Ray Lewis: From Hurricane to Hall of Fame Legend

Raymond Anthony Lewis Jr., born on May 15, 1975, is an American former professional football player whose 17-year career was spent entirely as a linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). His journey from a young, driven athlete in Bartow, Florida, to a Pro Football Hall of Famer is a testament to his dedication, talent, and impact on the game. Lewis's dominating field presence changed the way teams prepared to play. Opposing coaches drew up special plays to try and contain him, while their teams' QB and running backs were always nervously looking for #52.

Early Life and High School Career

Raymond Anthony Lewis Jr. was born in Bartow, Florida, the oldest of five siblings. His mother was only 15 years old at the time of his birth, and his father was largely absent from his life, known only to have been a record-setting high school wrestler before being incarcerated for drug-related offenses. As the oldest child, Lewis quickly assumed responsibility, helping his sisters and ensuring his younger brother made it to daycare.

Lewis attended Kathleen High School in Lakeland, Florida, where he excelled as both a football player and a wrestler. On the wrestling mat, Lewis was a Florida wrestling state champion. He broke many school records previously held by his own father. Characterized by his high school coach, Stephen Poole, as a "very driven athlete who was friends with everyone," Ray received the ROTC Leadership Award as a senior at Kathleen High School in Lakeland, Florida. As a wrestler, Lewis found success right away, placing fourth in the Florida State High School Championships as a sophomore at 189 pounds. As a junior, Ray was Florida state runner-up in AAU and Greco-Roman champion. His senior year, despite the onslaught of college football recruiting distractions, Ray managed an undefeated season and was crowned Florida State Scholastic Champion at 189 pounds.

On the football field, he was an All-American linebacker, compensating for his smaller size with his intensity and instincts. He was voted most valuable player in his last two years on the team. Lewis later revealed that his stepfather was abusive towards his mother, and he began a push-up regimen using a deck of 52 playing cards to get stronger and protect her.

College Career at the University of Miami

Despite initial difficulties meeting NCAA requirements for his SAT score, Lewis received a full scholarship to the University of Miami. He enrolled in the University of Miami, where he became a member of the Miami Hurricanes football team.

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Starting as a true freshman, the Bartow, FL native racked up awe-inspiring numbers and a bevy of honors in his three-year Miami career. Lewis holds the UM individual season record for tackles by a MLB with 95, and incredibly is tied for second in career total tackles and assists with 160. He was named All BIG-EAST in 1994 and 1995 as well. Not bad for someone who only played three years, and was the recipient of the very last scholarship available in 1993.

As a freshman, he immediately contributed and started in the Hurricanes' final five games. In his sophomore season, Lewis earned first-team All-American and All-Big East honors. Lewis led the Big East with 153 tackles and also contributed nine tackles for a loss, two sacks, and an interception for a Hurricanes team that had the nation's top-ranked defense and finished No. In his junior year-his last at the university-Lewis finished the season with a team-high 160 tackles and earned All-America honors. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 26th overall selection of the 1996 NFL draft. Voted the Jack Harding MVP of the team after the 1995 season, Lewis opted for the NFL draft and became a first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens.

NFL Career with the Baltimore Ravens

Lewis was the top-rated inside linebacker heading into the 1996 NFL Draft, in which Kevin Hardy was considered the draft's only outstanding linebacker prospect. Taken as the fifth linebacker in the draft, Lewis was seen by scouts as possessing speed, tackling ability, and intensity, as well as being praised for his ability to go into pass coverage. He played his entire 17-year career with the Ravens.

Early Years and Pro Bowl Selections

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.

In Week 12 of the 1998 season, Lewis recorded two interceptions and a sack against the Bengals in a 20-13 win. Lewis made his second trip to the Pro Bowl after recording 120 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and seven pass deflections. He led the 6-10 Ravens in tackles for the third consecutive season. He was also named to The Sporting News All-Pro Team. In 1999, during the first game of the regular season against the St.

2000: Super Bowl XXXV and Defensive Player of the Year

In 2000, Lewis led a defense which many call the greatest in NFL history for a single season. In Week 2 of the regular season against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Lewis led the team in tackles with 11 tackles in the 39-36 win. In Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins, Lewis had 11 tackles in the 19-6 loss. In Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he finished 13 tackles and a fumble recovery in the 15-10 win. In Week 13 against the Cleveland Browns, Lewis had five tackles and two sacks in the 44-7 blowout win. Lewis finished the regular season with a franchise-leading 137 tackles, as well as two interceptions, six pass deflections, and three fumble recoveries. The team set a 16-game single-season record for fewest points allowed (165) and fewest rushing yards allowed (970). The team recorded four shutouts, one shy of the single-season record. The unit finished first league-wide in six key defensive categories. Including the postseason, and excluding three combined touchdowns that were given up by the Ravens offense and special teams, Baltimore's defense allowed only 184 points in 20 games.

The Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV that season, and Lewis received both the Super Bowl MVP and defensive player of the year awards.

Continued Success and Accolades

In 2001, Lewis earned his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl selection, when he led the NFL in tackles with 162 and earned first-team All-Pro honors. In Week 12, he had a career-high 18 total tackles and one sack in the 39-27 victory over the Colts. In Week 15, he earned his third AFC Defensive Player of the Week honor in a 15-0 shutout of the Cincinnati Bengals.

In 2002, Lewis was limited to only five games due to a shoulder injury. He still managed to rank fifth on the team with 58 tackles. In addition, Lewis compiled two interceptions, two pass deflections, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Lewis earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos after posting and tying his career-high with 18 tackles (11 solo), two pass deflections, and an interception. After having been selected to the Pro Bowl for five consecutive seasons (1997-2001), Lewis's streak was stopped by his season-ending injury.

Lewis was the leading vote recipient for the 2003 AP All-Pro team, earning 49 of 50 votes. He also won the annual AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year with 43 votes out of 50. He was named to his sixth career Pro Bowl for the 2003 season. Additionally, Lewis earned Pro Football Weekly, PFWA, and Football Digest Defensive MVP honors and was named to Dr. Z's Sports Illustrated All-Pro team, Pro Football Weekly's All-NFL team, Pro Football Weekly's All-AFC team, Football Digest's All-Pro first team, and The Sporting News' All-Pro team. Lewis also earned the KC 101 AFC Defensive Player of the Year award for the 3rd time in four years, the 2003 NFL Alumni Linebacker Of The Year, and finished with 161 tackles, one and a half sacks, six interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 14 pass deflections, and one touchdown.

Lewis's 2005 season was cut short by an injury in Week 6. In 2006, Lewis led the Ravens defense to an NFL-best ranking in 14 major defensive categories, including total yards allowed, points per game allowed, and interceptions. The Ravens also finished second in sacks, take-aways, and rushing yards allowed. Lewis missed two games due to an injury, but still recorded 103 tackles, a personal best of five sacks, two interceptions, and eight pass deflections in 14 games. He also forced a fumble and recovered one. The Ravens allowed just one 100-yard rushing performance in the 14 games Lewis played.

In 2009, Lewis was named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press for the seventh time (ninth selection overall) and named to his 11th Pro Bowl. He accumulated an AFC-leading 134 tackles on the season. He also added three sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and seven passes deflected. Lewis added 21 tackles, one sack, and one pass deflection in two playoff games. In the September 2009 issue of Sporting News' Magazine, Lewis was selected to their Team of the Decade (2000s). In Week 2 against the San Diego Chargers, Lewis made the game-saving tackle on running back Darren Sproles on a fourth-down play.

In 2010, Lewis was named second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press for the third time (10th All-Pro selection overall) and named to his 12th Pro Bowl. He totaled 139 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, four pass deflections, and one defensive touchdown, which came on a 24-yard pick six against the Panthers in Week 11. Lewis added 13 tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble in two playoff games. On Sunday, November 21, 2010, Lewis became only the second player in NFL history to record at least 30 interceptions and 30 sacks for their career. He was the fastest player (204 games) to achieve that feat. He was ranked fourth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011. In Week 3, Lewis was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the St. Louis Rams. In the 37-7 victory, Lewis had one sack, one forced fumble, and ten solo tackles.

In the 2011 season, Lewis was named to his 13th and what proved to be his final Pro Bowl and led the Ravens with 95 tackles despite missing four games with an injury. Lewis also collected two sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, and seven pass deflections.

2012: Final Season and Second Super Bowl Victory

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 returned to action for Baltimore's Wild Card Round game against the Colts and led the defense to a 24-9 win. On the game's last play, Lewis lined up on offense at fullback. The Ravens were not slated to play another home playoff game (since they were the number-four seed, and the day before, the Houston Texans beat the number-six seed Cincinnati Bengals), so they wanted Lewis to be on the field for the final play. Lewis's final career NFL game was Super Bowl XLVII, where the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 34-31. Lewis finished the regular season with 57 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one deflection in six games.

During his tenure with the Ravens, he accumulated 2,059 career combined tackles, including 1,568 solo tackles, both of which are NFL records. He was a 13-time Pro Bowler, a 10-time All-Pro, and one of the few players in NFL history to play in a Pro Bowl in three decades (1990s, 2000s, and 2010s).

Legal Issues

Following a Super Bowl XXXIV party in Atlanta on January 31, 2000, a fight broke out between Lewis' entourage and another group of people, resulting in the stabbing deaths of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar. Lewis and two companions, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting, were questioned by Atlanta police, and 11 days later the three men were indicted on murder and aggravated assault charges. The white suit Lewis was wearing the night of the killings was never found. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard alleged the blood-stained suit was dumped in a garbage bin outside a fast-food restaurant. A knife found at the scene did not have any fingerprints or DNA.

Two weeks into the trial, Lewis's attorneys, Don Samuel and Ed Garland, negotiated a plea agreement with the District Attorney in which the murder charges against Lewis were dismissed in exchange for his testimony against Oakley and Sweeting, and his guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice. Lewis admitted he gave a misleading statement to police on the morning after the killings (initially telling them that he was not at the scene). Superior Court Judge Alice D. Bonner sentenced Lewis to 12 months' probation. One year in prison is the maximum sentence for a first-time offender, and the immediate probation was the judge's decision. Oakley and Sweeting maintained that they had acted in self-defense, and after five hours of deliberation, the jury acquitted them of all charges in June 2000.

On April 29, 2004, Lewis reached an out-of-court settlement with four-year-old India Lollar, born months after the death of her father Richard, pre-empting a scheduled civil proceeding. During a taped pre-game interview with Shannon Sharpe that aired on CBS before Super Bowl XLVII, Sharpe told Lewis that the families of the slain men find it difficult to see Lewis idolized by millions of fans, believing he knows more about the killings than he shared, and asked what he had to say to those families. Lewis responded, "God has never made a mistake. That's just who He is, you see….

Legacy and Post-Playing Career

Due to his numerous accolades and prodigious football play, Lewis is widely considered to be the greatest middle linebacker in NFL history. Throughout his career, Lewis built a reputation as a leader and intimidating force at middle linebacker. He has led his team in tackles in 12 of his 14 seasons. The Ravens did not allow a single 100-yard rusher in 51 consecutive games from the 1998 through 2001 seasons. In addition to his run defense, Lewis has also gained a reputation as a complete defender. His 31 interceptions rank fifth all-time among NFL linebackers, and just six short of the top spot.

Since the murder allegations, Lewis's image has recovered, and today he is considered one of the most dominant linebackers in the history of the NFL. Lewis was also selected as the third-best linebacker of all time on the show The Sports List. A poll of NFL coaches selected him as the most dominant player in the NFL before the 2003 season by being mentioned on 10 ballots, while no other player was mentioned more than twice. Team owner Steve Bisciotti stated his intention to erect a statue of Lewis outside M&T Bank Stadium.

After retiring from football, Lewis 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. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on August 4, 2018, becoming the seventh Hurricane to be inducted.

Business Ventures and Charitable Work

Lewis opened the Ray Lewis Full Moon Bar-B-Que, which operated in Baltimore's Canton neighborhood from February 2005 until 2008. He has also gained several national corporate endorsements, some of which draw upon his tough image. In 2004, Lewis was placed on the cover of the highly popular Madden NFL 2005 video game published by EA Sports, and is also a very avid player of the same series. Lewis competed against tight end Tony Gonzalez in an episode of Spike (now Paramount Network)'s Lip Sync Battle, which aired on February 2, 2017. In August 2019, Lewis was announced as one of the celebrities to compete on season 28 of Dancing with the Stars.

Lewis has been heavily involved in charitable activities throughout his professional career. He started the Ray Lewis 52 Foundation which is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to provide personal and economic assistance to disadvantaged youth. The foundation has funded such events as adopting 10 families in Baltimore community for the holidays and an annual celebrity auction. He regularly donates his time and money to a variety of worthy causes, among them "Ray's Summer Days", which raises money for his non-profit foundation. After earning his degree Lewis put it to work, starting several successful business ventures, including a nutrition product line and a popular barbecue restaurant in Baltimore. A man who feels 'completely blessed' to be part of the Hurricanes rich football history, Lewis will go down as one of the best to ever play for the 'U'.

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