Gateway grad Kenny Lewis IV shines in college debut at Cal (Pa.)

Kenny Lewis IV wanted to make a big impact in his collegiate football debut.

The recent Gateway graduate got his chance in the Cal (Pa.) Vulcan’s season and home debut Sept. 4 against Charleston (W.Va.).

And he delivered.

Coming into the game as the back up punt returner, Lewis was thrust into the spotlight in the second quarter with the game tied at 13.

He took the field and fielded a punt at his own 24 and raced to his right and down the sideline 76 yards to the end zone.

That proved to be the game-winning score in a 23-19 victory.

It was his only play of the game, but it was one of Cal’s biggest plays in a strong start to the season.

“I was the backup kick returner and a backup receiver, so I had a feeling that I would get in at some point,” said Lewis, who entered his first collegiate season with a mission of redemption from just a year ago when he missed his entire senior season at Gateway because of a knee injury.

“I just made sure I was ready. (Starting punt returner Deontae Williams) went down, so I knew I had to go in there and make a play and show them why I was on the field. It was a new place, but I had done this before. My blockers in front of me did everything they had to do, and I just ran and finished it. I think the feeling after and how excited everyone was on the sideline was even better than the run itself. I probably have watched the video a hundred times. The whole team showed me love. They’re still talking about it.”

Lewis’ start to this season was full of elation, unlike what he faced before last season with the Gators even began.

He went down in the Belle Vernon scrimmage, a week before Gateway’s Week Zero opener with State College.

At first, he wasn’t sure how badly he was hurt.

“I popped right back up after the play,” Lewis said. “It didn’t seem too serious. But I was having trouble running. I got it checked, and I was told I tore my meniscus. I got it repaired, and the doctor said I would be better in the long run but I would miss the season.”

Lewis said he worked to remain as positive as possible and support his teammates in practices and games while he started his recovery.

He started his rehab, and it led to hitting milestone moments through the winter and spring. During that same time, Lewis, who had received some Division I offers, surveyed the landscape of college possibilities and decided that Cal would be the best place to continue his athletic and academic pursuits.

Lewis was cleared to run track in the spring.

“At the first track meet, I felt how tight my leg was. The muscles hadn’t been used in so long,” he said. “I decided to not compete the rest of the spring.”

Lewis, with an eye to the future, arrived on the Cal campus over the summer to work out and prepare himself for his freshman season.

“I was just working on myself, getting stronger and bigger, putting on some weight so I would be best ready to start the season,” he said.

Lewis also continued to receive rehab, all the while thinking about the love and support he received from friends, family, coaches and teammates through his recovery.

“They were all the main part which helped me get through all of that,” Lewis said.

“Nobody wants to miss their senior year. I felt like I lost everything, but everyone kept motivating me and letting me know that I had a lot to look forward to if I kept working hard. They said things happen for a reason and that I would come back better and stronger. I wouldn’t be where I am at without them.”

Lewis now is on a mission to make this first year at Cal his best.

“I appreciate Cal for giving me the opportunity after everything I had been through,” he said.

“They showed me the most love. The whole coaching staff, my new teammates, and everyone else made me feel so welcome. People were counting me out. I had D-I offers. But I felt I found a great place.”

Vulcans head coach Gary Dunn said he is pleased with what Lewis has already brought to the team.

“Kenny is such a mature young man,” he said.

“You could tell that when we met him, he had been through some adversity. That injury and missing an entire year of football would be tough on a lot of young men. But Kenny handled it really well. You could see that drive and determination when he came up early this summer to work out with the veterans. You could tell that he had a chip on his shoulder from missing his senior year and that he was ready and willing to do whatever it took to be ready to go.”

Dunn sees more opportunities for Lewis to shine the rest of the season.

“The thing I liked about Kenny after (the punt return TD) is that he dropped it and went back to work,” Dunn said.

“His focus was forward to the next opportunity to make a play or to get better. He has a ways to go just like others like him who are just starting out. But he is going to continue to work. He loves football, and I expect a lot of big things for him the rest of his career.”