As Troy extensive receiver Chris Lewis hauled in 735 receiving yards final season and emerged as one of many nation’s leaders in landing catches (10), one thing nagged at his left leg.
He advised Troy’s trainers the primary few weeks of the season that he had tightness behind his knee. Because the season went on, it took some time to get free, and he ultimately sought out the workforce physician as a result of he struggled to bend it.
He finally delayed getting an MRI till the season ended, since he did not desire a hamstring harm or fluid build-up to finish his season prematurely. After Troy’s victory within the Solar Belt title recreation, Lewis bought the MRI, the place docs found a mass behind his left knee.
After further scans, docs ultimately recognized Lewis with osteosarcoma, with the mass behind his knee being recognized as an aggressive malignant bone tumor in his left femur.
“I used to be simply misplaced,” he stated. “How did that occur? I used to be misplaced for phrases. It was a variety of questions.”
Lewis is now deep right into a 10-week chemotherapy therapy that’s trying to lower the probability of the most cancers spreading and doubtlessly shrink the tumor. He is been receiving his chemotherapy at Kids’s of Alabama in Birmingham, not removed from the place he is from in Nice Grove, Alabama.
He is scheduled for surgical procedure — the scope of which he will not know till one other set of scans later this month — on April 3. The results of these scans will decide a lot of what his means to play once more seems like.
“They did inform me that the tumor wasn’t connected to the bone,” Lewis advised ESPN. “They advised me it was one of the best information potential.”
Lewis arrange a GoFundMe this week to assist together with his bills. It’s hallmarked by an image of him snaring a one-handed cross towards Kansas State, and he is aiming to boost $150,000 to assist with the bills associated to his most cancers remedies.
After surgical procedure, one other grueling spherical of chemotherapy awaits. Lewis stated he hasn’t misplaced a lot weight, as he stays about 200 kilos on his 6-foot-4 body. Lewis did say that he has already misplaced his hair, selecting to shave his head when the hair round his dreadlocks began falling out and leaving bald spots.
Lewis is decided sufficient to go well with up that he performed in Troy’s Birmingham Bowl recreation towards Duke, which occurred after his prognosis and was authorized by docs as a result of it posed no further threat. Whereas Lewis’ potential return will depend upon his upcoming scans and surgical procedure, he’s decided to return to the sector for Troy.
“If I can play, I am taking part in,” he stated. “It simply actually relies on what sort of restoration I’ve and the way lengthy that I’ve to recuperate earlier than the season. In the event that they clear me proper earlier than the season, I could sit out so my physique could be in one of the best situation. If I’ve some months to coach and get my physique prepared, I will be on the market.”
Lewis is Troy’s main returning receiver and one in all its greatest gamers, as he had a banner season in 2023 after transferring from Kentucky. He averaged 23.0 yards per catch on his 32 receptions, and his 10 landing catches tied for the lead within the Solar Belt and ranked him among the many nation’s leaders.
He additionally led Troy in highlight-reel catches, as he confirmed an affinity for one-handed grabs and standout performs on his method to touchdown a third-team All-Solar Belt spot. Lewis’ three-touchdown efficiency towards South Alabama this 12 months earned him the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the “SportsCenter” High 10 for his acrobatic catches. He completed that evening with 4 catches for 120 yards.
We take a quick break from the 2024 NFL Draft to share that Troy WR Chris Lewis formally has my consideration for a future draft
These catches towards Kansas State had been ludicrous pic.twitter.com/d8SxaMIlkL
— Discipline Yates (@FieldYates) January 22, 2024
Lewis stated he completed all that with out with the ability to run full velocity this previous season, as he struggled at instances to bend his left knee and stated he could not plant and drive off his left leg. He stated watching his tape from the season has helped him in current weeks.
“It has been an enormous motivation for me, simply going again and searching what I did this season and me understanding I wasn’t at my full means,” he stated. “Me seeing that makes me need to return on the market and present everybody what I can do at 100%.
“I actually could not get out and in of routes. I wasn’t capable of run full velocity. Being 100% and displaying everybody what I can do at 100%, that is my largest motivation.”
The information of Lewis’ prognosis emerged the identical week that former Troy coach Jon Sumrall left to take the Tulane job. Lewis credit the Troy workers for staying in contact and supporting him, together with Dr. Jeff Dugas, the medical director and workforce orthopedic surgeon at Troy.
New Troy coach Gerad Parker has visited Lewis thrice since taking the job in late December. Broad receiver coach Gary Banks, a holdover from Sumrall’s workers, has been in contact steadily, and Lewis lauded his fixed communication and assist.
All of them see somebody enduring adversity with a constructive perspective.
“The chemotherapy has clearly made him ailing and bodily sick, and that drags the vitality out of you,” Dugas stated. “However he at all times solutions the cellphone and is appreciative.”
Up to now two weeks, Parker addressed Lewis’ prognosis with the workforce and let the gamers know Lewis goes to be going by means of a scan and surgical procedure within the coming weeks that loom as important.
“That is going to get very a lot actual for him and us,” Parker stated. “I simply needed to have an intimate dialog so everybody was conscious.”
Sumrall recruited Lewis twice — initially to Kentucky as an assistant there after which to Troy. He is accustomed to Lewis’ willpower and perseverance.
“If anybody can do it, it will likely be Chris,” he stated of a comeback to the sector. “He is tremendously good, robust and a aggressive, gritty child.”
Lewis is appreciative of all of the assist he has acquired from Troy.
“My teammates and coaches have been calling and texting and checking up on me,” he stated. “Once I’m at Kids’s, they have been coming and sitting with me. They have been supportive all through this course of. I miss being [at Troy]; I simply miss being across the workforce and the common schedule I have been accustomed to.”
