Ray Lewis is highly regarded as one of the greatest defensive players of all time and the best middle linebacker to ever play the game.
His resume can’t be disputed, including 13 Pro Bowl selections, 10-time All-Pro, 2x Super Bowl Champion and holds the NFL record for both career combined tackles (2059) and solo tackles (1568).
He spent his entire 17-year career in Baltimore and holds several franchise records including most seasons played, most career games, and most career opponent fumbles recovered. He’s also the unanimous selection for best Raven ever.
Lewis is also the only player in NFL history with at least 40 career sacks and 30 career interceptions (41.5 sacks and 31 interceptions). He’s one of a select few players in NFL history to play in a Pro Bowl in three different decades (1990s, 2000s, and 2010s)
Lewis was the anchor of one of the greatest defenses in NFL history, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, that set a then 16-game record for least points (165) and rushing yards allowed (970), defeating the New York Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV.
In his post-football career, Lewis is a busy man m including his work in the local communities with his Ray Lewis Foundation as well as various business ventures and investments off the field.
His newest project: the World Jai Alai league.
Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor: WJAL Team Co-Owners
Meet the two newest team owners of the World Jai Alai League, you might have heard of them.
Back in December, Lewis along with fellow legendary defensive player and Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor were announced as co-owners of the Warriors in the WJAL.
Lewis joined the WJAL Board of Directors in March 2023. In addition to Lewis and Taylor, the WJAL has no shortage of star power associated with the league including Grammy Award-winning recording artist and entrepreneur Pitbull; three-time NBA champion Udonis Haslem; retired UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal; 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Monica Puig; and professional tennis player Eugenie Bouchard.
The league has exploded on social media, with nearly 350,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 80,000 on Instagram.
WJAL recently completed its most successful season yet, with game days averaging over 100k unique views on TikTok. WJAL live games are available in over 300 million homes through streaming services including ESPN, FTF Sports and Triple B Media.”
The 2024 season begins Friday, February 2, streaming on ESPN+, Jai-Alai TV (www.jaialai.live), the Jai-Alai app (downloadable on Apple App Store and Google Playstore) and www.watchjaialai.com. Check website for full details.
Lewis was introduced to the sport back during his college days as a football player at the University of Miami. Some of his teammates wanted him to come play Jai Alai with them.
Over the years, he saw so many people he knew get involved with the sport as a second activity after retiring from football. Then, it started to get his attention.
“Do you understand the eye coordination of these guys?” Lewis explained. “The instincts… that’s what really started to attract me man… I saw it for a year and a half and I was really excited to be around it.”
From there Lewis was hooked and knew he wanted to get involved. When he was approached about becoming part of the league, it was a no-brainer for him.
And as a two-time Super Bowl champion, Lewis isn’t playing around. He’s used to championships. He expects no less in WJAL.
“I’m not just signing up, I like winning trophies so I’m trying to get that trophy away from him [Udonis Haslem].”
Ray Lewis on the Impact The U Had on Him
Lewis played three seasons of college football at the University of Miami, continuing a strong legacy of Miami football players including Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp, Andre Johnson, Jim Kelly, etc.
Lewis led the Big East in tackles his last two seasons and accumulated the fifth most in Miami history despite playing only three years.
In his sophomore campaign, 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 top-ranked defense in the country and finished No. 6 in both the writers' and coaches' polls.
“It’s the brotherhood,” Lewis explained. “I don’t even wanna think about Ray Lewis without The U, University of Miami turned me into a man, gave me a perspective to not just be respected but be remembered.”
Lewis's junior campaign was even more successful, as he was again named to the All-American and All-Big East teams, and finished as runner-up for the Butkus Award, which is awarded to the top linebacker in the nation.
Lewis finished his junior season with 160 tackles, the second-highest in University of Miami team history, trailing only Ed Weisacosky's 164 in 1965.
Lewis developed a bond with several of his teammates freshman year including a player by the name of Dwayne Johnson. You might have heard of him? Today, we know him as The Rock.
“My relationship with The Rock, 1993 I got to Miami and “Dewey” walked in the locker room. What’s your name? Can I work out with you?”
The brotherhood budded from there.
“30 minutes into it, The Rock was like I’m out!’ Lewis laughed, recalling the conversation. “That bond of what we had in the weight room after practice. Visions way beyond the game. I had nothing: poor kid, fatherless, trying to figure it out.”
The Rock of course went on to become one of the biggest celebrities in the world for his work in movies, TV, professional wrestling, and more.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Johnson was integral to the development and success of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Johnson wrestled for the WWF for eight years before pursuing an acting career.
“What that university did was give me an opportunity to be surrounded by greatness, to this day I don't want to think about my life without going that route because that route gave me a true identity which is the standard.”
He took it one step further:
“[The U gave me] endless knowledge that forever changed my perspective on life.”
52 and 20: INVINCIBLE
Ray Lewis and Ed Reed were teammates with the Ravens for 11 years. Together, they formed arguably the best duo of defensive players in NFL history.
Lewis was drafted 26th overall in 1996 and then Reed a few years later when he was selected 24th overall in 2002.
The two both attended the University of Miami and brought that “U standard” from South Beach up north to the DMV.
As discussed, Lewis’ resume is well documented. Reed is no slouch either.
Reed redefined the safety position, leading the NFL in interceptions three times in his career, the most in NFL history.
He’s also the only free safety to ever win Defensive Player of the Year. He’s tied for most interceptions in postseason history (nine), had 13 career TDs and posted the most interception return yards in NFL history.
What was the key to their dominance together?
“The championship mentality… A lot of people showed up when the film came on… the first thing I asked Ed to do when he got to us was to get on a private jet and we flew to Jamaica. Me, him, Monte Sanders and Rohan Marley.”
This helped build the standard for one of the most dangerous duos the NFL had ever seen on the defensive side of the ball.
“It was the hardest two weeks that any man that had got off of that plane had ever had in their life… we had a rule. If somebody got up and started training… you had to go up and get back to training… we built the foundation.”
Lewis and Reed meant game over for the opposition.
“Imma handle the front, you handle the back and it’s gonna be a long day for some people.. The mentality we created, the excuse box that we took away… Everybody got an excuse we never had an excuse we went to work everyday.”
It certainly paid off for Baltimore as Lewis and Reed won back-to-back NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards in 2003 and 2004, something that’s never been done before.
“Never been 2 defensive players on the same team to win an award back-to-back.”
Lewis and Reed both played at The U. They brought that “standard” from Miami and clearly it translated on the field.
They’d go on to play 11 seasons together in Baltimore.
“There was no player in NFL that was more dominant than me and Ed Reed in back to back years, ‘03 and ‘04.”
2000 Ravens Defense: Best Ever?
Best defense ever?
You have to at least put the 2000 Baltimore Ravens in the conversation.
The team set a 16-game single-season record for the fewest points allowed (165) and fewest rushing yards allowed (970). The team also 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.
Lewis wasn’t too bad himself either. Individually, finished the regular season with a franchise leading 137 tackles, as well as two interceptions, six pass deflections, and three fumble recoveries.
He was also a unanimous All-Pro selection and was once again named a starter in the Pro Bowl.”
“If they score in the SUPER BOWL [the NFC Champion New York Giants], that’s an embarrassment to who we are!” Lewis remembered the Tuesday after their 16-3 AFC Championship Game victory over the Oakland Raiders.
In Super Bowl XXXV, the Ravens embarrassed the NFC champion New York Giants 34-7.
The Ravens' defense completely shut down the Giants' offense, not yielding a single point. Just like Lewis proclaimed. The only points the Giants would score on would be a kickoff return for a touchdown.
“That was a belief in each man to a man… iron sharpens iron, that team we were always finding ways to sharpen each other.”
And then of course we get into sports talk debate golf.
Which single-season team is the best defense of all time?
Regardless of where you land in the debate, you have to acknowledge Ray’s 2000 Raven steam is in the conversation.
As expected Lewis wasn’t as diplomatic about it.
“In my eye, whatever era you wanna talk about, there’s never been and never will be a more dominant defense to make that run!”
The Ravens defense surrendered just one offensive touchdown in four playoff games and only allowed 16 points (4.0 points per game).
“The ‘85 Bears, Steel Curtain, these are legendary defenses, just to be compared, I’m not comparing, I’m telling you what we did in a 16-game season, you ain’t seeing that anymore, that’s different football, that’s grown man football.”
Ray Lewis vs Peyton Manning: He Made Me Better
Who was the biggest pain in the ass for Lewis to go up against?
Two men: Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. You ask any football fan from the era Lewis played in. Probably sounds about right.
Before their 2007 AFC Divisional Playoff game vs Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, Lewis proclaimed the following:
“I looked at Ed Reed. We watched film and I said the boldest statement ever to Rex Ryan, Peyton won’t score.”
“What’s going on,” Ryan responded, confused by Lewis’ statement.
“Ain't NO way Peyton scores on us.”
Technically, Lewis was right. Manning and the Colts offense never found the end zone, failing to score a touchdown.
The only problem? So did the Ravens offense. Adam Vinatieri made five field goals, sealing a 15-6 victory for Baltimore.
Lewis had to always step up his game against Peyton. Manning made him better.
“That type of battle, It was iconic,” Lewis explained. “The attention to detail, the way he studied film, the way he understood the offensive scheme and every check he needed to make, every coverage.”
Of course – Lewis got the last laugh in his final run with the Ravens, defeating Manning’s Broncos at Mile High 38-35 in an AFC Divisional Playoffs overtime thriller.”
“That guy from a student level of the game he made me alter my game. He made me watch more film that’s what I call the greatest QB, the battles… walking out there and seeing a man and saying oof here we go again, Peyton was rough.”
Tom Brady Mediocrity
Tom Brady is highly regarded as the greatest player in NFL history:
- 7x Super Bowl champion
- 5x Super Bowl MVP
- 3x NFL MVP
- 15x Pro Bowl
Among many, many other achievements.
Brady recently made comments where he compared the current-day NFL to the era he played in.
“I think there's a lot of mediocrity in today's NFL. I don't see the excellence that I saw in the past,” Brady said in a recent interview.
He elaborated: “I look at a lot of players like Ray Lewis and Rodney Harrison and Ronnie Lott and guys that impacted the game in a certain way — and every hit they would have made would have been a penalty [today],”
I asked Lewis what he made of Brady’s comments comparing eras:
“From a defensive perspective it’s painful,” Ray described. In my era, fans used to walk in the game and say somebody getting knocked out today, that was the thrill, somebody getting knocked out, it was part of the price of admission, that essence is gone.”
It’s hard to argue with Lewis here. The game has completely changed with the league essentially removing the ability to aim for the head or go after a defenseless receiver.
“Every time you hit someone, fans are booing defensive players, they are bad people for doing their job.”
Ray Lewis on Playing Tom Brady: CHESS
Tom Brady was 5-3 vs Ray Lewis in their careers.
Lewis vs. Brady was must-see TV. The best offensive player of their era going up against he best defensive player.
Two Super Bowl champions battling at the line of scrimmage. Brady directing the offense, Lewis the defense.
“Playing against him [Brady] was pure chess, it’s patience, bored bored bored BOP got you! That’s what made him Brady, those two guys [Brady and Manning] were legendary.”
“That was the chess match – can I complete the pass before 52 gets there because if 52 gets there it’s a bad day.”
Winning the Super Bowl in his Final Game
Ray left his best for last in his final season with the Ravens in 2012.
Lewis suffered a torn triceps on October 14 vs the Dallas Cowboys.
He told GM Ozzie Newsome and head coach John Harbaugh NOT to put him on IR. He knew he hadn’t played his last game. He knew he was coming back.
On January 2, 2013, Lewis announced he would retire after the 2023 NFL Playoffs. One last ride. Leave everything on the field. Give everything you’ve got.
Lewis led the Ravens through an absolute gauntlet:
- Defeated Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts 24-9 in Wild Card Playoffs
- Defeated Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos 38-35 on the road at Mile High in DOUBLE OVERTIME during AFC Divisional Playoffs
- Beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 28-13 at Gillette Stadium in AFC Championship
- Won Super Bowl XLVII 34-31 vs Patrick Willis, Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers
At that time, arguably the three best quarterbacks in the league, in consecutive weeks. That was Ray Lewis for you.
“You wanna talk about a gauntlet,” Lewis said. “This is my greatest storytelling moments… Andrew Luck came to Baltimore loss, we go to Denver in one of the most classic games ever against one of my favorite people in the world, Peyton Manning. We did the impossible.
In the postseason, Lewis led the NFL with 51 tackles. He contributed two tackles for loss and one pass deflection in the Ravens' Super Bowl XLVII run
“We then go to New England where they got skyboards paying 2 million dollars counting down to my retirement….. I was on a chosen mission.”
The Ravens became the first team to win the AFC Championship on the road since the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers and were the last road team to win a conference championship game until the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots won their respective conference championship games in 2018.
Lewis joined an elite group of athletes to retire after winning a championship in their final game including Michael Jordan, Manning (2015), John Elway, Joe Dimaggio and Bill Russell.
“That last ride every time I see confetti I get chills because that’s what my moment ended when it comes to sports.”
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