Lewis Bush was a professional football player who played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was born on October 28, 1974, in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended the University of Washington, where he played college football.
Bush was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played for the Chiefs for three seasons, from 1996 to 1998, and was primarily used as a kick returner and backup wide receiver. In his rookie season, he returned a kickoff for a touchdown and caught 10 passes for 142 yards. He also played in Super Bowl XXXI, where the Chiefs lost to the Green Bay Packers.
In 1999, Bush signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent. He played for the Raiders for two seasons, from 1999 to 2000, and was again used mainly as a kick returner and backup wide receiver. He returned a kickoff for a touchdown in his first season with the Raiders.
Bush's final season in the NFL was in 2001, when he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played in 12 games for the Buccaneers, catching 10 passes for 97 yards and returning 14 kickoffs for 287 yards.
Overall, Bush played in 70 NFL games over six seasons, catching 33 passes for 396 yards and returning 103 kickoffs for 2,327 yards and two touchdowns. He was known for his speed and agility as a kick returner and was a valuable special teams player throughout his career.
After retiring from football, Bush worked as a financial advisor and also became involved in coaching youth football. He was a volunteer coach for the Bellevue Wolverines, a youth football team in Washington, and helped lead them to a state championship in 2016.
In 2018, Bush was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. He has since become an advocate for ALS research and awareness, and has raised funds for the ALS Association through his foundation, the Lewis Bush Foundation.
Despite his diagnosis, Bush remains positive and continues to inspire others with his resilience and determination. He has said that he is grateful for his football career and the opportunities it gave him, and that he is focused on making a difference in the fight against ALS.
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