Jackson already knew Owens from a few years back when they reached out to each other during the T.O. struggles in Philadelphia. Jackson, who stunned the pundits in 1988 when he ran for president and grabbed 25% of the delegates at the Democratic Convention, knew something about running mates and had the lowdown on Owens' partner Chad Ochocinco.
He clearly had been following Ocho and Owens that year, their only season they played together.
"He still has the magic," Jackson told Bengals.com of Owens' personality. "It's attractive. Like Chad, he's entertaining. Every team he's played for, he's made the team better. He does his work on the field. This year you're seeing a level of strength. For all of those who thought his career was over, they see, like brandy, he has taken it to higher ground."
Lewis soon realized that Jackson followed the league.
"Very much so. Very vibrant. The way he talked and the way he carried himself," Lewis says. "He was a big man, and he had a presence."
Lewis made sure he took Jackson upstairs to meet Bengals president Mike Brown, and he recalls they talked about the teams Paul Brown coached in Cleveland before he founded the Bengals.
Lewis also stopped by the equipment room of Jeff Brickner and Adam Knollman so he could make sure that Jackson, almost always attired in sharp black suits, left with some Bengals' orange and black wardrobe.
No question, though. The man Jackson had come to see was Lewis. At the time, in his eighth season, Lewis was the NFL's longest-tenured African-American head coach of the century, and in three years would pass Dennis Green for the longest in league annals.
"I admire him so much," Jackson said that day in the Bengals locker room. "His character represents the best in all of us. Coach represents a persona that's true and good for the healing of people. I always judged him in that way, and I admire him."
When the guy from McDonald, Pa., told one of his old strength coaches what happened, leave it to Ray Oliver to sum up the surreal day by borrowing one of Jackson's signature lines.
"Well, that proves you are somebody," Oliver told him.
More than 15 years later, the kid from McDonald, Pa., is still shaking his head that once upon a time Jesse Jackson dropped in.
"Jesse Jackson says, 'I want to meet the coach,'" Lewis says. "He did."