And with that, one of the greatest leaders in the history of professional sports, and one of the most intimidating players in the history of the NFL announced that he will be retiring at the end of this season. 17 year veteran Ray Lewis will be leaving the game with no stone left unturned, as a 12-time Pro Bowl Selection, 2-time Defensive Player of the Year, 1-time Super Bowl Champion and 1-time Super Bowl MVP.
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| Ray Lewis at his finest |
Yet, all the personal accolades do not tell the full story about Ray Lewis. Even with all the personal awards, Lewis' best attribute has been his leadership, anchoring of some of the most feared and consistent defenses in the history of the NFL for the past decade and a half. And yes, there have been some amazing talents on the Baltimore Ravens' defenses alongside him: Ed Reed, Terell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Jamie Sharper, Rod Woodson, Sam Adams and Adailus Thomas, just to name a few. But, who led, galvanized and organized those defenses? Ray Lewis did.
The Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl winning team of 2000 is a prime example of how important and impactful of a player Ray Lewis was in his prime. The team's offensive talents were anemic, led by Trent Dilfer at quarterback, Jamal Lewis at running back and no sure fire #1 wide receiver option, the defense led the team all the way to the Super Bowl. In the game itself, the Ravens faced the New York Giants, in which the Ravens' D forced 5 turnovers (4 INTS, 1 fumble). The Giants' offensive was completely nullified, as the only touchdown they were able to score was off a kick return. Lewis finished the game with 3 solo tackles, 2 assists and 4 blocked passes, earning MVP accolades. The defense was so dominant during that playoff run that the Ravens did not allow more than 10 points in any of the 4 games. Who led this team? Ray Lewis, a 4-year pro at the time.
Whether he is the greatest inside linebacker to ever play the game of football can and will be debated. Some will say it is former Chicago Bear linebackers Mike Singletary or Dick Butkus. I cannot say, as I never saw Singletary and Butkus play. What I can say however, is that Lewis is the greatest defensive player of this generation. No offense to Michael Strahan, Bruce Smith, Troy Polamalu or any other great player, but Lewis stands out on his own. The former University of Miami product led by example on the field, by being first to the ball or quarterback. He is the only player in NFL history to have both 40+ sacks and 30+ interceptions. No single player has ever done that, but Ray Lewis.
Lewis, who has been struggling with a triceps injury for most of the season, has been given the green light for Sunday's play-off game against the Indianapolis Colts. While this may be his final NFL game this weekend, his greatest accomplishment of being the general of the most consistent systems/machines that the NFL has ever seen. Year in and year out for the past 13 years, Lewis has made the Ravens defense one of the most feared and potent defense's the game has ever seen. The defensive squad from 2000 is often considered by some as the best defense in the history of the NFL. Even after Super Bowl winning coach Brian Billick and former defensive coordinator Rex Ryan left the team, the defense still continued to put up amazing numbers. The common thread for the last 13+ years: Ray Lewis.
Greatness comes every so often, especially on the defensive side of the ball, where old age starts to show quickly as young running backs, tight ends and receivers start to blow by veterans on the field, but number 52 in the purple, black and white has remained great longer than most. I would even argue that Lewis be compared to the other two greats of this generation: Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Like Manning and Brady, Lewis has played at a level none of his peers have reached for more than a dozen years, inspired his team mates (more so than the two quarterbacks), possesses an unrivalled football IQ and has led his team to the promised land of winning the Super Bowl.
Make sure to watch the Colts versus the Ravens, as it may be the last time we witness the great Ray Lewis in action.
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