Ray Lewis

Football Player

• Born: May 15, 1975
• Birthplace: Bartow, Florida

Lewis came to be considered one of the greatest defensive players in the National Football League (NFL) following a decorated career as linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. He was named most valuable player of Super Bowl XXXV in 2001.

Early Life

Ray Anthony Lewis was on May 15, 1975, in Bartow, Florida to Ray Lewis, Sr., and Sunseria Keith. Lewis was born while his mother was still a teenager, and his father soon abandoned the family. Lewis attended Kathleen Senior High School in Lakeland, Florida, and competed in wrestling, winning the state championship and receiving Florida High School Athletic Association All-State honors. He broke many school records previously held by his own father.

In football, Lewis proved even more successful, playing both linebacker and tailback for his high school team. He was voted most valuable player in his last two years on the team. Although he was recruited heavily by major university football programs, Lewis initially had difficulty meeting the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) requirement for SAT score. Once he managed to raise his score, he received a full scholarship to the University of Miami.

Life’s Work

Lewis attended Miami for three years, earning a reputation for intimidating play and for his outspokenness off the field. The coaching staff barred him from speaking at media events, as he had developed a penchant for taunting opponents. On the field, Lewis was named a starting linebacker in his freshman year and emerged as the leader of the team’s defense. In his sophomore year, Lewis was named a third-team All-American, and in his junior year, he set a University of Miami record for unassisted tackles (ninety-five). After the 1995 season, he was named a first-team All-American, a runner-up for the Butkus Award (given to the best college linebacker of the year), and the Big East Conference’s defensive player of the year. That year, Lewis made himself eligible for the National Football League (NFL) draft.

At the age of twenty, Lewis was drafted in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens. While the Ravens had a losing record in 1996, Lewis led the team in tackles (110) as their starting middle linebacker. In his second season, he led the NFL in unassisted tackles (155) and total tackles (184). In 1998 and 1999, Lewis continued to lead the Ravens in tackles, and in 1999 he made his third trip to the Pro Bowl. He took home the NFL Alumni Linebacker of the Year award that season.

On January 31, 2000, Lewis and his entourage reportedly fled from an Atlanta nightclub where two men, Richard Lollar and Jacinth Baker, had been stabbed. Lewis and two friends, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting, were indicted for murder and aggravated assault. Lewis maintained that he was innocent, testified against Oakley and Sweeting, and accepted a deal in which he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, a misdemeanor. He received a year’s probation, and the NFL fined him $250,000. Lewis later reached undisclosed settlements with the families of Lollar and Baker.

In the wake of this scandal, Lewis became more religious and reserved in his private life. Upon his return to the Ravens’ training camp in July, 2000, Lewis apologized to his teammates for his conduct. On the field, Lewis played better than ever, leading a defense that was hailed as one of the best ever in the NFL. The Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV that season, and Lewis received both the Super Bowl MVP and defensive player of the year awards.

Lewis continued his reign as one of the NFL’s best defensive players throughout the 2000s. He led the league in tackles in 2001, missed most of the 2002 season because of injuries, then returned in 2003 to record 161 tackles, matching his 2001 total. In 2006, he was invited to the Pro Bowl for the eighth time but declined because of injury. In the next three years, he continued to lead the Ravens in tackles, and in 2009 he was voted an Associated Press first team All-Pro for the seventh time in his career.

After being sidelined by a triceps tear for most of the 2012–13 season, Lewis came back to help the Ravens to a second Super Bowl victory before retiring from football permanently. He then joined ESPN as an analyst for the network's NFL coverage. In May 2015 he announced that he would be releasing a memoir in October of that year. Lewis became eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 and was immediately inducted.

Significance

Lewis built a reputation as one of the toughest and most aggressive defensive football players of his era, as well as an important leader on the field. Considered one of the most dominant players in the history of the NFL and one of the most iconic figures in Ravens franchise history, Lewis helped make his team a steady postseason contender and earn two Super Bowl titles. Despite the accusations of involvement in violent incidents earlier in life, he also later improved his reputation off the field, contributing to many community service projects around Baltimore.

Bibliography

Easterbrook, Gregg. "Taking Stock of Ray Lewis's Legacy." ESPN. ESPN, 16 Oct. 2012. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Frager, Ray, ed. Storybook Season: The 2000 Baltimore Ravens’ Run to the Super Bowl. Baltimore: Baltimore Sun, 2001. Print.

George, Thomas. “Friends Calling Lewis a Loyal Hard Worker.” The New York Times 2 Feb. 2000. Print.

"Ray Lewis." Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2021, www.profootballhof.com/players/ray-lewis/. Accessed 23 July 2021.

Rushin, Steve. “We Don’t Know Jack: Ray Lewis Serves as a Reminder That What We Read Isn’t Always the Whole Story.” Sports Illustrated 92.20 (2000). Print.

Schrotenboer, Brent. "Slayings Not Forgotten, Ray Lewis Not Forgiven." USA Today. Gannet, 18 June 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Stevens, Matthew. "The Real Reason Ray Lewis Retired." Baltimore Beatdown. Vox Media, 13 July 2015. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Weisman, Larry. “Ravens’ Lewis Improving with Age: Fiery Linebacker in Shape for Title Shot.” USA Today 30 Aug. 2007. Print.