For his entire 17-year career in the NFL, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis has inspired himself as well as his teammates and the whole organization to greatness. His play on the field along with his amazing inspirational speeches and his well spoken words in press conferences after victory and sometimes in defeat are treasured moments that can only be believed if seen. Individually he has accomplished a lot and his has helped to guide the Ravens to greatness. Like all great players before, present and after, there always comes that moment to begin a new course in life. That moment came this week for the face of the Ravens.
Lewis, who has not played since Ravens (10-6) 31-29 victory versus the Dallas Cowboys due to a torn triceps muscle suffered in the aforementioned contest announced this past Wednesday that he will retire from the National Football League whenever the Ravens season concludes in the postseason. That drive for the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the back-to-back AFC North champions begins on Sunday in the Wild Card Game versus the No. 5 Seeded Indianapolis Colts (11-5).
“Everything that starts has to end. It’s just life...,” Lewis said to the media on Wednesday. “I just felt so much peace in the way I am with my decision because of everything that I’ve done in this league. I’ve done it…There’s no allocate that I don’t have individually, but I’ve never played the game for individual stats. I’ve only played the game to make my team be a better team.”
There are very few players who can both inspire others to play at their highest level and they go out and play that way and inspire others to do the same. That is what this spectacular 37-year old linebacker with 17 years of greatness in the NFL has done.
The 26th overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft won Defensive player of the Year in 2000 and 2003. He was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Super Bowl XXXV as his five tackles and four pass breakups aided the American Football Conference champions in the 34-7 victory over the National Football Conference Champion New York Giants. On top of that, Lewis has been selected to 13 Pro Bowls is a seven-time First Team All-Pro selection and three-time Second Team All-Pro. His 10 All-Pro selections at linebacker are tied with Giants Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.
While all the individual allocates are nice, Lewis has he mentioned two days ago does not define his great career by just those achievements alone. He looks at his career as one of making others in the organization from the players he goes into battle each Sunday with to the coaches who have coached him to the whole entire organization.
To put this in perspective when the Ravens first came to Baltimore after moving from Cleveland back in 1996, they did not make the playoffs in their first four seasons. That all changed in 2000 when they went 12-4 in the regular season.
In the Wild Card Round, they won versus the Denver Broncos 21-3. In the Divisional Round, they won at the Titans 24-10, where Lewis made the game clinching play as he took an interception 50 yards for a touchdown. He also had 12 tackles in the contest. In the AFC Championship Game, they went on the road and defeated the Oakland Raiders 16-3.
While the Ravens have not gotten to another Super Bowl since, they have made the playoffs in eight of the last 11 season. They have won the AFC North Division four times in that span.
While the players have changed around Lewis from the likes of Duane Starks, Tony Siragusa, Rob Burnett, Rod Woodson, Sam Adams on defense and on offense to Trent Dilfer, Brandon Stokley, Jonathan Ogden, Jamal Lewis, the team has still continued to succeed with the likes of Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Paul Kruger on defense and Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith and Matt Birk.
“One of the hardest things in the world is to walk away from my teammates because that’s my brotherhood,” Lewis said.
“The only thing I ever play for is to be right there…That’s one things I share with them in that meeting I’m going to give you everything I got because this is our last one and whenever it ends it ends, but I didn’t come back for it to end in the first round.”
History when it comes to how the Ravens are going to do in the postseason seems to be on their side.
Since 2000, the Ravens are 5-1 in the Wild Card round. Their only loss came versus the Titans back in 2003 when they were defeated 20-17.
This consistent level of great seasons, even though they have not finished with another Vince Lombardi Trophy comes from the fact not only from the greatness of Lewis, but the fact that he has had a consistent level of great communication with his teammates on both the offensive and defensive sides. That has allowed and level and trust and respect that it comes down to the collective whole to be on the same page, even in the toughest of times. It’s one thing for the leader of the team to preach it. It is another thing for the rest of the roster and the coaches to believe it. One person in particular who believed in what Ray Lewis sold was Super Bowl XXXV quarterback of the Ravens and current ESPN NFL analyst Trent Dilfer.
“I always tell people when they ask about Ray Lewis that he’s the best,” Dilfer said on Tuesday on Sportscenter to Bram Weinstein.
“Now we say that about a lot of NFL players, but when you’re talking about Ray I mean it and not just the best players, he was the best player on the field every time were on the field, but he was the best leader I’ve ever been around. He was the best when it came to preparation and when you have a guy that’s that dynamic in those three elements, his message always resonates.”
What also resonates is the respect from former players who played the game before you and how the way you handled your business during your time, in this case on the gridiron brings them back to when they played and how much they respect what you did and even how much better you did it.
“I think it’s been such a great career in so many ways. Not only the skill set he brought and you remember back when was a youngster, I’m talking about the sideline to sideline is what defined the way he played,” ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown host Tom Jackson said on Tuesday’s Sportscenter to John Anderson.
“He was also great in coverage, but I think what separated him is the inspiration that he became not only to his teammates, but maybe every guy that played in the NFL. We all are a little bit jealous and wish we could have inspired our teammates to be as good as he has inspired his to be.”
There is a lot that defines a player. From their numbers they put up, to the games that they play in, particularly memorable ones. The true great mark sometimes of a great professional athlete is their stay with an organization.
Lewis who was drafted by the Ravens in 1996 and led them to a title in 2000 is just the third active player in the four major professional sports to begin their career with a team from their rookie season to today and win a championship. Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) was drafted by the then Charlotte Hornets (now New Orleans Hornets) and traded to the Lakers has played for the team for 17 seasons and has helped them win three titles. “The Captain” of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB) Derek Jeter has also played 17 years and helped the “Bronx Bombers” win five titles.
The other thing that separates the great ones from all others is the fact that they are willing to do things that are hard and take commitment to do. Like train in the offseason at a level when others are not paying attention; to be there for others in times of tragedy and above all to be engaged when someone is telling you something.
Dilfer talked on Tuesday Sportscenter is that no matter what the Ravens went through or what an individual player was going through personally, Lewis was always there to lend a hand or to just talk if needed.
He also said that Lewis did not mind taking on things that most other people in general would throw in the towel and give up.”
“When most people don’t have the ability to tap in the personal reservoir again and again and again, those are the moments that Ray Lewis embraced,” Dilfer said.
The beginning of Lewis’ final postseason with the Ravens is very ironic. The first of his 41.5 career sacks came against current San Francisco 49ers Jim Harbaugh when he was the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. The Ravens current head coach is the John Harbaugh, Jim’s younger brother.
As the 2013 NFL Playoffs begin we will have an opportunity to see the conclusion of the journey of a young man who grew up in Bartow, FL. Became an All-American linebacker and wrestling star at Kathleen High School in Lakeland, FL. Became one of the greatest linebackers at the University of Miami and one of the best in Big East history, when the school was in that conference. He has gone on to have a remarkable 17-year career that will come to a conclusion whenever the Ravens season ends. That journey begins this Sunday at 1 p.m. versus the Colts and it can be seen on CBS.
“From the time I got hurt, everything that I’ve done up until this point has been to get back with my team,” Lewis said on Tuesday.
“I think we all get to enjoy what Sunday will feel like knowing that this will be the last time 52 [Lewis’ jersey number] plays in a uniform in Ravens Stadium.
Information, statistics and quotes are courtesy of 1/2/13 6 p.m. edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter” with John Anderson and Bram Weinstein; 1/4/13 2:30 a.m. of ESPN’s Bottom Line News scroll during NBA Tonight with Jonathan Coachman and Bruce Bowen; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Lewis; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Ravens; www.espn.go.com.
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