As a player, BYU fan favorite Chad Lewis was known for his spectacular one-handed catches and athletic hurdles over defenders.
Lewis remembers one of his all-time favorite games, when the Cougars beat Texas A&M in 1996. 'We started my senior year off in the pigskin classic here at home, beating Texas A&M when the crowd stormed the field, and it was so awesome,' Lewis said.
After playing his last season with the Cougars in 1996, Lewis enjoyed a ten-year career in the NFL that lasted until 2006. In 2009, a year before taking his current job at BYU as the associate athletic director for development, Lewis published a memoir entitled,Surround Yourself with Greatness.
In the book, Lewis credits much of his life's success to the people who've helped him along the way. One of those individuals is BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe, who offered him a role with the Cougars administration staff in 2010.
'It's one of the best things that's ever happened to me. I’m so grateful that Tom brought me back,” Lewis said. “I didn't necessarily want BYU to become a job, but it's become way more than a job for me. I love BYU. I love the people I get to work with. I love our mission. I love what we do day to day.'
As associate athletic director for development, Lewis works in fundraising for the athletic department. The role has introduced him to some of the great people who help make BYU sports possible.
Lewis said he works with “both people who have given BYU athletics great gifts and people who love the program who want to help, and those who have an interest and capacity. They are incredible people who have devoted their life to great causes.'
Lewis loves the opportunities BYU gets to play on the national stage. He can be found cheering on the Cougars and his Philadelphia Eagles each weekend.