6'1,
245 lbs, MLB, Ravens
Lewis was a standout at Kathleen High in Florida, at running back and linebacker. One reputable magazine ranked him as one of the top 10 high school football players of all time. He was an All-American at the U. of Miami before being drafted with the 26th pick overall by the Baltimore Ravens. He has led his team in tackles every year since his rookie season and led the whole NFL in 1997 and 1999.
Unfortunately,
Ray's life took a turn for the worse on
January 31st, 2000. Two men died in a
street brawl that Ray witnessed without involvement; contrary to popular belief, he was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. His one mistake was in lying to the police when first being questioned about whether he knew the two other co-defendants, probably to avoid being considered a rat. But after some time, Lewis decided to testify against the two men and settled for an
obstruction of justice charge. There was never any
hard evidence presented to suggest that
Ray Lewis committed murder! However, #52 did not let the whole ordeal set him back; in fact he came back for the 2000 football season with a vengeance. Just to name a few accomplishments: he led the Ravens defense to a mere 165 points allowed (an NFL record), he garnered Defensive
Player of the Year honors and finally won the coveted Super Bowl MVP award in leading the Ravens to a dominating victory in Super Bowl XXXV.
Still not satisfied with his success, Ray Lewis may have had his best season to date in 2003. He recorded 225 tackles (160 solo), forced 2 fumbles, intercepted 6 passes (a rarity for linebackers) and led the Ravens to win the AFC North Division yet again. All this amounted to his second NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.
A team of experts from USA Today recently rated Ray Lewis as
the linebacker with the most strength, speed, acceleration, awareness and as the most valuable to his team and best tackler. Obviously, he was ranked as the best linebacker, but they also ranked him as the best overall player in the NFL.
Ray's opponents know from experience that it’s not his statistics that stand out the most for him; it’s the
intangibles such as his incomparable intimidation of opponents and, at the same time, inspiration for his teammates. Another crucial aspect of Ray's immense success has been his uncanny ability to decode plays before they develop as he appears to have a
psychic's vision for what will unfold. This of course comes from his dedication off the field in studying more film than a coach.
Ray will go down as one of the best defensive players of all time and perhaps the greatest linebacker ever.
Jose
Contreras:
Ray Lewis is the most intense, respectable man on the planet.
Bruce Lee: Yes, perhaps only rivaled by
Pai Mei.