Deputy Lewis
He felt the calling to be a part of law enforcement while playing football at UCF.
Even before the identity of the fallen Orlando deputy sheriff was made public, Doug Gabriel instinctively knew it was his close friend and former UCF football teammate Norman Lewis.
“Getting word that the officer that was hit was a big, gentle giant ... the only big, gentle giant officer we knew was Norm,” Gabriel said.
Lewis, a 35-year-old Orange County deputy first class, was killed in a traffic crash in Pine Hills while helping search for a man suspected of shooting to death Orlando police officer Debra Clayton on Monday.
Lewis, who had been with the Sheriff’s Office since 2005, was a member of the motors/DUI unit.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UCF in 2004 and was an offensive lineman for the Knights from 2000 to 2003. Clayton, 42, also graduated from UCF, the school said.
“Master Sgt. Clayton and Deputy First Class Lewis dedicated their lives to making our community safer, and they were outstanding role models,” UCF President John Hitt said.
Kristy Belden, who served as the Knights’ director of player development for 14 years, remembered an earlier internship Lewis had with the crime-scene investigation unit.
She said the 6-foot 3-inch, 300-pound Lewis’ fear was that he might pass out from the stench of a crime scene.
“If I fall, nobody’s gonna catch me,” Belden recalled him saying. “He was so excited, and he knew that was exactly what he was gonna do.”
The news of Lewis’ death hit many in the UCF football community hard.
Lewis was a graduate of Port Charlotte High School and earned first team Class 4A all-state honors before enrolling at UCF.
He suffered a catastrophic knee injury in the spring of 2002 on the UCF football practice fields, tearing three ligaments. During recovery, Lewis told the Orlando Sentinel he was overwhelmed and wondered whether he would walk again.
Doctors and coaches told him they could never let him play football again, but Lewis displayed renewed focus and attacked his rehabilitation plan. He exceeded expectations and was able to play during the 2003 season.
Former UCF head football coach Mike Kruczek learned about Lewis’ death while he was getting his son, Garrett, settled in at Eastern Kentucky University.
“There are no superlatives ever created in our lives to describe Norman,” Kruczek said. “He stood for everything that was good in life. He worked so incredibly hard during his college career. This event is behind comprehension.”
Former UCF running back Alex Haynes said he knew Lewis always felt a calling to go into law enforcement after college. He worked as a bouncer in downtown Orlando while going through the police academy.
“You don’t know what day or what time anything can happen, but I know he went out doing what he loved to do,” Haynes said.
Lewis was single and, his friends said, they thought he was an only child. His family could not be reached for comment.
Lewis was actively involved in serving Gabriel’s DG85 Foundation, a nonprofit started by Gabriel, a retired NFL wide receiver.
Lewis talked to inner-city youth about building bridges between law enforcement and the community.
“When you put on a uniform, you’re doing it because you love it and you love people,” Gabriel recalled Lewis telling kids.
And he’d found his biggest fan in Gabriel’s son, who was impressed by Lewis’ experience leading President Barack Obama’s motorcade during a visit to Orlando.
“My son said, ‘Dad, he did a lot of things just like you,’ ” Gabriel said, fighting back tears. “‘Even though you played in the NFL, he met the president. Did you?’ I said, ‘No.’
“His life was a little better than mine.”