Jess Lewis - Wrestling

Although his career in the National Football League lasted just one season, Jess Lewis made a lasting impression on Oregon through his wrestling and football accomplishments while at Oregon State University in the late 1960s. He played on the defensive line for the 1967 “Giant Killers,” and remains one of the school’s all-time great wrestlers, losing just one match in three seasons.

Born in Aumsville in 1947, Lewis grew up on a farm and won three state wrestling titles (1963-65) at Cascade High. At OSU, he wrestled under coach Dale Thomas and played football under coach Dee Andros.

Lewis became a state hero in 1967 as a 20-year-old sophomore when he helped the OSU football team beat No. 1 Southern California and No. 2 Purdue. The Beavers finished the season ranked No. 7 in the nation, and he earned All-America honors as a defensive tackle.

In the winter of 1968, he won his first Pac-8 wrestling title, and reached the NCAA final at heavyweight, when he suffered the only loss of this collegiate career. In spring, he qualified for the ’68 Olympic Summer Games held in Mexico City. He tied for sixth from among 15 competitors in the Freestyle tournament at Light-Heavyweight. The U.S. team included fellow Beaver Henk Schenk, who competed in the Greco-Roman tournament at Light-Heavyweight.

Lewis won NCAA wrestling titles as a junior and senior at heavyweight. He was a combined 76-1 as a wrestler in his three seasons and helped the Beavers finish third in the NCAA tournament in ’69 and ’70.

After being named the OSU MVP following the 1969 football season, the Houston Oilers selected Lewis in the 13th round of the 1970 NFL Draft and turned him into a linebacker. He played for the team for just one season.

Lewis was voted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1981. He was one of 15 nominees for the NCAA 75th Anniversary Team in 2005.