At the Washington High School football game on October 25th, the Patriot community held a ceremony to posthumously honor WHS alumnus and professional football player, Lewis Bush. Lewis Bush’s jersey, #36, was retired that evening.

Lewis was a standout athlete at Washington High School from 1984-1988. As a football player, Lewis was the perfect mix of speed and size. As a running back, he set the WHS single-season rushing record in the fall of 1987. That season, Lewis led the Patriots to arguably their most impressive win in school history by dismantling the eventual AAA state champion, the Puyallup Vikings, 35-21. In track and field, Lewis was the Pierce County League’s 100 meter champion his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. He led the Patriots’track and field team to a second place team finish in the state of Washington in the spring of 1988.

Lewis received a football scholarship to Washington State University and played defensive end for the Cougars from 1988-1992. Lewis played in the Aloha Bowl in 1988 and Copper Bowl in 1992. Following his senior season, he was honored with the Niemi Award as the Cougar senior player who best exemplifies courage, spirit, and attitude.

In the spring of 1993, Lewis was selected in the 4th round of the NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. He played seven years as a linebacker with the Chargers and participated in the 1994 Super Bowl. Lewis played another three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. During Lewis’s 10-years NFL career, he racked up 354 tackles.

While in the NFL, Lewis generously donated toward the purchase of new team sweats for the WHS track and field program.

Lewis passed away unexpectedly on December 8, 2011.

On October 25th, Lewis became only the third Patriot in school history to be honored with a jersey retirement. The others are United States military service member Tom Allison and Pierce County Sheriff Ronnie Owens. Both Tom and Ronnie were killed in the line of duty.

A framed jersey will hang alongside Tom’s and Ronnie’s jerseys in the Patriot Dome.