewis was not retained by the replacement coaching staff.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach and former player, most recently an offensive consultant and offensive play-caller for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He spent thirty-four years as a coach, but had been out of football since the end of the 2004 season before joining the Redskins mid-way into the 2009 season, where he replaced head coach Jim Zorn
Jim Zorn
James Arthur "Jim" Zorn is an American quarterbacks coach in the National Football League. He was formerly the quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens and now holds that same position with the Kansas City Chiefs...
as the team's offensive play-caller after the sixth game of the season. He attended Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
as an undergrad and later received his graduate degree from Michigan State in education administration.
Lewis began his football career at Michigan State as a halfback
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. He was named to the College Football All-America Team
1963 College Football All-America Team
The 1963 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers...
and finished third behind winner Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
and runner-up Billy Lothridge
Billy Lothridge
William Lamar Lothridge was an American football quarterback and punter in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, and the Miami Dolphins. He played college football at Georgia Tech where he finished second in the 1963 Heisman Trophy voting...
for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
in 1963. His professional playing career included parts of the 1964 and 1965 seasons with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
.
After a brief career as a professional football player, he was hired as an assistant coach for the football team at his alma mater, Michigan State, from 1969 through 1982. He went on to become the running backs coach for Bill Walsh, under whom the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
won three Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s. Subsequently, in 1992, he became the offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
head coach Mike Holmgren
Mike Holmgren
Michael George Holmgren is a former professional football coach and current President of the Cleveland Browns. He served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1992 to 1998, and the Seattle Seahawks from 1999 to 2008...
.
On October 6, 2009, Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder
Daniel Snyder
Daniel M. Snyder is the current owner of the Washington Redskins American football team, owner of the Dick Clark Productions television production company, and primary investor in Red Zebra Broadcasting, which is home to the Redskins Radio Network. Snyder has a net worth of $1.05 billion...
announced that Lewis had come out of retirement to serve as an offensive consultant for the team under head coach Jim Zorn
Jim Zorn
James Arthur "Jim" Zorn is an American quarterbacks coach in the National Football League. He was formerly the quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens and now holds that same position with the Kansas City Chiefs...
. On October 19, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
reported that Redskins General Manager, Vinny Cerrato
Vinny Cerrato
Vinny Cerrato is the former Executive Vice President for Football Operations for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and actor in the feature film Kindergarten Ninja.-Playing career:...
, had taken away play calling duties from Zorn and given them to Lewis. Zorn & Cerrato were both fired following the 2009 season. Lewis was not retained by the replacement coaching staff.