Ray Lewis

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Lewis arrived in Baltimore as a first-round pick in the 1996 NFL Draft, becoming the last remaining active player from the team's inaugural season upon his retirement. His college career at the Miami Hurricanes saw him earn All-America honors and finish as runner-up for the Butkus Award in his junior year, tallying 160 tackles. Early in his professional tenure, he faced significant adversity; in 2000, he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice regarding stabbing deaths but testified that the killings were acts of self-defense. That same season, he led a unit that allowed only 165 points and 970 rushing yards, setting single-season records. Lewis became the second linebacker ever to win Super Bowl MVP and the first to do so on the winning team. His career was defined by consistency and dominance, as he led the Ravens in tackles for 14 seasons and secured two Defensive Player of the Year awards.

In Their Own Story

The source details specific game moments that defined Lewis's tenure. In his rookie season opener against the Oakland Raiders, he recorded seven tackles and an unusual interception to earn AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. By 1997, he set a single-season record with 184 total tackles, including 156 solo efforts, while leading the Ravens to a 6–9–1 finish. In 1998, he held future Hall of Famer Barry Sanders to just 41 rushing yards in what was Sanders's final game. During the 2000 season, Lewis recorded two sacks against the Cleveland Browns and helped his defense record four shutouts. His resilience shone during the 2012 playoffs; after a triceps tear sidelined him for most of the regular season, he returned to secure his second Super Bowl victory in his final NFL game. Throughout these years, he accumulated 2,059 combined tackles and 1,568 solo tackles, numbers that stand as NFL records.

Reader's Guide

Fans can trace Lewis's journey from Bartow, Florida, where he was the oldest of five siblings. He changed his surname to Ray Lewis after his father became less frequent in his life, adopting a regimen of 52 push-ups daily to protect his mother from an abusive stepfather, which inspired his iconic #52 jersey. He attended Kathleen High School, winning a state wrestling championship and earning All-America honors as a linebacker despite his smaller size. Lewis enrolled at the University of Miami, where he was an immediate contributor as a freshman and earned first-team All-American honors in his sophomore season with 153 tackles. After forgoing his final year of eligibility following the 1995 season, the Ravens selected him 26th overall in 1996. He eventually earned his undergraduate degree in Arts and Science from the University of Maryland University College in 2004.

Did You Know?

• Lewis changed his last name from Jackson to Lewis after his father became less frequent in his life.
• He wears jersey #52 because he started a push-up regimen with a deck of 52 cards to get stronger and protect his mother.
• In 1997, he recorded 184 tackles, setting the single-season record for most total tackles.
• He was the second linebacker in NFL history to win Super Bowl MVP and the first to do so on a winning team.
• On February 3, 2018, exactly five years after his final game, he was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.