Inductees

They called him the “Lincoln Locomotive.” So you can imagine the thoughts of a linebacker or free safety when they saw Leo Lewis, Jr., bursting off tackle and running full steam ahead directly at them on Saturday afternoons.

“He was suited to play offense and the position of running back,” said his son, Dr. Leo Lewis (MSHOF 2019). “He was good with the ball and had good hands as evidenced by his love for basketball.”

The elder Lewis starred at Lincoln University in Jefferson City and later for Winnipeg in the Canadian Football League, plowing over defenses. And his legacy is certainly worthy of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, which proudly inducted Lewis, Jr., posthumously with the Class of 2019.

He played for Lincoln University (1951-1954), where the “Lincoln Locomotive” started every game and led the Blue Tigers to unbeaten seasons his sophomore and junior seasons. By the time he graduated, he had rushed for a whopping 4,457 yards and twice had earned First Team All-American honors. In the year 2000, the university retired his No. 30 jersey.

Additionally, he turned down a chance to play for the National Football League’s Baltimore Colts and instead signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL for more money – he also was a St. Paul, Minnesota native so was able to stay close to home – and what a career he enjoyed there.

Lewis spent 11 seasons in the CFL, where he helped the Blue Bombers advance to six Grey Cups – and win it all in 1958, 1959, 1961 and 1962 – under legendary coach Bud Grant, who later led the Minnesota Vikings to four Super Bowls.

“He was a member of the greatest generation that overcame adversity and met it with hard work and discipline,” Lewis III said. “As a black athlete, he did not get his due in high school nor on the USA national stage (during his career), but he made the best of his circumstances.”

Lewis’ statistics are incredible in the CFL. For instance, he:

• Earned All-Pro selection six times.
• Rushed for 8,861 career yards on 1,351 carries and scored 48 touchdowns. He finished with better than 1,000 yards in both the 1958 and 1961 seasons.
• Was a receiver with a career 4,251 yards receiving on 234 receptions and scored 26 touchdowns.
• Returned kicks with the best of them, compiling 5,444 yards in kickoff return yards on 187 kickoffs – an average of 29.1 yards per return.
• Scored 450 points on 750 touchdowns, five converts and one single.

All this for a man who was determined to be a success.

Lewis attended St. Paul’s Marshall High School and often visited the Hallie Q. Brown Center, a local community center. That’s where he met Dwight Reed, who later became the coach at Lincoln University. After Lewis’ father passed away during his senior year of high school, Reed convinced Lewis to enroll at Lincoln.

It was no wonder Reed saw potential.

“Dad was a small athlete when he began in high school, but he was able to gain more weight and stature in college and professionally,” Lewis III said. “Coming from a family of 11 kids (he was the second child and the eldest boy), he matured quicker than others in his family.”

On the football field, Lewis not only was a running back but also quarterbacked several plays. In track, he was a hurdler, long jumper and ran the 4×400 relay, earning Most Valuable Student-Athlete honors as a senior.

Reed and Grant certainly were mentors.

“Dad mentioned Bud Grant a lot because their teams were very successful,” Lewis III said. “Bud helped Dad transition out of the game very well by paying him the remainder of the season after Dad retired mid-season in 1966. I guess Bud also did Dad a favor by allowing me to try out for the Vikings in 1981.”

Lewis is an inductee of the College Football and the Black Colleges Hall of Fames and the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame as well as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Hall of Fame. He often attributed his success to teammates and coaches.

He passed away in 2013 at age 80. He was married to Doris, who passed away in 1980 after battling cancer. He later married Betty. He also was father to three sons — Leo Lewis III, Marc, Barry and stepsons Victor and Robert.

“He left an outstanding legacy that blessed us all,” Lewis III said. “Along with my mom, they are truly missed.”