Former Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro cornerback Albert Lewis was hospitalized with an undisclosed illness on Monday, and remains in the critical care unit of a Shreveport, Louisiana hospital.
According to the latest reporting from KSLA-TV, friends say that the Chiefs Hall of Famer is sitting up and speaking, while doctors continue to run tests. The friends say they are unaware of any previous medical condition that might have been the cause for Lewis’ hospitalization.
Lewis, 57, is a native of Mansfield, Louisiana, where he played his prep ball at DeSoto High School. Drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 1983 NFL draft out of Grambling State, he would play 11 seasons in Kansas City before becoming a free agent and joining the Los Angeles Raiders in 1994. He was a Raider for five seasons.
As a Chief, Lewis was named the Chiefs’ MVP in 1986 season, was selected to the Pro Bowl in four consecutive seasons (1987-1990) and was also a first-team All-Pro player in 1989 and 1990.
He was one of the stalwarts of the early Marty Shottenheimer defenses that became so successful in the early 1990s, and was one of the first marquee players to leave the Chiefs in free agency. He was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2007.