Troy football star Chris Lewis has been forced to “medically retire” after undergoing cancer treatments, he announced Monday.

Lewis, who was to have been a fifth-year senior in 2025, was diagnosed with bone cancer in December 2023. He underwent surgery the following spring to remove a tumor from his left leg and later went through several rounds of treatment, which forced him to miss the entire 2024 season.

Lewis served as a student assistant last season while taking a redshirt year. He had hoped to return to the field this fall, but it was not to be.

“I gave everything I had to rehab,” Lewis wrote in a post on his X account, “but despite all the work and prayers, my leg didn’t recover the way we hoped. After deep prayer and conversations with my doctors and medical team, I’ve been medically advised to retire from the game I’ve given my heart to.

“… Thank you to everyone who has been part of this ride. I’m forever grateful.”

The 6-foot-4 Lewis, a former Pleasant Grove High School star, led the Sun Belt Conference in yards per reception (23.0) and touchdown catches (10) in 2023. He played his first two college seasons at Kentucky before transferring to Troy, where he helped lead the Trojans to their second straight conference championship.  

Troy finished 4-8 in 2024, its first season under coach Gerad Parker. The Trojans open the 2025 season at home Aug. 30 vs. Nicholls.