A Hall Of Fame career that almost wasn’t: What happened to NFL star Ray Lewis?

Ray Lewis spent 17 seasons in the NFL, all with the Baltimore Ravens. He was known for his brutally physical tackling style, and his ability to rile up his teammates before the game started. Despite his long list of accomplishments on the field, Lewis came very close to losing everything before he entrenched himself as a future Hall of Famer. All statistics are sourced from Football Reference.

Ray Lewis was born in Bartow, Florida in 1975. He didn’t have the luxury of being a kid while he was young, as his mother needed him to contribute around the house as a single parent. In addition to Lewis responsibilities at home, he also had to navigate a neighborhood that featured rampant drug use, according to B/R Gridiron.

Lewis involved himself in a bunch of athletic endeavors as a youngster. He would play football and basketball. He also raced neighborhood children and siblings down the street to see who was the fastest. According to USATodayNetwork, Lewis recalled negotiating the distance of the races in order to give himself an edge.

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Lewis was never guaranteed to have time to play football due to his obligations at home, but he took full advantage of the opportunity at Kathleen High School. He started off playing safety as an underclassman, and became a linebacker as a junior. In addition to his talent, Lewis was also lauded for his tireless work ethic.

Recruited heavily by powerhouse college football programs in Florida, Lewis eventually elected to play for the University of Miami. The school gave have a chance to play more quickly as an underclassman, which the linebacker appreciated. He made a name for himself with the Hurricanes, whose games were constantly broadcast nationally.

The Cleveland Browns were relocated to Baltimore ahead of the 1996 season, and needed to endear themselves to a new fan base. The Ravens couldn’t have gotten off to a better start to that end. In the 1996 draft, the team selected future Hall of Fame offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, and Lewis late in the first round.

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Simply put, Lewis was a force from the day he got to the NFL. In two of his first four seasons, he led the league in combined and solo tackles. In three of his first four seasons, Lewis was named to the Pro Bowl, and quickly became the player that no one wanted to get hit by. The Ravens were building up a special defense around him.

It’s not uncommon for NFL players to enjoy Super Bowl festivities if they aren’t on the teams playing in the big game. Lewis was on hand in Atlanta for the events leading up to the Super Bowl in 2000. Two men were stabbed to death after a commotion that broke out when Lewis left a party.

There are varying accounts of what took place, but at best, Lewis was in a bad place at the wrong time.

Lewis alleges that he saw the scuffle and the incident take place, but got into his limo as everything went down. He was initially charged with double murder, which would have essentially ended his NFL career. However, the charges were later dropped.

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Some believe Lewis was involved though, as the suit he wore to the party that night was never seen again, as USA Today revisits.

While he was acquitted of murder charges, Lewis did eventually plead guilty to obstruction of justice. He avoided jail time, and was instead sentenced to probation. Had this incident occurred a few years later, it seems entirely possible that Lewis also would have been suspended by the NFL. The league decided not to ban him heading into the 2000 season.

Even though the cloud of doubt still followed Lewis, he put the distractions aside and had a banner campaign in 2000. He was named Defensive Player of The Year, and was the lynchpin of a Ravens defense that is in the conversation for the greatest of all time. Baltimore would defeat the New York Giants in the Super Bowl that season, and Lewis was named MVP.

Lewis would go on to win another Defensive Player of The Year award in 2003, and stuck around long enough to win a second Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in 2012, his final year in the NFL. He was fortunate enough to be one of the rare athletes who is singularly identified with a city, and will be revered in Baltimore sports lore forever.

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Lewis has stayed close to the game by appearing on Inside The NFL, a weekly show that looks back at games from the previous weekend. In addition to his football media duties, Lewis has also invested money into various companies in the energy, real estate and technology verticals. He is also a motivational speaker.

The 2023 Baltimore Ravens made it all the way to the AFC Championship game, and Lewis was in the house for the run. He would appear on the field prominently before the game, doing the dance that became legendary, and hyping up the fans before kickoff.