Selected in the third round (61st overall) of the 1983 NFL Draft out of Grambling State, Albert Lewis arrived in Kansas City as a rare physical archetype for a cornerback in his era. Standing 6-foot-2 with 35-inch arms, a 38-inch vertical leap, and 4.38 track speed, he had the length and recovery gear to disrupt press-man coverage and press wideouts at the line of scrimmage.

Lewis gradually molded his rare athletic gifts into elite pass-defense instincts throughout the mid-1980s. Working alongside safety Deron Cherry and later cornerback partner Kevin Ross, he steadily elevated his technique every season, anchoring the perimeter for defensive coordinator Bill Cowher and picking off 16 passes across his first four active campaigns.

His ascent reached national prominence in 1987, kicking off a four-year run of consecutive Pro Bowl selections (1987–1990). At his individual peak in 1989 and 1990, Lewis earned back-to-back consensus AP First-Team All-Pro honors, serving as the shutdown corner on a star-studded Kansas City defense defined by Marty Schottenheimer's physical identity and linebacking terror Derrick Thomas.

Beyond his coverage dominance, Lewis stood as one of the most lethal special teams weapons in league history. Using his soaring vertical leap and extraordinary length off the edge, he blocked 11 kicks during his tenure in Kansas City—often turning high-leverage field goal and punt attempts into momentum-shifting takeaways.

In 2007, the Chiefs chose Lewis for their Hall of Fame.  In Kansas City, Lewis compiled 38 interceptions, 4.5 sacks, 555 tackles, and 11 blocked kicks.