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.
