Lewis is a self-made leader

SO, THEY QUICKLY inducted Chad Lewis into BYU's Athletic Hall of Fame.

No surprise there. Lewis is a guy who gives new meaning to taking what's given and making a delivery.

All his life, he's surprised people on the football field and blazed his way through those who misjudged his abilities and his heart. It happened in college and repeated itself in the NFL.

I first met Lewis nearly 25 years ago when my newspaper asked that I join a civic organization, the Orem Jaycees. Part of my committee assignment with that club was to help administrate the junior football league in the city by registering kids, handing out equipment, securing fields of play and coordinating officials.

On sign-up day, a whole line of kids gathered around the city sheds where a couple of us took their money and handed out helmets and pads.

There in line that day were two taller kids with red hair, Mike and Chad Lewis. I remember the pair because they demanded helmets that fit snug and wouldn't settle for anything else.

The Lewis boys immediately stood out. They looked you in the eye. They were confident, polite and natural leaders. Sons of physician Roger Lewis and his wife, Jan, who later gained a seat on the Alpine School District board, you could tell this pair had been taught to believe in themselves.

At Lakeridge Junior High, Chad was a skinny, undersize kid who played receiver and defensive back.

The Lewis brothers later made their way through the ranks at Orem High, and Chad helped the Tigers win the state championship over Skyline in 1987. Mike, nicknamed "Lou," signed to play defensive tackle at Utah. Chad took over the "Lou" nickname at Orem and wanted to follow his brother but leaned toward BYU, which never offered him a scholarship out of high school because, in part, of his size.

But while on an LDS mission, Chad had a growing spurt. When he returned and walked on at BYU without a scholarship, he was the talk of the summer. The Cougars were getting a steal and didn't have to pay for it.

Chad had grown to nearly 6-foot-6. He could jump like a gazelle and his speed was impressive.

As a bunch of players worked out in the summer, word got around that Chad Lewis was tearing it up.

In two-a-days, then-offensive coordinator Norm Chow noted, "This Lewis kid could be something special. We've got to find him a scholarship."

Aside from making big plays, Chad Lewis was a natural leader. Two examples stand out.