Troy wide receiver Chris Lewis will miss the 2024 season after cancer treatment

Troy wide receiver Chris Lewis will miss the upcoming season due to cancer treatment, he announced in a statement released by the football team on social media.

❤️ @ChrisLew__#BattleReady | #EinTROY ⚔️🏈 pic.twitter.com/s96s2e2WON

— Troy Trojans Football 8x⚔️ (@TroyTrojansFB) July 16, 2024

“Trojan Nation, thank you for your calls, messages, tweets, DMs and love over the last six months. I can’t even begin to express how much your support has meant to me and my family,” Lewis wrote. “I want nothing more this fall than to be back in the Vet, wearing the Cardinal Red and White and playing side by side with my brothers. Unfortunately, the effects of my treatments will not allow me to compete and play in the 2024 season.”

Lewis also announced that he will remain a part of the Trojan program in the fall and will serve as a student assistant coach.

Lewis, a Pleasant Grove native, transferred to Troy from Kentucky ahead of the 2023 season and immediately became the Trojans’ top offensive force, rushing for 735 yards and 10 touchdowns last fall. His 23.0 yards-per-catch average was the best among FBS wide receivers.

Despite a stellar season, Lewis struggled with knee problems throughout the fall, he later told ESPN’s Pete Thamel. A postseason MRI revealed a malignant bone tumor in Lewis’ left femur, a cancer that required 10 weeks of intense chemotherapy to treat.

Lewis continues to recover from the setback and has set up a GoFundMe campaign to cover the cost of surgery and treatment.

Charles Vaughan is a writer for Yellowhammer News.