Star wide receiver Chris Lewis, known for his SportsCenter Top 10 one-handed catches, announced last week that he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, and his availability for the 2024-25 football season is unclear.
After a season full of knee pain, Lewis got an MRI after winning the Sun Belt Championship, and the doctors discovered a malignant tumor in his left leg.
The Kentucky transfer is in the middle of a 10-week chemotherapy treatment to battle the tumor and prevent it from spreading throughout his body. Lewis is scheduled to undergo surgery on April 3, which will be followed by another round of chemotherapy.
“I was just lost,” Lewis told ESPN’s Pete Thamel. “How did this happen?
“I was lost for words and there were a lot of questions.”
As a sophomore, Lewis won the hearts of many Trojan fans while reeling in highlight catches left and right. Lewis hauled in 32 catches for 735 yards and finished 10th in the nation with 10 receiving touchdowns, and he did all that without being 100%.
“I really couldn’t get in and out of routes,” Lewis said. “I wasn’t able to run full speed.
“Being 100% and showing everyone what I can do when I get to 100% is my biggest motivation. It’s been a huge motivation for me, just going back and looking at what I did this season and me knowing that I wasn’t at my full ability.
“Me seeing that makes me want to go back out there and show everyone what I can do at 100%.”
Lewis started up a GoFundMe in order to help him with the costs of treatment and recovery and has raised just over $19,000 of his $150,000 goal.
However, Lewis’ main goal is to beat cancer and get back onto the gridiron with his teammates and his coaches.
“If I can play, I’m playing,” Lewis said. "It really just depends on what kind of recovery I have and how long I will have to recover before the season.
“If they clear me right before the season, I may sit out so my body can be in the best condition. If I have some time to train and get my body, I’ll be out there.”
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