If you're a college team in need of some inspiration, don't call Tony Robbins or waste your time with Deepak Chopra.

The guy you need is Ray Lewis. Yes, the Ravens' middle linebacker/motivational speaker/good luck charm.

Lewis, a 13-time Pro Bowl player, spoke to the Loyola men's lacrosse game three days before their NCAA quarterfinal game against Denver and encouraged them to play with passion. The result: Loyola won, 10-9, to advance to its first Final Four in 14 years. (you can view the video on YouTube).

"The most important thing anytime you're dealing with big games is team," Lewis told the players. "That's where champions are developed -- through unselfishness to figuring out nothing else matters but the man that's beside me."

By my count, teams are undefeated in tournament play after listening to Lewis. It was nearly two months ago when he spoke to the Stanford basketball team before the NIT semifinals. Stanford went on to beat Massachusetts in the Final Four and Minnesota in the championship game.

Some might discount Lewis' influence. But players in all sports and at every level respect Lewis. That's why colleges call on Lewis and NFL players do the same. Lewis has been the "godfather of the NFL" for years because players from around the league call and text him for advice. The contact list on his cell phone is a who's who in the NFL. Maybe Lewis should give Ed Reed a buzz since the Pro Bowl safety is struggling with is commitment to football.

"Winning on Saturday doesn’t start on Saturday," Lewis told the Loyola lacrosse team last week. "It starts right now."

A lot of colleges have their good luck traditions. Auburn has the War Eagle, and Clemson has Howard's Rock. But if you're a team needing to get pumped up before a big game, your best bet these days is Lewis. My guess is his pre-game dance will cost you extra.


(espn.com)

The AFC North blog doesn't give birthday shout-outs, but this one has special significance.

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis turns 37 today, which could be the magic number for him. In April 2011, Lewis hinted at a target date for his retirement when he told the NFL Network, "I can’t see myself playing football past 37.”

Lewis made it clear after Baltimore's AFC Championship Game loss that he was returning in 2012, but there has to be questions about whether he will play beyond this year. At some point, Lewis is going to have to say goodbye to football, although there haven't been any recent indicators he will be calling it quits anytime soon. His contract runs through 2015, and the Ravens showed confidence in Lewis when they once again didn't draft his eventual replacement in April.

Lewis started off strong last season and was among the NFL's top inside linebackers in the first half of the 2011. Then, after missing four games with a toe injury, he seemed to wear down toward the end of the year.

Still, he has been one of the league's top Iron Men. His 222 games played is second-most among active players, ranking only behind a kicker (Jason Hanson). He is the longest-tenured Raven on the roster by six seasons (safety Ed Reed is second).

No other great middle linebacker has played as along as Lewis. Mike Singletary retired after 12 seasons with the Chicago Bears before his play declined. The Pittsburgh Steelers' Jack Lambert walked away after 11 years because of a severe toe injury. And the Bears' Dick Butkus stopped after nine seasons because of knee injuries.

Lewis is now entering his 17th season in the NFL. And, after turning 37 today, you have to wonder whether this will be his last.


(espn.com)

Tommy Streeter will never forget the pain he felt the weekend of the NFL draft. Projected by some analysts to be a second-day pick, Streeter remained on the board until late in the sixth round. But shortly after the Ravens ended his disappointment, his phone rang. Linebacker Ray Lewis was reaching out to the Miami Hurricanes wide receiver and welcoming him to the family.

“I basically told him that I was ready to make that next step, ready to train,” Streeter said Sunday, the final day of the team’s three-day rookie minicamp in Owings Mills. “He took it upon himself to extend that invitation. He stays probably 40 minutes away from me in Miami. He just invited me to come over, work out. I accepted it and we’ve been on a roll ever since.

”Since draft day, Lewis and Streeter have pumped iron and worked up a sweat together in Florida. Steeler, who at 23 is 13 years younger than Lewis, marveled at his new teammate’s work ethic.

“It’s been tough. He pushes his body to the limit,” Streeter said. “It’s no surprise that he plays the way he plays on game day and why he’s been playing so long in the NFL."

Standing tall at 6 feet 5, Streeter was easy to spot during Sunday's practice. His size and speed are his most enticing attributes, but the deep threat has a long way to go to become a complete receiver. Streeter had 52 catches for 967 yards and nine touchdowns in three seasons at Miami. 

Ravens coach John Harbaugh provided this scouting report: “First impression, he’s really tall. Second impression, he’s really fast. I’d say third impression, he’s going to be a good player.”

Streeter isn’t the only Ravens rookie who is being mentored by one of the team’s Pro Bowlers. Safety Christian Thompson, a fourth-round pick, has been getting advice from safety Ed Reed.

“Being a DB, you always want to play under the best players and Ed Reed, to me, is the best,” Thompson said. “Being able to play under him is a blessing. I wouldn’t trade that for the world.”

Streeter said he would always remember how 31 teams passed on him, but he, too, feels blessed to be given the opportunity to be with the Ravens and around Lewis, a former Hurricane himself.

“I kind of felt like a lot of people didn’t believe in me even though I believe in myself. I thank God that the coaches believed in me and gave me this opportunity,” the introspective Streeter said. “Ever since I got that phone call on draft day, I had the mindset that I was willing to work.”


(baltmoresun.com)

If Michael Phelps again wins multiple gold medals at the Summer Olympics, Ray Lewis will deserve some of the credit.

Phelps told the Baltimore Sun that he experienced some burnout after winning eight gold medals in Beijing four years ago, and it was tough to get as motivated to compete in London this year. But getting to know Lewis, hearing his pep talks and seeing the passion the Ravens’ linebacker still has for his sport after 16 seasons in the league helped Phelps to rediscover his own passion for his sport.

“I love to watch him play. It sends chills up my spine,” Phelps said. “And his words are so powerful. It’s what friends are for.”

Phelps is a big Ravens fan, and he and Lewis have developed a bond over the last few years. Lewis has a reputation for being as good a motivator off the field as he is a linebacker on the field (he recently gave a rousing speech to Stanford’s basketball team), and Phelps says his relationship with Lewis has meant a lot to him.

“Ray is a good friend of mine,” Phelps said. “Baltimore is my hometown, and it’s where I grew up. I’m always going to have a place there. I love Baltimore, I love being close to [where] the Ravens play.”


(profootballtalk.com)

A nonprofit affordable-housing builder says it will rehab at least 500 vacant Baltimore homes -- in a partnership that includes the Ravens' Ray Lewis -- and intends to start soon.

The North Carolina-based Builders of Hope is announcing the "Bring It Home" initiative today. It says it has secured about $100 million from an investor who wants to remain anonymous and plans to use up to $30 million of that rehabilitating vacant homes in Baltimore and Atlanta.

Lewis and the United Athletes Foundation are involved in the effort, along with debt-counseling group Consumer Education Services Inc.

In Baltimore, Builders of Hope is working with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s Vacants to Value program. The plan is to find a neighborhood close to the Johns Hopkins Hospital with "a good density of vacant, blighted housing all within a certain block radius so we can really have an impact on the community there," said Nancy Welsh, Builders of Hope's founder and chief executive.

Neighborhoods near the East Baltimore hospital have hundreds and hundreds of homes tagged by the city as vacant and unsafe or uninhabitable.

Stay tuned -- colleague Lorraine Mirabella will have more later.


(baltimoresun.com)

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis won't be called to testify in the ongoing trial of former NFL linebacker Nate Webster, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Lewis had been subpoenaed as a defense witness earlier this week. It was never revealed why Lewis was originally called as a witness or what information he was expected to present for the defense. Lewis and Webster were both linebackers at the University of Miami in the 1990s.

Webster, a nine-year veteran who played for the Bengals in 2004 and 2005, is facing sex-related charges involving the teenage daughter of a former Cincinnati assistant coach.


(espn.com)

While former Cincinnati Bengal Nathaniel “Nate” Webster had his trial start today, the big news was another linebacker who is scheduled to testify.
Mary Jill Donovan, Webster’s attorney, issued a subpoena requiring the Baltimore Ravens All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis to testify in the trial.

Donovan, representing Webster against allegations he had sex with a 15-year-old girl in 2009, wouldn’t say why she called for Lewis to testify.
A message about Lewis’ testimony left with the Ravens wasn’t immediately returned today.

The case began Monday with jury selection. The actual trial is expected to begin Tuesday with opening statements.

Webster, who has denied all allegations, was 31 and the girl 15 when she said he had sex with her at least four times in 2009 in and around their Symmes Township neighborhood. He now is 34 and she is 18.

Webster is charged with sexual touching, sexual battery and five counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

Hamilton County prosecutors were unconcerned with Lewis’ possible testimony, saying the only issue in the case is if Webster has sex with a minor. If they can convince a jury he did, he could go to prison for more than 30 years.

That’s far less than the plea deal Assistant Prosecutors Seth Tieger and Katie Burroughs offered Webster earlier.

Tieger, who said the plea deal was offered to try to spare the alleged victim from having to testify in a high-profile case, said the plea deal included a mandatory prison sentence for Webster that also required him to register as a sex offender after his release.

Common Pleas Court Judge Ralph “Ted” Winkler told the sides he would send Webster to prison for four years if such a plea was accepted by the former pro football player, who has seven children from four women.

The judge also raised a potential conflict of interest in the case: Webster is represented by the wife of Sean Donovan, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy who is running for Sheriff this fall. He is also is the boss of the police officers who arrested Webster and will be testifying in the case for prosecutors.

Mary Jill Donovan said there was no conflict.

“It's fraught with danger for everybody and I'll leave it at that," the judge said.

Webster played in Cincinnati for four games over two years, 2005 and 2006, before knee injuries ended his Bengal career. He played three more years in Denver, the last in 2008. He also coached for a time in 2010 at Bellevue High.

Winkler said the case is expected to go into next week.


(cincinnati.com)

LAKELAND | Three years ago, Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis wanted to establish a wing of his foundation in Lakeland. After all, Lewis graduated from Kathleen High School.

So far, so good.

The Ray Lewis Foundation will host Ray's Spring Fest this week, filled with meet-and-greets, fundraisers and activities for adults and children.
The activities start at 7 tonight when Lewis will be on hand for a meet-and-greet at the Dream Center, 635 W. Fifth St., Lakeland. On Friday, he participates in a celebrity bowling tournament at Orange Bowl Lanes as well as an after party.

On Saturday, Lewis will hold a youth fitness clinic during the day, then give the coin toss at the Lakeland Raiders football game at The Lakeland Center at night.

The activities tonight and Friday are fundraisers that help the foundation do other activities during the year, like back-to-school and holiday activities.

"Ray's goal has been to bring his foundation back to the community where it all began," said Gwen Gentry, vice president of the foundation. "His foundation has been active and involved in the Baltimore community, and now Ray is making an impact here in Florida through the activities of the foundation."

The jewel of the weekend is the youth fitness clinic on Saturday at his alma mater, Kathleen High School.

The clinic is not a football camp.

Lewis and area coaches and athletes will lead the youth participants through various exercises meant to get them physically active. Registration for the camp is closed.

"Ray really wants the kids to get out there and have fun and understand, one, the importance of exercise," said John Ruffin, chairman of Lewis' foundation in Lakeland. "And two, how the cultivation of determination in this capacity can be carried forward to build the character needed to be successful in all aspects of life. He's a living testament to that every day of his life."

Tickets to the fundraisers tonight and Friday are limited. For more information on the foundation, contact Ruffin at 863-712-6125 or Gentry at 863-279-2122.


(theledger.com)

The Dolphins will check out UM draft prospects on Wednesday and Thursday, which reminds us that they have selected only two Hurricanes in the past 20 drafts (Yatil Green in 1997 and Vernon Carey in 2004). “It’s mind-boggling,” Ed Reed said at UM’s Hall of Fame inductions Thursday. “We’re right here!” Bryant McKinnie said. “You would think they would know us better than anybody.”

If the Dolphins sign McIntosh, he would be the only Hurricanes player on the roster - for now - because Carey is not expected to return.
The Dolphins insist they have no objection to drafting UM players, and they are believed to like a few departing Canes, including receiver Tommy Streeter.

Keep in mind this is a franchise that took John Jerry at 73 over Jimmy Graham (who went 95th) in 2010 when Bill Parcells mistakenly thought he could draft Graham in the fourth round; Jamar Fletcher (26) over Reggie Wayne (30) in 2001; selected Jason Allen 16th and traded the 51st pick for Daunte Culpepper in 2006 (instead of signing Drew Brees), thus eliminating any chance of drafting Devin Hester (57) or Eric Winston (66); and took Anthony Alabi over Chris Myers in 2005, among other moves. Choosing solid pro Daryl Gardener at 20 instead of Ray Lewis (26) in 1996 would have been regrettable if Jimmy Johnson hadn’t found a gem in Zach Thomas at No. 154 that year.

McKinnie said he, Reed and Jeremy Shockey used to talk about finishing their careers with the Dolphins, but “the Dolphins wouldn’t do that. In college, we all said we would take pay cuts to come to the Dolphins.”

McKinnie said he doubts that would happen now. "I don't know what direction this team is going in," McKinnie said.

Miami didn’t try to sign McKinnie or Shockey when they were free agents last year, opting for Marc Colombo and Jeron Mastrud. Wayne would have considered the Dolphins last month, “but it didn’t seem like they wanted me.”


(miamiherald.com)

Ray Lewis III has already stoked plenty of excitement with his blend of power and agility in his first three seasons as a running back at Lake Mary (Fla.) Preparatory School. Now he's officially following in his father's footsteps, committing to play college football for the University of Miami.

As first reported by Rivals.com University of Miami affiliate CaneSport.com, Lewis III agreed to join the University of Miami's Class of 2013 on Monday, giving Hurricanes coach Al Golden his commitment in person alongside his more famous father. The younger Lewis committed as soon as he received the offer during an on campus visit on Monday, which the Lewis family made together, then announced the decision publicly on Twitter Tuesday.

Lewis III has made his name in Florida football circuits primarily as a running back, but that doesn't ensure he won't move to the defensive side in college. The junior has also been a significant contributor (albeit a less high profile one) as a safety.

"Ever since I was born, it has always been Miami," Lewis III told CaneSport. "My mom and dad both went to Miami and so much has gone on through the years. But I took a tour today and I just felt like this was home. The way the players practiced, talking to the players and the coaching staff. I just felt like I was home. This is a great day."

Given his father's reputation, it may be even more difficult for Miami coaching staff to overlook Lewis III's defensive talents than his offensive explosiveness.

Regardless of where he's played, Lewis III said he was happy to be a part of the Miami program, which has been as much a part of his DNA as the teen's leadership qualities on the field.

His father, for one, is already getting goosebumps about how his son could contribute at 'The U'.

"It's hard as a father," Ray Lewis told CaneSport. "It's hard. It's so hard. I was sitting in the office and I didn't want to show my emotions in front of [Miami head coach Al] Golden. But I had butterflies. Once he started to get older and started to understand, and I saw what he was turning into, I said 'Oh my God.' I used to say can you imagine if you went to UM? Can you can you imagine if you followed that up.

"I dreamed about this from the time he came out. The first thing I said when I saw I had a son was, wow, my son is going to go to UM. Now it's almost like looking in a mirror. The way that he talks, the way that he walks. It's one of the most awesome things I have ever seen. And now he is a Hurricane."


(yahoosports.com)

Ray Lewis III wants to make his mark with the Miami Hurricanes.

His father Ray Lewis, a probable future NFL Football Hall of Famer as a linebacker with the Baltimore Ravens, is already in the UM Sports Hall of Fame.

Lewis, a 5-9, 175-pound running back/safety at Lake Mary Prep, gave his oral commitment to UM coach Al Golden on Tuesday. Lewis rushed for more than 2,000 yards in his junior year. He would arrive for the 2013 season.

“Just committed to Miami Baby!!!!!’’ Lewis III posted on Twitter on Tuesday night.


(miamiherald.com)

Former Hurricane stars WR Reggie Wayne, LB Ray Lewis, LB D.J. Williams, LB Jonathan Vilma and TE Jimmy Graham watched the team pracitce on Tuesday. While Williams, Vilma, and Graham are regulars at practice, Wayne, and, especially, Lewis, are rare visitors to the Greentree practice fields.



(cbssports.com)

Having formerly worked in the Cockeysville area, I was able to watch the transformation of the Hunt Valley Town Center. Crappy restaurants were replaced with nicer ones, Wegmans (the greatest grocery store in the world) was built and Wal-Mart moved out for a new project by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

Two years ago Lewis announced MVP Lanes, an upscale bowling alley featuring a sushi bar and restaurant. Today, Lewis’ project “has devolved into a swirl of lawsuits,” according to Gus Sentementes of the Baltimore Sun.

The project’s subcontractors have complained that they are owed over $1.1 million and building has stalled. Today, MVP Lanes features boarded off windows and a chain linked fence around what would be the front door.

All signs point to the project being scrapped, Ray Lewis’ official website no longer mentions MVP Lanes and the project’s homepage, MVPEntertainment.com, is offline.

It’s crazy to think that a guy who signed a $22 million contract three seasons ago can’t seem to get this project off the ground.  Hunt Valley would have been a perfect location for an upscale bowling alley like this, but after reading the details in The Sun, I can’t imagine Lewis can pick up the pieces to finish MVP Lanes.


(baltimoresportsreport.com)

Former Ravens head coach and current NFL Network analyst Brian Billick just exited the podium at the NFl Scouting Combine. He was his engaging and interesting self, calling Stanford's Andrew Luck the best quarterback prospect since John Elway and relaying a story where he once asked an NFL prospect with character questions, "Are you a thug or are you stupid?"

He also discussed the difficult decisions former players - Ray Lewis and Ed Reed - will face in deciding when it's time to hang it up and call it quits on expected Hall of Fame careers. Lewis and Reed have both said that they will play next season.

"It’s eventually going to happen for everyone," Billick said. "Ed Reed is a little bit different because of the injuries. ... Ed, as you know, is very in tune to that. The demands on his body and the hits that he takes, at some point. Ed will be prudent that way. It may take for the entire offseason. When we had Jonathan Ogden, Jonathan could have continued to play but Jonathan knew because the toe injury at the end, ‘You know what? I’m not going to do what I know how I have to do in the offseason to come back and play. Yeah, I’m going to keep playing but I know what that offseason has to be.’

"Ed Reed, I think, has the intelligence obviously to [say], 'You know what, I just know that I can’t and won’t do the things that I have to do in the offseason in order to play.' Ray, gosh, it amazes me. I thought a couple of years ago he was a bit of a liability on third down and he seemed to bounce back in only the way Ray Lewis can, and needed to be on the field every snap. Amazing. But even for Ray Lewis, at some point. Ray has such a high expectation for himself and again, it’s hard for a player sometimes to truly recognize where are you. I’ve had a number of my former players – typically the smart ones – that will call outside sources and say, ‘Coach, look at my film, tell me if it’s time for me to go.’ It’s a tough question."


(baltimoresun.com)

The clear-cut top player on ESPN.com's Any Era team is Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who has defined toughness for this generation of football.

Lewis' career has spanned over three decades and has featured him delivering bone-breaking hits, playing through pain and carrying a team to a Super Bowl. He has become the most feared and most respected player in the NFL.

This is why Lewis was the overwhelming top pick on ESPN's Any Era team in a poll of 20 Pro Football Hall of Famers and John Clayton, ESPN.com's senior writer who has covered the league for nearly four decades. The Any Era team is comprised of current players whose play, attitude and grit stand the test of time. When it comes to this test, Lewis stands alone. (Here's a full explanation of the project).

In my Q&A with Lewis, he was humbled by being named No. 1 on the Any Era team. "Because those are guys that I had a dream one day, to say, 'I want to be in the NFL. I want to be that, and leave a mark on it,'" Lewis said. "When you watch Jim Brown, he left a mark on the game by the way he played. And the difference of Jim Brown and all the others -- the Lynn Swanns and all the other people, it's pure effort -- that's it."

Here are explanations from three Hall of Fame players on why Lewis made the cut:

Jim Brown: “Ray Lewis embodies everything that a player should have and more because not only does he fulfill his role, but he helps everybody else on the team. He has a great heart, and his mental toughness is as good as it gets. You don’t want to have a physical tough guy without him being mentally tough and having heart, which means he can hang in there and give up a certain part of himself that other people are afraid to give up.”

Marcus Allen: “The passion Ray Lewis plays with is -- you’d have to search the dictionary for something really adequate. Words like extreme don’t measure how a guy like him loves the game of football and is willing to lay it on the line every day to be great.”

James Lofton: "There is an awareness when you play against Ray Lewis. When you are coming out of the huddle, if you are a QB or a ballcarrier, you try not to make eye contact with him. But you have to look at him, so you can figure out how the defense is aligned and looking at him is like looking into the face of fear -- you just have to look at it."


(espn.com)

On a trip to Dallas from BWI last week, to my surprise, I was sitting next to Ray Lewis of the Ravens. He was on his way to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, and I'm sure it was a bittersweet trip for him. Mr. Lewis accommodated anyone and everyone who asked for an autograph with respect and dignity. He was most kind and considerate, even while being interrupted during a telephone call for an autograph while we were sitting at the gate. I did take the liberty of congratulating him on a great season, and he shook my hand with appreciation. He handled himself as the professional he is, and never once during his private moments was he upset with anyone who approached him.

There are some great defensive linebackers that have defined NFL teams over the years, such as Ray Nitschke with the Green Bay Packers, Dick Butkus of the Chicago Bears, and Sam Huff of the New York Giants. Included in that list will be the city of Baltimore's Ray Lewis. He will be in the minds of many fans and players the definition of Baltimore and it's rich connection to the game this town loves.


(baltimoresun.com)

Linebacker Ray Lewis told reporters after the season-ending loss to the New England Patriots that he planned to return for a 17th NFL season, but the team is still awaiting word from free safety Ed Reed.

“Ed doesn’t give definitive answers,” Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said, adding that he thinks Reed “still has the desire to play.”

Bisciotti said it would be difficult to replace both Lewis and Reed at their respective positions, but he believes the Ravens already have their replacements -- in terms of impact -- on the roster in linebacker Terrell Suggs, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and cornerback Jimmy Smith.

“We have great players like Ngata and Suggs that are their replacements,” Bisciotti said. “We don’t have enough money after paying Ngata and Suggs to go get Hall of Famers at linebacker and safety. … So I don’t think you replace them, and then safety and linebacker might not be our two best positions three years from now. They might be rookie or second-year guys.”


(baltimoresun.com)

Last week, ESPN revealed its NFL “All Era” team, which recognized those current players whose attitudes and styles of play would make them successful in, well, any era, whether it is today’s pass-happy NFL or the days when Dick Butkus and Jack Lambert roamed the field and the word “concussion” was crazy medical jargon.

Three Ravens were in the top 14 -- linebacker Ray Lewis, safety Ed Reed and running back Ray Rice. Lewis was No. 1 on the list, which was based on voting by 20 Hall of Famers -- legends such as Mike Ditka, Warren Moon and Jerry Rice -- and ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton. Lewis was said to be “the overwhelming top pick.”

“[It’s] humbling,” Lewis told ESPN.com. “Because those are guys that I had a dream one day, to say, 'I want to be in the NFL. I want to be that, and leave a mark on it.' When you watch Jim Brown, he left a mark on the game by the way he played. And the difference of Jim Brown and all the others -- the Lynn Swanns and all the other people, it's pure effort -- that's it. He was gifted with great talent, but everything else was effort.

“And when you hear men like that speak about you, you humble yourself, to say, 'Wow,' you know, to know that when you do strap up your cleats and you buckle up your chin strap, that somebody is always watching, and they're paying you a lot of respect by the way you go at the game. It's the ultimate respect in this game, that when you leave this game, you'll mainly be remembered by what your peers and what people watching you say."

Seven of the top 14 players on this list are members of the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. That says something about the brand of football that is played in the AFC North, especially in the NFL’s hardest-hitting rivalry.


(baltimoresun.com)

The post-game speech Ray Lewis gave in the locker room after the loss to New England in the AFC title game already has received lots of attention. He didn’t talk long, just over a minute, but it was a very interesting way to start the transition into 2012. 

In the moments after a crushing loss like that, someone should step up and be a leader in a locker room—high school, college, professional or whatever. Lewis sets the tone for the defense and the team. He did it again with the emotional speech. 

Lewis told the defense and the rest of the Ravens they had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of and to remember that only one team wins the championship. He implored Joe Flacco not to be down because he played a certain part of his body off. 

He also said this also would motivate them going forward.

“Every time you go through something like this, it has to drive you,” Lewis said when talking to the media after the game. “I truly believe that it is the only thing that makes people great. It’s not the ones that’s always winning that people remember. It’s the ones that go through tough times.”

And the Ravens have been through a few of those, even though they’re respected as one of the NFL’s top franchise. 

But now they’ve got something to drive them while working for next year. Lewis said he’ll certainly be motivated. 

“As a team, we have been through every up and down roller-coaster through this journey, but for us to be here now, I’m hungry again,” Lewis said. “I’m thirsty again. Life offers too much, it really does. 

Take a few seconds and look at Lewis’ post-game remark to the team. And listen to how quiet it is in that locker room. That’s where the value of a leader like Lewis can be measured. You can hear a pin drop while he's speaking.

The team paid attention to his message. The frustration of that loss will be around for awhile. But it will make them work that much harder, and the players would have been motivated anyway. Lewis just gave them a little extra push and quietly made them realize that 2011 was done, and it’s time for 2012. 


(csnwashigton.com)

After missing a 32-yard field goal that could have sent the AFC Championship Game into overtime on Sunday, Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff said he accepts the blame for the loss to the Patriots.

“It’s a kick I’ve kicked a thousand times in my career, there’s really no excuse for it,” Cundiff said. “You know that Ray Lewis has poured his heart out, and you don’t know how many years he has left. To let him down is pretty tough.”

It’s still not clear what happened on that field goal attempt, as Cundiff appeared to be rushing into position and didn’t look ready, even though he could have simply called timeout if he needed more time. The Ravens had plenty of time, but the whole field goal unit looked like it was in a hurry.

The Ravens had another missed opportunity earlier in the fourth quarter, when they chose to go for it on fourth-and-6, rather than have Cundiff try a 50-yard field goal. Joe Flacco threw an incomplete pass to Dennis Pitta on that play, but Ravens coach John Harbaugh defended the decision after the game.

“We just felt like from a percentage standpoint,” Harbaugh said, “we probably had a better chance of getting the first down.”

Harbaugh might have been right on that call: Cundiff was just 1-for-6 from 50 yards and beyond during the regular season, and he’s made just 26.3 percent of his 50-plus field goals in his career.

And that raises a question: If Cundiff can’t be counted on to make long field goals in big situations, and he can’t even be counted on to make short field goals in big situations, can the Ravens keep him as their kicker in 2012?


(profootballtalk.com)

Comments

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The devastating AFC championship loss won't be Ray Lewis' last game.

Lewis shot down any notion that he will retire, saying he is returning to the Baltimore Ravens next season, his 17th in the NFL. The 13-time Pro Bowl linebacker is so sure that he's coming back to the Ravens that he cleared up the issue himself.

"Is this my last time as a Raven? Absolutely not," Lewis said. "Let me answer that question before somebody asks me. Absolutely not. It's just too much. Life offers too much. Everytime you step on this field, it's a true blessing."

Lewis, who will turn 37 by the time training camp begins, endured one of the roughest seasons of his career. He injured his toe late in the season that caused him to miss four games and didn't play at the same high level when he returned.

Still, he led the Ravens with 95 tackles and recorded two sacks, one interception and seven forced fumbles. The Ravens might have to consider reducing Lewis' snaps next season to save the wear and tear on his body. He's been an every-down player since he entered the league in 1996.

But Lewis isn't thinking about leaving the game, setting new standard for longevity among NFL middle linebackers. Mike Singletary retired after 12 seasons before his play declined. Jack Lambert walked away after 11 years because of a severe toe injury. And Dick Butkus stopped after nine seasons because of multiple knee injuries.

"For us to be here now, I'm hungry again and I'm thirsty again," Lewis said. "Every time you go through something like this, it has to drive you. I truly believe that's the only thing that makes people great. It's not the ones who always winning that people remember. It's the ones who go through tough times."


(espn.com)

Ray Lewis and Ed Reed have spent 11 seasons together with the Baltimore Ravens, making one big play after another for a defense that is always among the best in the NFL.

Although it's difficult to imagine the Ravens without Lewis in the middle of the field and Reed as the last line of defense, the unit has plenty of young players eager to make an imprint after these two perennial Pro Bowl stars retire.

Baltimore's defense, which ranked third in the NFL this season, is the main reason why the Ravens (13-4) are in the AFC championship game and stand a decent chance of beating high-powered New England (14-3) to advance to the Super Bowl.

Linebacker Jarret Johnson says, "We've got veteran experience ... and young, raw talent."


(sfgate.com)

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Linebacker Ray Lewis probably didn't come close to being a member of the Patriots, but he was definitely on their radar heading into the 1996 NFL draft.

New England head coach Bill Belichick, an assistant on Bill Parcells' staff in 1996, has alluded several times to Lewis' tremendous pre-draft interview process. In passing, Belichick has mentioned linebacker Jerod Mayo and cornerback Devin McCourty as players who had similarly impressive pre-draft interviews to Lewis, particularly in terms of film study.

Belichick recollected his time with Lewis on Thursday, as his Patriots prepared to take on Lewis' Ravens in Sunday's AFC Championship.

"Real impressive," Belichick said of Lewis in 1996. "I spent all day down there with him in Miami. It was before the '96 season when I was first coming to New England. Yeah, really impressive guy -- fast, made a lot of plays in college in their 4-3 scheme. He was a middle linebacker. He had a ton of production. Really instinctive guy that had great intensity and knowledge of the game, even back then, and certainly we can all see that now, but I saw it when he was at Miami."

The Patriots used the seventh overall pick on wide receiver Terry Glenn, much to Parcells' public dismay, as it yielded his famous line that revealed his passion for grocery shopping. Parcells reportedly wanted to draft defensive lineman Tony Brackens, who was taken by the Jaguars at No. 33, instead of Glenn. At the very least, there appeared to be no doubt that Parcells wanted a defensive player with that pick.

Lewis, meanwhile, slipped to the Ravens at No. 26 -- 10 picks ahead of where the Patriots took safety Lawyer Milloy with their second selection -- and he's remained in Baltimore ever since.

In hindsight, Lewis should have been one of the top two or three picks in the draft (the Ravens also hit a home run with tackle Jonathan Ogden at No. 4). And he was certainly there for the taking at No. 7.


(nesn.com)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ray Lewis is the only player left from the 2000 Baltimore Ravens squad that won the franchise’s first and only Super Bowl.

More than a decade later and 16 years into his career, the linebacker has continued to play at a high level despite the fact that rookies and second-year Ravens players were in middle school when that defensively dominant bunch Lewis led defeated the New York Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV.

Before Baltimore’s divisional-round victory over Houston last Sunday, Lewis broke out his 2000 ring as part of his game day attire to remind teammates that he’s the only one in that locker room to win a Super Bowl title with the Ravens.

“I think it’s bigger than just reminding them, it’s also there to remind me about what it’s really all about,” Lewis said. “Sometimes when I do my cheap little push-ups and sit-ups, I think about those things.”

Lewis arguably is the greatest middle linebacker to play the game and began lecturing teammates on what it takes to be a champion the day after the NFL lockout ended. Lewis, 36, in what could be the final season of his career, has shared Super Bowl memories with his teammates throughout the season.

“We know you don’t get this opportunity [often],” cornerback Lardarius Webb said. “We’re not trying to take it for granted.”

Lewis and the Ravens last had a chance at an AFC title and a second Super Bowl appearance in the 2008 playoffs, when quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice were rookies. The Ravens fell to archrival Pittsburgh 23-14. This time, it’s different, Lewis said. The players around him are more experienced and have been in this same situation before.

“We have the right chemistry right now,” Lewis said. “We have the guys that have been in the playoffs, who have had the disappointments and things like that. We have a certain sense of things that we want to do personally and as a team. I think everything we went through we definitely learned from.”

Losses to Tennessee, Jacksonville, Seattle and San Diego dampened outside expectations for what Baltimore could accomplish this season. But Lewis stayed the course with his teammates, letting them know what it takes and how hard it is to reach the NFL’s biggest stage.

In that 2000 campaign, Lewis felt the Ravens were doubted quite a bit, possibly because they endured a three-game losing streak in the middle of the season. But Baltimore rebounded, with Lewis leading them, to 11 consecutive wins and the franchise’s lone Vince Lombardi Trophy.

“Ray, from time to time, will remind guys as a whole and individually what it takes to achieve what he achieved in 2000, and share his wisdom and knowledge about that,” defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said. “We’ve been talking about that since day one.”

During training camp, Lewis said he’d consider retiring if the Ravens won the Super Bowl. Now that Baltimore’s one game away from reaching the NFL season’s finale, he’s reversed his preseason statement by saying he’s having too much fun to think about retirement.

“The only reason you play this game is for the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl,” Lewis said. “We have that opportunity right now. Whatever anybody wants to say about us, we are in position. There are two teams left in the AFC, just us and the Patriots.”

One player Lewis has taken under his wing and mentored since his NFL arrival is Rice. The two usually arrive to practice together and have demonstrated a bond on and off the field.

Rice said Lewis is vocal with his message for Baltimore to seize the opportunity it has. His message lends credibility, based on Lewis‘ 16 playoff games.

“It’s like he preaches these moments don’t come by too often, and you have to embrace every moment that you have with this team,” Rice said. “Every team that I’ve been on has been different. Guys come and go, but this opportunity is different. It’s been a great ride, and it just feels like the story has to continue.”

Safety Bernard Pollard said Lewis told him that it wasn’t until late in that 2000 season that those outside the locker room began to believe Baltimore could win a Super Bowl.

“They were underdogs every single game,” Pollard said. “I think fighting, knowing and understanding what’s at stake, and after winning a Super Bowl and feeling the confetti dropping down on you, you can’t explain it. That’s a feeling you want to take and share with your grandkids, share it with people. There are guys that play in this league for many years and never get a chance to sniff a Super Bowl.”

It was a surprise for the Ravens to reach the AFC Championship in 2008 on the heels of a 5-11 season that saw coach Brian Billick ousted. This time, it’s different, as the Ravens have wrestled with sizeable expectations throughout the season.

“I truly believe that an experienced team will outweigh a talented team any day,” Lewis said. “That’s what we have now. We have total experience on what it’s supposed to feel like, what you’re supposed to do to prepare and what the mentality is going into it. I think our confidence is definitely very high just because we have been through those bumps and bruises.”


(washingtonpost.com)

On his man-love for Reed : “I don’t know where to start. The play Ed Reed makes at the end of the game against Houston last week, I think that says it all, really. He’s playing one side of the field trying to stay over the top of (Andre) Johnson, who they single up on the backside. I’m sure that they were looking for him. If he had single coverage, they’d want to throw it up to him, but Reed is over the top of him but they throw the Hail Mary to the other side and he comes all the way across the field and makes the play — really kind of a game-saving play. I’m not sure that if he hadn’t made it, I don’t know what would have happened there. Those are the kinds of plays he makes. He probably covers more field back there as a single safety than most teams can cover with two. He’s got great instincts, he’s a tremendous player.”

On Ravens LB Ray Lewis: “Ray Lewis, everything he brings to the game, his playmaking ability, his leadership, his experience, his ability to get people around him to play better both by his communication and anticipation and leadership and football savvy on the field. Those two guys, it would be really hard, I think, to put anybody even in their class, let alone above them. They’re tremendous players with tremendous careers. Can’t say I’ve ever coached against anybody better than Ed Reed in the secondary.


(bostonherald.com)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ray Lewis knows what kind of game the AFC championship is going to be Sunday. It’s the kind that really will be settled before the first ball is kicked off.

“It’s a film study game with him,’’ Lewis said of Patriots [team stats] quarterback Tom Brady [stats]. “He wants to ID everything that’s coming out and know what you’re in. Your job is to disguise and not show him all of that. It’s a chess match, almost.

“When you speak about Tom you’re talking about arguably one of the best quarterbacks of all time. You’ve got your hands full from day one, before you even step on the field with him.’’

What makes the Patriots offense so difficult to prepare for is not only the presence of Brady but the design of so many of their pass routes, which leave defenses’ heads spinning.

“They do a lot of clever things,’’ Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “The more you study it, the more respect you have for what they’re doing. (Brady’s) got total control of what they’re doing.’’


(boston.com)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Ed Reed voiced his critical opinion of Joe Flacco's performance last Sunday against the Texans, and Ravens leader Ray Lewis today voiced the general opinion of the locker room, which was that Reed's comments were a non-issue.

With the Ravens set to face the Patriots for the AFC Championship in four days, Lewis did everything to ensure that comments Reed made on a Sirius satellite radio show that Flacco looked rattled in the Ravens' 20-13 win wouldn't take on a life of their own.

"It’s not an issue," linebacker Ray Lewis said. "I haven’t heard what he said, but it’s not an issue. The only issue we have as a team is going up and trying to get a win in Foxborough. Anything else that anyone else wants to bring up is irrelevant at this time and every single person in our locker room is thinking the same way."

Flacco threw two touchdown passes in the win, capitalizing on two early turnovers, but after the first quarter the Ravens offense largely stalled. That said, this is the fourth time Flacco's been to the playoffs in his four-year career and this will be the second time he's gone to the AFC Championship. He's the first quarterback since the 1970 merger to take his team to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons. He is the Ravens' franchise leader in completions (1,190), attempts (1,958), yards (13,816), touchdowns (80), and passer rating (86.0).

"I'm more shocked just of how people can speak about someone who's just a flat out winner," Lewis said. "There's no one side to anything. There's no one player that makes no team great. It takes a team effort. And for what Joe's came in here and done for us, I told people from Day 1, when I first saw that kid throw the football, I said that kid is special. And you watch all of these guys who went in the top picks, No. 1 picks that's not even in football anymore. But you're talking about a guy that's been in this league and has been in the playoffs all four years and has given his team an opportunity to win games.

Flacco threw 20 touchdowns and 12 picks this season in an up and down season.

"Joe doesn't play defense. So when we gave up touchdowns on defense, that wasn't Joe's fault. When people beat us on defense or schemed up something against us, that wasn't Joe's fault. The time that Pittsburgh scrambled and made a big play against us, that wasn't Joe's fault. So a lot of things that people try to put on the quarterback, I understand that, but it ain't about our quarterback. It's about the Baltimore Ravens and we're a complete team. We go into games, we win as a team, we lose as a team."


(boston.com)

Did Ray Lewis play his final home game at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday?

When Lewis was asked that exact question by ESPN's Sal Paolantonio after the game, the 16-year middle linebacker smiled.

"Football is too fun for me, man," Lewis said. "I love it too much to ever even put that thought in my head and disrespect not just me and my craft, but disrespect my team. I just never thought of it. Whenever God says time is enough, then it's enough. But when you're having the fun that I'm having, and you're playing at the level I'm playing at, do it until you can't do it no more."

Lewis had his best game since returning from a toe injury. In Sunday's divisional playoff game against Houston, he recorded a team-best eight tackles, including one for a loss, and nearly picked off a pass.

The Ravens, who play at New England in the AFC Championship Game, finished perfect at home this season after a 20-13 win over the Texans. There has been speculation that Lewis would retire if the Ravens won the Super Bowl this season.

Meanwhile, Baltimore center Matt Birk disputed a CBS report by former NFL general manager Charley Casserly that he has made up his mind to retire at the end of the season. Birk, a six-time Pro Bowl center, is in the final year of his contract with the Ravens after playing for them for three seasons.

"No, I haven't made that decision yet, and I don't know Charley Casserly," said Birk, who turns 36 before the start of next season. "I don't even know who he is. I don't know him, he didn't talk to me and that's all I can say."


(espn.com)

Frank Gore, Vince Wilfork, Ray Lewis, Jimmy Graham and Ed Reed all made the 2012 Pro Bowl, this being Graham’s first Pro Bowl selection of his career. This will be Gore’s 4th Pro Bowl (2nd consecutive), Wilfork’s 5th Pro Bowl (4th consecutive), Ray Lewis’ 14 Pro Bowl (7th consecutive) and Ed Reed’s 9th Pro Bowl (7th consecutive).

Chris Myers and Andre Johnson have been named alternates. Stay tuned for a couple of more players to be named alternates soon.

By the way: The Florida State Seminoles have ONE Pro Bowler and the Florida Gators also have only ONE Pro Bowler.

Since the 1959 Pro Bowl a proCane has been on a Pro Bowl roster 51 out of 52 seasons. Since the 1984 Pro Bowl, a proCane has been named to the Pro Bowl for 28 straight years. Check out the full history of every single proCane in a Pro Bowl below.

A month-long layoff caused by the turf toe injury on his right foot didn’t prevent Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis from leading the defense in tackles with 10 in Sunday night’s 34-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers.

That performance was enough to persuade defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano to speak glowingly of the 12-time Pro Bowler’s play.

“Excellent. He didn’t miss a beat,” Pagano said Wednesday. “He had a huge impact like he always does. He didn’t miss a beat.”


(baltimoresun.com)

Before reading any further, let's make sure we're clear on this point: The Ravens and Steelers are better teams when Ray Lewis is in the middle of Baltimore's defense and Ben Roethlisberger is quarterbacking Pittsburgh.

But the Ravens and Steelers have a better chance at making serious playoff runs if their star players are healthy.

That's why Lewis and Roethlisberger need to take a seat for the next two weeks. It's obvious that Lewis is still bothered by a toe injury and Roethlisberger is limited by a high-ankle sprain. Until the playoffs start, Lewis needs to go back to being a coach on the sideline (where TV cameras can get the usual 100 shots of him) and Roethlisberger needs to be propping that leg up on a couch in a luxury box.

This isn't to diminish the significance of the final two weeks of the regular season. Although the Ravens and Steelers secured playoff spots last weekend, there is still a lot riding on the remaining games. Another loss by the Ravens (10-4) or Steelers (10-4) could cost them the AFC North title and a first-round bye in the playoffs.

This is why it's not an easy decision to rest Lewis and Roethlisberger. It is, however, the smart one. Getting home field in the playoffs is a major advantage. The Ravens and Steelers are a combined 13-1 at home this season. But they have to look at the big picture. Is it really an advantage to be playing at Heinz Field if Roethlisberger can't hit WR Mike Wallace 15 yards downfield? How many would prefer seeing a healthy Roethlisberger playing a postseason game in Denver?

While keeping Lewis and Roethlisberger on the sideline is the best decision, there are no guarantees that it would work. There's a chance that Lewis still will feel pain in his toe after two weeks and Roethlisberger still won't be able to plant that left leg by the time the postseason begins. But this is a chance that both teams need to take.

Pittsburgh could be contemplating that decision right now. On Tuesday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wouldn't commit to Roethlisberger as his starting quarterback Saturday against the Rams.

Asked Monday night if this is an injury that would improve with rest, Roethlisberger said, "I don't know. I'm not a doctor. I'm sure any injury gets better when you rest."

What is certain is that the injuries won't improve by allowing Roethlisberger and Lewis to continue to play. Roethlisberger couldn't follow through on his throws because of the ankle injury, which was the main reason why he was 4-of-14 on passes beyond 15 yards. There were times when he appeared to hop to escape pressure in the pocket.

It was just as painful to watch Lewis play a notch below his usual level in his first game back since Nov. 13. He missed a tackle on San Diego's Mike Tolbert in the second half and struggled in pass coverage, which hasn't been a strength of his for a couple of seasons.

This isn't to put all of the blame for the West Coast losses on these players. Pittsburgh wouldn't have scored a touchdown against the 49ers with Charlie Batch at quarterback, and Baltimore would have gotten lit up by the Chargers if Dannell Ellerbe had been playing inside linebacker.

This just shows that Lewis and Roethlisberger are hurting. They're hurting their teams, and themselves even more. Roethlisberger walked around the locker room after the 49ers loss with what looked like a pound of ice wrapped around his ankle. Lewis spoke to reporters after the Chargers loss with his right foot in a small garbage can filled with ice.

Of course, neither would acknowledge the extent of his injury. "For me personally, I think I came out really healthy, and I’m very excited," Lewis said.

Asked to put a percentage on the health of the toe, Lewis said, “I’m definitely 95 to 100 percent, and I’m not even worried about it.”

The same goes for Roethlisberger, who was asked how his ankle felt compared to the Thursday night game against the Browns. "It hurts," he said. "We'll leave it at that."

The hard part might not be the decision itself. It could be following through with the decision. Neither Roethlisberger nor Lewis wants to sit out games. They're leaders. They don't want to let their teammates down. The Steelers couldn't pull Roethlisberger late in the fourth quarter Monday night even when it was apparent they had lost the game. The Ravens haven't been able to get Lewis off the field on passing situations for the past couple of seasons.

What the teams have to sell these players on is the playoff picture. There is a scenario in which the Steelers could get caught up in an offensive shootout with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The only way Pittsburgh wins that one is with a healthy Roethlisberger. There is a scenario where the Ravens have to shut down top-notch running games from Houston or Denver. Baltimore's best chance at success is with a healthy Lewis.

Roethlisberger and Lewis will want to suit up because each plays with his heart. But for the next two weeks, it's about being smart.


(espn.com)

The Ravens appear to have gotten out of Sunday's loss to the San Diego Chargers with no new injury concerns.

During their afternoon practice today, only defensive end Cory Redding and kicker Billy Cundiff were not present. Redding has been dealing with an ankle injury, but he was able to play Sunday. Cundiff is still doing with a sore left calf muscle. Cundiff hasn't practiced much the past two weeks.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said yesterday that the team will have to look seriously at Cundiff's condition during the week.

Meanwhile, middle linebacker Ray Lewis, who made his return Sunday after missing four consecutive games with a toe injury, was participating. Cornerback Lardarius Webb also was out there, a good sign for his availability this weekend against the Cleveland Browns.    


(baltimoresun.com)

OWING MILLS, Md.—After missing four games with turf toe, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis practiced Wednesday and is expected to start Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.

Lewis could have started the previous two games, but the coaching staff held him out as a precautionary measure.

It will be interesting to see if the Chargers attack the middle. In the past couple of years, Lewis struggled in pass defense especially against the Chargers and tight end Antonio Gates.

This would be the perfect time for the Ravens to get Lewis off the field on third-and-long, and they could do it with Lewis saying the team didn't want to re-injure the toe and wanted to reduce the number of repetitions.

If Lewis comes off on third down, he would be replaced by Brendon Ayanbadejo, who is quicker and faster, especially when he backpedals.



(sportingnews.com)

A month ago today, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis suffered a foot injury in Seattle.  He has yet to play since then.  And he likewise hasn’t said much to the media.

Lewis spoke to CSNBaltimore.com today, after speaking at a community event in downtown Baltimore.

“I’m feeling way better,” Lewis said, adding that he believes he’ll play again this season.  “I thought I had a good chance the last four weeks of playing,” Lewis added, “but coaches and them always make the decision, and they’re just being smart with it.”

The Ravens have won four straight games without Lewis.  With three other AFC teams at 10-3, the Ravens need to keep winning in order to get Lewis and other injured players a week of rest before the division round of the postseason.



(profootballtalk.com)

Ray Lewis' face lit up when he gingerly walked into the Port Covington Wal-Mart on Tuesday, seconds after his entrance ignited a high-pitched roar from 200 kids who showed up for his annual holiday charity event.

The Ravens' All-Pro middle linebacker slapped hands, posed for a few pictures, then got behind a microphone and told the group of children it was their love and support that has kept him going and allowed him to maintain perspective during a frustrating stretch of the season during which he's missed four games with a foot injury.

"Your faces are the ones that keep me going," Lewis said, "even when I'm going through what I'm going through. I've heard the questions a billion times: 'How is your toe? When are you going to play again?' And all of that is awesome. But through my injury, in the time that I have been going through what I've been going through, the people that I've met, the people that I can make smile even through my pain ... there is no greater reward than that. Sometimes God removes you from the field so he can get your to another place."

Lewis didn't make any promises about whether he would play Sunday against the San Diego Chargers, but said he was optimistic he'd be ready to play, and confident he'd be back this year at some point.

"I'm feeling way better," Lewis said. "Way better. I thought I had a good chance the last four weeks to play, but the coaches are going to make those decisions. I don't mind being smart. But of course the warrior side of me is always going to want to get back out there."

Lewis invited more than 200 local underserved youth attend the annual event, and each child was invited to pick out gifts for themselves and their families from an assortment of items donated by Wal-Mart and the Ray Lewis Foundation.

"Sometimes you find yourself going through so much and you want to complain, but when you walk in here, you can't," Lewis said. "Because you know there are so many people here that aren't as fortunate. I told my mom, coming here, it always gets emotional for me. Because I was once here in my life."



(baltimoresun.com)

Ray Lewis is looking likely to miss one more game before making his return from a toe injury.

Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Ravens’ Week 15 game against the Chargers on December 18 is the targeted return date for Lewis, who has missed the last three weeks amid reports that he could be done for the season.

Lewis is feeling good enough that he reportedly could play Sunday against the Colts and even could have played against the Browns last week, but the Ravens figured it was better to err on the side of caution to give Lewis enough time to heal. (Something tells me that if the Ravens were playing the Steelers rather than the Browns or Colts, Lewis would be on the field.)

Even though he wasn’t playing, Lewis made the trip to Cleveland with his teammates and went through pregame warmups and felt fine. Ravens coach John Harbaugh saw that as an excellent sign.

“He was bouncing around the field yesterday before the game,” Harbaugh said Monday. “We’re hopeful. . . . We’ve been trying the last couple of weeks. We have probably been somewhat cautious. We want to make sure he doesn’t re-injure it. We’ll just have to see how that goes this week.”

Lewis is itching to get back out there, but sidelining him for at least another week seems like the right call. What the Ravens really need is for Lewis to be 100 percent in January.



(profootballtalk.com)

The Baltimore Ravens are targeting their Dec. 18 game against the San Diego Chargers for the return of linebacker Ray Lewis, who has missed the past three games with turf toe, the Baltimore Sun reported Monday, citing a team source.

The newspaper reported that Lewis took part in pregame warm-up Sunday before the Ravens' game against the Cleveland Browns and had no problems. Lewis reportedly has an insert for his shoe to help with the injury.

Lewis reportedly could have played against the Browns and also is all right to face the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday, but the newspaper reported that the Ravens are holding out until Dec. 18 to give him another week of rest.

The Ravens can take their time with Lewis because the results show they haven't missed him in the middle of the defense. Baltimore is 3-0 without its team leader, beating Cincinnati, San Francisco and Cleveland.

In three games without Lewis, the Ravens held those teams to an average of 13.3 points. In nine games with him, Baltimore has allowed 16.9 points per game.

The Ravens have used three undrafted players -- Dannell Ellerbe, Albert McClellan and Brendon Ayanbadejo -- to fill Lewis' spot.

Lewis still leads the Ravens with 68 tackles.


(espn.com)

Ray Lewis, the Raven’s linebacker, has already missed two games and hasn’t been coming to practice because of a hurt toe.

While it may be hard to believe a toe injury could sideline such a player, doctors say “turf toe” can end careers.

It’s called turf toe because it’s associated with American football players who get hurt on artificial turf. Often a player has his foot planted and another player lands on the back of his calf, driving the toe to hyper-extend.

Dr. Rebecca Cerrato, a surgeon in the Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Medical Center, said the degree of injury matters. Turf toe is basically a sprain of the ligaments that line the bottom of the big toe joint and it’s graded like any other sprain.

Grade 1 is when the ligaments are partially stretched and it’s considered mild. Grade 2 is a partial tear but not fully ruptured. Grade 3 is usually a complete rupture and maybe some breaks in the little bones in the area.

“The grade has a lot to do with how quickly they can come back,” said Cerrato, adding the injury is typically diagnosed with an X-ray.

Players with a grade 1 sprain can often return by the end of the game if they have no pain. The vast majority with grade 2 sprains are out for weeks as the swelling and pain subside. The toes need to be without pain and have a range of motion. They are often protected with tape and shoes that don’t allow the toe to lift up, Cerrato said.

Grade 3 injuries often need surgery. They are season-ending and can affect a career, said Cerrato, who has not treated Lewis and does not know the extent of his injury. Though, she said, since he’s been out two weeks already, it’s not likely a mild injury.

“The reason it’s debilitating is because an athlete needs to accelerate and change directions quickly, which requires pushing off of the toe,” she said. “That is definitely extremely difficult and painful.”

Athletes who try and play through the pain can more severely injure themselves and develop chronic long-standing problems with the joint, she said.

Athletes that want to avoid turf toe should avoid hard, inflexible artificial turf – which isn’t always an option. Cleats with stiff soles may also help.


(baltimoresun.com)

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis missed practice again today, and he’s likely to miss his third straight game on Sunday with a toe injury. But he said after practice that he’s still holding out hope for a return soon.

“I’m doing everything I can to get back and help this team get where we want to go,” Lewis said.

Lewis seems to be somewhat optimistic that he can play this season — maybe even Sunday at Cleveland — but there are others in Baltimore who think that’s unlikely.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Lewis is “probably the guy that’s furthest away” among the Ravens’ injured players, and former teammate Jonathan Ogden, who was plagued by a toe injury late in his career, is urging Lewis not to rush back onto the field.

And so it remains to be seen, as the Ravens march toward the playoffs, whether their longtime defensive leader will be a part of it, or if he’ll be watching from the sideline.


(profootballtalk.com)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ray Lewis usually helps the Baltimore Ravens win by yelling in the huddle, setting the defense and chasing down the guy with the football.

Lately, the 12-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker has been forced to play the role of cheerleader and sideline coach.

And he’s getting pretty darn tired of it.

The 36-year-old Lewis has missed Baltimore’s past two games with an injured right toe. He was held out of practice Wednesday, but hopes to be back in action Sunday when the Ravens (8-3) face the Cleveland Browns (4-7).

“There is not even a question, I want to be out there with my teammates,” Lewis said. “As a leader it is hard to watch your team go out there and compete, but I can’t be selfish. I didn’t want to push it and play if I wasn’t 100 percent.”

So, while the Ravens were battling against Cincinnati and San Francisco, Lewis watched from the sideline. Before this injury, he started in 57 straight games and was factor in just about every one of them.

“Even though I wasn’t physically out there the last two games, I was with my teammates the whole time cheering them on and in their ears every time I saw something that might help,” Lewis said. “I’m doing everything I can to get back and help this team get where we want to go.”

The Ravens proved they can win without Lewis by defeating the Bengals and 49ers, but Baltimore is clearly better with him in the middle of the defense.

“Even pregame, he motivates us and gives us what we need,” Ravens outside linebacker Paul Kruger said. “I think we just need to get him back as quickly as we can. His presence is definitely missed.”

Without Lewis in the huddle, Jameel McClain has done a fine job of calling plays and setting the defense. McClain even had eight tackles against the 49ers, tied with Bernard Pollard for the team lead.

But he’s no Lewis, and isn’t embarrassed to say so.

“Nobody can be Ray Lewis’ replacement. Ray Lewis is someone phenomenal,” McClain said.

Still, the Ravens have performed remarkably well with McClain in the middle, and his performance as Lewis’ backup has not gone unnoticed by his teammates.

“I’ve always trusted Jameel,” outside linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “I think he’s getting an opportunity to show you all exactly who he is and what he can do. But we always knew what he can do.”

McClain has played well, but he’s not alone. The Baltimore defense is comprised mostly of veterans who understand that injuries are part of the game, and virtually everyone on the unit stepped up against San Francisco, including Cory Redding (2½ sacks), Suggs (three sacks) and Haloti Ngata (two sacks).

“When one of your brothers goes down, you just have to rally around him, pick him up and let him know, ‘We’re still going to ride, man,’” Redding said. “We’re still going to go out there and do our thing, and play hard. Nothing’s going to change. Yes, we miss you. We want you back on the field like crazy. But you know what? We’re still fighting the mission at hand. We cannot dwell on the situation. If someone is not in the game, you can’t say, ‘Oh my God, what are we going to do?’ You have to keep your eyes on the prize, keep pressing forward.”

If all goes well for Lewis this week, he will return Sunday in a game the Ravens need to win to stay atop the AFC North. The Browns wouldn’t be surprised at all if No. 52 is back in uniform for the first time since Nov. 13 in Seattle.

“I’m thinking he’s going to play,” Cleveland coach Pat Shurmur said. “I know he’s a competitor and he wants to be out there and help the team, so my guess is he’ll play. They have talent and leadership at all levels of the defense, but he’s obviously the leader of the linebacking corps there. I’m sure with him in the lineup, it helps them be better. We’re anticipating he’ll be in there.”

And if Lewis isn’t ready, the Ravens will again hand over the reins to McClain.

“Without Ray in the huddle we still have to go about the same business as scheduled,” Redding said. “Seeing Ray for so many years, Jameel knows what to do. He studies, he prepares, he’s always where he’s supposed to be and makes plays. That builds confidence among the rest of us, knowing that even though Ray isn’t in the game, we still have Jameel to come out and lead us.”

With an assist from Lewis on the sideline.

“Ray is still pretty much out there,” Suggs said. “He’s not playing, but we’re still getting the calls, making adjustments on what he sees. It’s still standard operating procedure.”


(ap.com)

On Monday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said that linebacker Ray Lewis, who has missed two straight games with a toe injury, was “probably the guy that’s furthest away” from playing on Sunday among injured Ravens.

“Ray has a sprained toe, turf toe kind of thing, so those are a little more unpredictable,” Harbaugh said. “I’m hopeful. I’ve used that word before. I think he’s got a real good chance but we’ll just have to see how it goes.”

Ravens legend Jonathan Ogden, whose career was shortened by a toe injury, said Lewis shouldn’t rush back.

Ogden, who is participating in a charity auction for the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, injured his toe in Week 16 of the 2006 season. He sat out the final regular season game and got an additional week of rest thanks to the team’s first-round bye. But Ogden said he took pain shots so he could start in the playoff loss to the Colts.

“I made it through the game,” he said. “But I really ended up aggravating it to death and I really never recovered.”

Lewis suffered his injury in the Week 10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He was inactive against the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers. The 10-day span between the 49ers win and Sunday’s game in Cleveland is the main reason that Harbaugh is “hopeful” that Lewis will be healthy enough to return against the Browns.

Ogden said his recommendation for Lewis is the same he had for Ben Grubbs earlier in the season: rest, rest, rest.

“If you give it time and rest it properly, it will heal,” Ogden said. “But that’s the key: You have to rest your toe.”

The former Ravens offensive tackle, who is likely headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said that when he first heard about turf toe, his reaction was, “Give me a break.” But now he has endured it, he understands.

“I like to tell people, ‘Why don’t you just let me step on your toe real quick and see how it feels trying to walk around?’ It’s one of those things you don’t think about until you actually hurt it,” Ogden said Tuesday. “It’s hard because you are out there competing at the highest athletic level. You’re not out there doing intramurals.”


(baltimoresun.com)

Ray Lewis may be injured, but he’s getting around town. Last night, he was spotted at Chazz: A Bronx Original with 20 of his friends, including other Ravens players.

He dined on calamari fritti, a tricolored salad, and pan-seared salmon. Ravens Jarret Johnson and Haloti Ngata chowed down on chicken Parmigiana and fusilloni Caprese, respectively.

Co-owner Chazz Palminteri wasn’t there, but he was alerted that Ray was in the house. The actor followed up with a phone call, according to restaurant personnel, thanking Ray for visiting the restaurant and saying that he “is the greatest middle linebacker from sideline to sideline that ever lived.”


(baltimoremagazine.net)

The Baltimore Ravens don't need to rush linebacker Ray Lewis back into the lineup. Baltimore has shown it can beat good teams without him --the Bengals and 49ers -- and it needs Lewis' leadership more in the playoffs than in December.

There's no sense of urgency to bring back the 36-year-old linebacker from a toe injury because the Ravens don't face a top-10 rusher in their final five games. Plus, his top backup, Dannell Ellerbe, is expected to return this week after missing Thursday with a groin injury.

Without Lewis and Ellerbe, the Ravens still held San Francisco's Frank Gore to 39 yards rushing Thanksgiving night. Behind Terrell Suggs' strong effort, the Ravens' intensity on defense was as strong as the times when Lewis is on the field.

At his Monday news conference, coach John Harbaugh indicated Lewis is "probably the guy that's furthest away" among the team's injured players.

Harbaugh didn't rule out Lewis and said he is "hopeful" that the team's all-time leading tackler will play Sunday at Cleveland. "Ray has a sprained toe, turf toe kind of thing, so those are a little more unpredictable," Harbaugh told reporters at Owings Mills, Md. "I'm hopeful. I've used that word before. I think he's got a real good chance [of playing Sunday] but we'll just have to see how it goes."


(espn.com)

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is "probably the guy that's furthest away" among the team's injured players, coach John Harbaugh said Monday.

Harbaugh didn't rule out Lewis and indicated that he is "hopeful" that the team's all-time leading tackler will play Sunday at Cleveland. Lewis has missed the past two games with a toe injury.

"Ray has a sprained toe, turf toe kind of thing, so those are a little more unpredictable," Harbaugh told reporters at Monday. "I'm hopeful. I've used that word before. I think he's got a real good chance [of playing Sunday], but we'll just have to see how it goes."

Lewis' top backup, Dannell Ellerbe (groin), is expected to return after missing Thursday's game. With Lewis and Ellerbe out, Albert McClellan, an undrafted rookie in 2010, started at inside linebacker.

"Ray's probably the guy that's furthest away ... but then again, you never know," Harbaugh said.


(espn.com)

BALTIMORE - Baltimore Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis was scratched for the second consecutive game due to a painful toe injury.

It marks the second game in a row that Lewis was deactivated after snapping his 57-game consecutive streak Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Lewis attempted to play after being extremely limited in practice all week, but ultimately the toe didn't respond well enough to risk playing him this early in his recovery from an injury suffered against the Seattle Seahawks.

''Can I play with it? Absolutely," Lewis said during an NFL Network interview before the Ravens' 16-6 win last night. "There's a large amount of pain there, but I think it's more importantly about the injury. Do I go and reinjure it on a very short week and fight it the entire rest of the season instead of just going ahead and get through this stretch right now."

Lewis denied rumors that the injury could sideline him for the remainder of the season or cause the end of his career, saying: "I think all of those reports are terrible.''

The Capital first reported that Lewis would definitely miss one game and possibly additional games with a worst-case scenario of him being sidelined for four games.

''Coach (John Harbaugh) walked up to me and we looked at each other and he said, 'The best thing to probably do is just sit this one out,' " Lewis said. "We made the decision based on we have a long rest period coming up after this. So, it gives me a real opportunity to come back totally 100 percent."

With inside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe out with lingering hamstring and groin injuries aggravated against the Bengals, the Ravens started a pair of former undrafted free agents at inside linebacker in Jameel McClain and Albert McClellan.

McClain finished with eight tackles, tying safety Bernard Pollard for the team lead. And McClellan had four tackles in his first NFL start.

''I felt good, I just didn't want to be too fast to the ball," McClellan said. "That was my main problem all week and I felt like I played really good. Ray told me what he saw on film. He's more experienced at watching film and picking up tendencies. He let me know what he saw and to be patient. Patience is a virtue. "It's a huge night, another milestone personally, first start as an NFL player. I wasn't that nervous. I'm kind of mad that I was close to getting a sack and missed that opportunity, I missed a tackle for a loss. I was hustling."

They used special team ace Brendon Ayanbadejo on third downs.

Lewis has extra time to recover since the Ravens don't play again until their Dec. 4 game at the Cleveland Browns.

If the Ravens opt to sit Lewis against Cleveland, they could try to get him back on the field Dec. 11 against the Indianapolis Colts or Dec. 18 at the San Diego Chargers.

''The team is well-prepared," Lewis said. "We have three big conference games coming up."


(hometownannapolis.com)

It's not every day that an NFL player apologizes for skipping out on time with the media. In fact, it's basically never.

But Ray Lewis is a man all his own, and the Ravens linebacker released a statement Tuesday to explain his absence to the Baltimore media. His reason? Oh yeah, he was receiving treatment on the injured toe that sidelined him for Sunday's victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

"As the leader of your team, it doesn't sit well with me to be on the sidelines," Lewis said about his injury. "But I was the biggest cheerleader out there on Sunday, and I was truly proud of the way we played as a team.

"I am doing everything in my power to get back as fast as I can, whether that's this week, next week or whenever it is, I am doing everything I can to be out there with my team. I want to play Thursday night, and I am making some progress."

Lewis clearly isn't putting a timetable on his return, but NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reported Monday it will be up to the 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker to decide whether or not he plays on Thanksgiving Day against the San Francisco 49ers.

Given that Lewis is making some progress, he probably can be excused for not answering questions for one day.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(nfl.com)

Earlier this afternoon, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh took part in a conference call with national reporters and members of the San Francisco media.

Once a lot of the Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh discussion had faded (I'll have much more on this later), naturally, one of the reporters on the call asked the Ravens' head coach if he had any thoughts about Ray Lewis' status for Thursday's game.

Lewis missed yesterday's contest against the Bengals because of a foot injury, marking his first game missed since 2004.

"My thoughts about it? I think about it a lot," Harbaugh said. "I've got lots of thoughts about it."

This prompted some chuckles from reporters who are unfamiliar with Harbaugh's reluctance to divulge injury information.

The same reporter followed up with another question about Lewis, asking whether the 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker would be able to play against the 49ers.

"Is that something I really want to share right now, you think?" Harbaugh said. "Would there be any value in me doing that?"

Told by the reporter that it was a question that needed to be asked, Harbaugh laughed and said he understood. But that was the end of the discussion on that topic.

As much as Lewis must have hated sitting out yesterday's game against a division rival, I bet he would rather cut off the injured foot than miss Thursday night's primetime Thanksgiving battle.

Still, with just four days in between yesterday's Bengals game and the 49ers contest, it will be interesting to see if Lewis will be able to heal up enough to allow for him to return to game action.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(masnsports.com)

Life without Ray Lewis wasn’t pleasant and it can soon be longer than just a game or two.

The Lewis-less Baltimore Ravens defense allowed 198 yards and seven more points than they had averaged entering play Sunday — against a Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback, albeit a very talented one, no less. In the end an overturned touchdown call and a late defensive stand allowed the Ravens to earn a 31-24 victory at M&T Bank Stadium.

But what happens when Lewis, 36, isn’t a factor not due to turf toe but retirement?

“Ray is older. I mean, he’s year-to-year right now,” said Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb, who was a freshman in high school when Lewis led to the Ravens to the 2000 title. “It’s obvious. He’s the greatest linebacker ever to play the game. He’s been here so many years. We know there’s going to be a future (without Lewis). We’ve got the guys.”

Lewis, who suffered the injury against the Seattle Seahawks last week, did his best to keep himself involved, including leading the defense with some dance moves during a third-quarter TV timeout. It’s not clear whether Lewis will be healthy enough to return Thursday against the San Francisco 49ers.

“He was there,” veteran Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “We didn’t want to make a mental error because when we came to the sideline we were still going to hear from our general. He was very much out there as he always is.”

Lewis, a 16-season NFL vet, has played in 85 percent of the Ravens games since 1996, coincidently the first year after the franchise formerly known as the Cleveland Browns moved here. This was the first game fourth-year Ravens coach John Harbaugh didn’t have Lewis in uniform, a streak of 57 games.

“He was good on the sideline,” Harbaugh smirked. “He was coaching them up.”

Lewis was in an all-black warm-up suit, often with a white towel wrapped around his neck. It was hardly as intimidating as the padded up Lewis in face paint — and the Ravens defense overall wasn’t as scary either.

The Ravens allowed the Bengals to gain 483 yards, the most yards the Ravens have allowed since their overtime victory over Houston on Dec. 13, 2010. Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton had a 373-yard effort through the air, although the Ravens did net three interceptions.

“It’s huge,” said 10-year Ravens veteran cornerback Ed Reed, who had one of those three picks. “To get things going and stop them when they were driving, those plays are always huge.”

The Ravens allowed their longest touchdown on the season on a 49-yard Andre Caldwell reception in the fourth quarter, one of three plays of 40 or more yards Baltimore allowed on the afternoon.

Lewis, a 12-time Pro Bowl invitee, has the most career tackles (2,559), fumble recoveries (19) and is second in interceptions (31) in franchise history, a resume that will ensure entry to into the Hall of Fame whenever he chooses to shut it down. He may have lost a step, but the intensity (and the face paint, at least when he’s in the game) are still there.

The Ravens — and the NFL — are still better with Ray Lewis, even if Harbaugh tried best not to notice Lewis was out for a few hours.

“Once the game got started, I would say no (Lewis’ absence wasn’t strange),” Harbaugh said. “You play with the guys you have. I looked down and saw him in a sweat suit and he’s down there (in his coaching posture). We like him out there better.”

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(foxsports.com)

OWINGS MILLS -- Baltimore Ravens All-Pro middle linebacker Ray Lewis is definitely expected to miss at least Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a toe injury, and possibly more games depending on how quickly it heals.

Lewis went to visit a specialist in South Florida to get another opinion on his toe after suffering the injury against the Seattle Seahawks. And the diagnosis confirmed the extent of the damage, the Times has learned.

Lewis hasn't practiced for the past two days.

The two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has started 57 consecutive games, not missing a start since the 2007 season.

Lewis, 36, leads the Ravens with 68 tackles, also recording two sacks, one interception and two forced fumbles.

The Ravens' options at middle linebacker include shifting over inside linebacker Jameel McClain or starting Dannell Ellerbe, who was upgraded to full participation after missing time with a hamstring injury.

The Ravens also have Pro Bowl special-teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo in the mix.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(carrolcountytimes.com)

What active NFL players who went to college in Florida will end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio? How coincidental you would ask that, because I just happen to have the answer.

First, the math: 141 state-college players on current rosters parcel out as 41 Miami Hurricanes, 33 Florida Gators, 29 FSU Seminoles, plus 12 Central Florida, 11 South Florida, four FAU, three Bethune-Cookman, two FIU and one Florida A&M.

THE LIST

Now, our Canton Watch Top 10:

1. Ravens MLB Ray Lewis (Hurricanes), 100 percent; 12 Pro Bowls, seven times All-Pro.
2. Ravens S Ed Reed (Hurricanes), 95 percent; 7 PBs, 56 interceptions.
3. Colts WR Reggie Wayne (Hurricanes), 95 percent; 829 catches, 11,278 yards, 5 PBs.
4. Texans WR Andre Johnson (Hurricanes), 90 percent; 698 catches, 9,516 yards, 5 PBs.
5. Bears returner/WR Devin Hester (Hurricanes), 60 percent; modest catch totals but already 18 return TDs (second all-time), 3 PBs.
6. Ravens WR Anquan Boldin (Seminoles), 40 percent; 693 catches, 9,006 yards, 3 PBs.
7. Patriots NT Vince Wilfork (Hurricanes), 35 percent; 3 PBs aided by team’s championship era.
8. Panthers MLB Jon Beason (Hurricanes), 20 percent; three PBs in first four seasons.
9. 49ers RB Frank Gore (Hurricanes), 15 percent; 7,196 yards, 4.7 per, 2 PBs.
10. Saints TE Jimmy Graham (Hurricanes), 15 percent; based on first 1 1/2 seasons at specialty position.

Others above 10 percent: Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey (Gators), Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall (UCF), Eagles CB Asante Samuel (UCF), Vikings KR/WR Percy Harvin (Gators), Cardinals DT Darnell Dockett (Seminoles).

Others below 10 percent but on radar: Broncos RB Willis McGahee (Hurricanes), Giants S Antrel Rolle (Hurricanes), Jets CB Antonio Cromartie (Seminoles), Redskins WR Santana Moss (Hurricanes), Saints MLB Jonathan Vilma (Hurricanes), Panthers TE Jeremy Shockey (Hurricanes), Jaguars CB Rashean Mathis (Bethune), Raiders CB Lito Sheppard (Gators), Raiders PK Sebastian Janikowski (Seminoles).
Canton Watch Bonus: The Dolphins. Make it DE/LB Jason Taylor, 90 percent; OT Jake Long, 70 percent; LB Cameron Wake 15 percent, Marshall, 15 percent and PK Dan Carpenter 5 percent. (Sorry, Karlos Dansby).

Read more….


(miamiherald.com)

The Ravens, who are preparing for the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday, confirmed in Wednesday’s injury report that inside linebacker Ray Lewis did indeed miss practice. Lewis, who was not reported to have suffered an injury in Sunday’s 22-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, was described as dealing with a foot injury.

It’s unclear how this injury will impact Lewis’ availability. Lewis has not missed a start since Dec. 30, 2007.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis says he was fined by the NFL for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward in Sunday night’s game.

Lewis hit Hines in the second quarter of Baltimore’s 23-20 win. Ward was dazed by the collision and helped off the field. He did not return.

Lewis said Wednesday he was informed by the NFL that he would be fined for the hit. He would not disclose the amount of the fine.

The 16-year veteran says he understands the league’s effort to protect players. But Lewis says “it won’t change not one way how I play this week no matter what the fine is.”

The linebacker says “you can’t stop playing defense the way defense has always been created to play.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(washingtonpost.com)

The NFL is expected to hand down a series of fines to linebacker James Harrison and safety Ryan Clark of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis for questionable hits delivered during Sunday night's game between the teams, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Lewis knocked Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward out of the game in the second quarter with his hit, which was not flagged. Ward left with concussion-like symptoms after the helmet-to-helmet hit. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called the injury "minor."

The Ravens won Sunday night's hard-hitting game on a late touchdown pass by Joe Flacco to sweep the season series from Pittsburgh.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh on Monday said he didn't "want get into that conversation right now" when asked about the Clark and Lewis' hits that drew penalties.

"I mean, it's tough. There's no doubt about it, it's tough. It's fast and it's physical and all that, but the rules are in place for a reason, and that's the way it works," he said, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

Peter King of Sports Illustrated named his midseason All-Pro NFL team and four proCanes made the squad.

TE Jimmy Graham, Saints
MLB Ray Lewis, Ravens
RT Eric Winston, Texans
PR/KR Devin Hester, Bears

See the rest of the All-Pro team here

Click here to order Devin Hester’s proCane Rookie Card.


(cnnsi.com)

Playing on "Monday Night Football" is nothing new to Ray Lewis. Over the course of his 16-year career, the Ravens linebacker has lined up on Monday night 13 times.

In those 13 games, Lewis has recorded 120 tackles. He's defended eight passes. He's grabbed one interception and forced one fumble. He's been a part of six Monday night wins and seven Monday night losses.

Does playing on Monday night ever get old? No way, Lewis says.

In fact, the 12-time Pro Bowler, who has experienced pretty much every high an NFL player can achieve, says that Monday nights are the "biggest stage" in football.

Hank Williams Jr. might not be around anymore, but that doesn't mean that Lewis isn't going to be ready for some football come three days from now when the Ravens take on the 1-5 Jaguars.

"It's no secret. Mondays (are) Mondays," Lewis said. "Like I said to these young guys, whatever opportunity you want to leave, whatever legacy you want to leave, these are the nights you leave it. Not that you don't play hard every other day, but these nights are special. So savor the moment, man, and have a great time doing it."

NFL players run out of the tunnel every weekend fired up and ready to play. The intensity level is always high regardless of who they're playing or what time the game is, and the stakes are always high, as well. Teams know that any game can cost them a shot at the playoffs, a home playoff game or a playoff bye.

So what makes Monday nights so special in a player's mind? What is it about playing on that one day that gets guys so amped up?

"It's the biggest stage for our business in the world," Lewis said. "Everybody is sitting home on that Monday night and everybody wants to see how good you're doing. Records are sometimes one thing, but when you get on Monday night, it's all about the individual. You know, how can you be great that night? It's where you stick out, where you stand out and where you play as a team and things like that.

"And that's what makes Monday night special is that everybody - even in the entire league - gets to sit home and watch that one game."

There's also the tradition aspect that comes into play. While Jaguars rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert might not be familiar with Howard Cosell ("No, I don't even know who that is," Gabbert told Jacksonville reporters yesterday. "That's probably before my time."), millions grew up watching "Monday Night Football" with Cosell and Frank Gifford and have been watching football on Monday nights for the last 30 years.

"It's tradition, man," head coach John Harbaugh said. "You know, it's 'Monday Night Football.' Probably half of you guys have got it on your phone app, right, the 'Monday Night Football' song? So we're excited about it. We're looking forward to it."

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(masnsports.com)

Ray Lewis’ NFL resume is incredibly impressive and yet his record-setting career is a long way from over. He has been the NFL’s Defensive MVP twice, he has a Super Bowl ring and Super Bowl MVP to his credit, and just recently he became the first defensive player in the history of the league to notch 40 sacks and 30 interceptions. He’s not done though. Even though some people continue to think it’s just a matter of time before Lewis loses a step, the Ravens captain just continues to make plays and show the world why he is the best middle linebacker to ever lace up the cleats. Ray Lewis is the unquestioned leader of the Baltimore “D” and has his team in position once again to make another playoff run. As the Ravens have gotten off to another great start, Lewis is right where he has been since he stepped onto the field in 1996: At the center of the defense making plays and adding to his Hall-Of-Fame resume.

Ray Lewis joined WNST in Baltimore with Gleen Clark, Luke Jones, and Brendan Ayenbadejo to talk about whether or not he can sense how much a win means to the city of Baltimore, how he feels about the team sitting at 4-1, what he credits much of his NFL success to, whether or not individual numbers mean something to him, and if he laughs at people that say “this is the year Ray Lewis finally slows down.”

Whether or not he can sense how much a win means to the city of Baltimore:
“Let’s just keep it on both ends because we’re human as well. We know exactly how you guys feel. For years, for years I had to really find myself getting over something. My mom used to always get mad at me because after a loss nobody in the car can talk on the way home, nobody can talk at the house, and I used to really change the mood of my entire family by losing a game. Trust me we know exactly how you feel. We feel the same way in the locker room.”

How he feels about the team early in the season:
“I just think we’re at a great place right now. The first quarter of the season is over and the second quarter is starting. I just think now having that bye week and now having a Monday night game we get an extra week to get like everybody back. We haven’t had our starting rookie corner for the last three weeks, we haven’t had Lee Evans who’s been dealing with an injury, and we haven’t had Chris Carr so we’ve been kinda mixing around and shuffling some pieces as well. So for us to get completely healthy now that’s kinda what we’re excited about really as a team getting completely healthy.”

What he credits much of his NFL success to:
“I just credit a lot of that to longevity and really making my mind up at a young age about what I wanted to do. I didn’t shy away from it because I knew I was willing to work at it. I don’t have a secret or blueprint that I can pass along to anybody. The blueprint is very simple. Believe in yourself and once you believe in yourself set a goal, set a journey, create your own legacy, and chase it every day of your life. That’s all I did. That’s why I tell people a lot of times I don’t ever want to go back to being a 22 or 23-year-old Ray Lewis because there was too much I didn’t know then. Now playing the game now I appreciate the game more now than I could ever appreciate the game. That’s why you hear me speak about most of the time it’s all about the moment. It’s all about living right now in the moment.”

Whether or not his individual numbers mean much to him:
“A man told me a long time ago that men and women lie but numbers don’t. It speaks volumes when you have a certain number because a number is a legacy and somebody is chasing. You just set a legacy. At the end of the day the numbers are gonna remain one thing but your name is what is going to exist forever and somebody is going to be chasing that name for a long time. For that name to come to Baltimore in 1996 when we didn’t have a ball club and that name to 16 years later become the first player in NFL history to do it, it’s overwhelming. It’s kinda hard to put that into emotions ya know because I’m not done yet.”

If he laughs at the experts that doubt him and say “this might be the year Ray Lewis loses a step”
“Absolutely. Let me tell you something and this isn’t just for myself but this is to any young kid that wants to do anything. I’ve heard every critic say anything and everything they wanted to say about me since 1993. I was too small and could never play middle linebacker in this business, in 1996 Mel Kiper said I would go fourth round, year five I’m getting slow, year seven I’m getting slow, and every year it’s always something. They have to find something. To any critic I always say watch tape. That’s it. You don’t have to argue with anybody. The eye in the sky don’t lie. The only thing that follows work is results. I guarantee every time. Every time I go back to work, every offseason there’s always some voice that I hear in my ear saying you’re getting a step slower. Okay. Sooner or later somebody’s child is gonna have to report that message.”

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(sportsradiointerviews.com)

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis has won countless awards, set numerous records.

So one would think setting another – no matter how impressive – would almost slide off Lewis’ back.

But what Lewis accomplished Sunday against the Houston Texans truly hit home for the Ravens’ leader. It’s because at 36 years old, Lewis still takes a whole lot of pride in being an all-around linebacker.

With a sack on the first series of Sunday’s game, Lewis became the first player in NFL history to register at least 40 career sacks and 30 career interceptions. He now has 40.5 sacks and 31 picks.

“It’s a combination of playing with some great people, some great coordinators and me being very versatile and being on the field all three downs,” Lewis said. “Any time you’re called the complete linebacker, that’s the ultimate.”

“You play the game to one day leave a legacy. To set that mark, that’s one of those marks that won’t register to you until you sit back and think about it.”

It doesn’t look like Lewis will be kicking back to soak up his accomplishments any time soon.

He once again leads the Ravens in tackles (42) and has two sacks and one interception this season. Lewis was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after forcing a fumble and dominating the St. Louis Rams three weeks ago.

He hasn’t been coming off the field in third-down coverage, and is still intimidating opponents in pass coverage.

“I’m not done, that’s the thing,” Lewis said. “Those [sack and interception] numbers will only get higher.”

Ed Reed and Lewis were talking about their legacy before Sunday’s contest against Houston.

“It’s something we were born to do,” Reed said. “You do other things off the field, business-wise, but football is what we were born to do.
“We’re talking about Ray Lewis. Ray is an awesome player. One of the best football players of all time because he loves this game.”

Lewis looped around the right side of the Texans’ line to register his record-breaking sack for a seven-yard loss on Texans quarterback Matt Schaub. Head Coach John Harbaugh joked that Lewis owes Reed a thank you considering two Texans went to block him and left Lewis open.
“Our guys will joke about that,” Harbaugh said with a laugh.

“He is doing things that are just indescribable. I think he is the greatest linebacker who has ever played the game – I have said it many times. I think he proves it. You look at his [16th] year, he is playing as well as he had ever played, or at least that I have seen in the four years that I have been here. I am not sure that he has ever played any better than this. What kind of statement is that? It’s a big statement.”

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoreravens.com)

With a sack Sunday, Ray Lewis became the first player in NFL history to record 40 career sacks and 30 interceptions.

Lewis now has 40 1/2 sacks and 31 interceptions after getting to Matt Schaub in the third quarter yesterday. He continues to be a tackle machine at age 36, racking up 42 through five games this season. The Ravens are also ranked third against the run, giving up just 76.6 rushing yards per game.

"We're talking about Ray Lewis," free safety Ed Reed said. "Ray is an awesome player. One of the best football players of all time because he loves this game. Me and him were talking before the game, and it's something we were born to do. You do other things off the field business-wise, but football is what we were born to do."

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(rotoworld.com)

Junior Ray Lewis III of Lake Mary Prep was the first Central Florida running back to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the 2011 season, moving into quadruple digits with a 236-yard performance in the Griffins loss to Lakeland Victory Christian last week.

Lewis III's number was quite memorable for him because NFL father Ray Lewis II was able to come home during the Baltimore Ravens bye week to witness his son's game. Lewis III had four touchdowns in the 34-29 loss to Victory Christian, the Griffins (5-1) only loss this season. Lewis III now has 1,181 yards in six games and the Griffins are on a bye week this week.

Many people shrug off the numbers put up by Lewis III since his competition is at the 1A and 2A levels, but people who have seen him play are impressed.

Chuck Tillett, the father of Central Florida's leading small-school passer this year Brendon Tillett (872 yards, 12 TDs) of Orlando Foundation Academy, wrote of Lewis, "Ray is a beast," in an e-mail earlier this season.

Also last week, Lewis III was joined in the 1,000-yard club by Orlando University senior DeeJay Holley, whose 286-yard effort put him at 1,017 yards in six University (3-3) games.

(orlandosentinel.com)

According to a player poll, Steelers linebacker James Harrison is the meanest player in the NFL.

Sports Illustrated conducted a poll of 287 NFL players and Harrison earned the top spot, with Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh right behind him.

Both Harrison and Suh have been fined by the NFL on multiple ocassions for helmet-to-helmet hits and unnecessary roughness penalties. Lewis has not gotten into as much trouble with the league as Suh or Harrison but is known for constantly trash talking on the field.

Former Patriots defensive lineman and current Radier Richard Seymour was No. 4 in the poll. Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito rounded out the top five.

Here is the complete list of the meanest players in the NFL.

1. James Harrison (Pittsburgh Steelers)
2. Ray Lewis (Baltimore Ravens)
3. Ndamukong Suh (Detroit Lions)
4. Richard Seymour (Oakland Raiders)
5. Richi Incognito (Miami Dolphins)
6. Terrell Suggs (Baltimore Ravens)
7. Harvey Dahl (St. Louis Rams)
8. Hines Ward (Pittsburgh Steelers)
9. LaRon Landry (Washington Redskins)
10. Olin Kreutz (New Orleans Saints)
11. Jared Allen (Minnesota Vikings)
12. Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers)
13. Jerome Harrison (Detroit Lions)
14. Cortland Finnegan (Tennessee Titans)
15. Shawne Merriman (Buffalo Bills)

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(nfl.com)

As Jets tight end Dustin Keller came over the middle during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium the Sunday before last, it looked as if there was going to be a repeat of last year’s smack down from Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

That hit was used as part of the NFL’s tutorial on how to make a clean, big hit. It was also constantly aired on commercials, presumably being seen by Keller and all of Lewis’ opponents all offseason.

This time, Keller stopped, ducked, and allowed the pass to fall incomplete. The Jets punted.

Call it Lewis’ intimidation factor – a key part in the linebacker’s pass coverage skills.

“Once you kind of establish your reputation for being that guy in the middle and people know you’re going to take those shots, you’ve always got to be conscious of things like that,” said Lewis, who was recently voted the No. 2 meanest player by his peers in a Sports Illustrated poll.

“You create your own mentality once you’re in the middle and you make people respect. And if they do come through there, you make them pay for it.”

Some fans still question Lewis’ pass-coverage skills, and one called in to “Ravens One On One” Tuesday night to ask Head Coach John Harbaugh whether he has considered subbing Lewis out during third-down situations.

Harbaugh said it’s a “fair point” to discuss the option of substituting for Lewis, but laughed at the notion of what it would take to sub Lewis out.
“I’m not sure exactly how we would do it right now in terms of getting him off the field and how many people it would take to accomplish that,” he said.

Lewis will have a tough challenge this Sunday with Texans running back Arian Foster and Houston’s two pass-catching tight ends. Foster caught five passes for 116 yards last Sunday against Oakland and Owen Daniels and Joel Dreessen combined to haul in 12 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown.

But at 36 years old, Lewis’ smarts and intimidation still make him an every-down linebacker, a mainstay in rushing and passing situations.
Lewis missed only five plays all last season. Harbaugh said the notion of taking him out of the game on a few select plays in third-down situations has been discussed, but it’s not something they’re in favor of at this time.

Instead, the Ravens have somewhat built their defense around Lewis in obvious passing downs.

“We try to keep him in situations where he doesn’t have to cover as many one-on-one situations against receiving-type guys as much as we can,” Harbaugh said.

Lewis has often been a blitzer, an area where he has long excelled (39.5 career sacks). He is also excellent in zone coverage of the shallow middle of the field.

“You’re not going to take him off the middle of the field,” Harbaugh said. “He owns that low middle part of the field.

“Guys do not want to run routes in there because they know where Ray Lewis is patrolling. That’s his turf. We’ve seen that time and time again, so he brings that to the table and that’s a pretty valuable thing.”

Lewis said he would always choose the player he is now over the young Ray Lewis, who he called a “time bomb” running all over the field without knowing what was really going on. In his 16th year in the league, Lewis has slowed the game down mentally, and relies on that in pass coverage.

“It’s hard for people to try to complete passes on me because of the knowledge of the game,” Lewis said. “You’re going to get beat sometimes. But more times than not, I’m going to make those plays. I treat it all the same, being the complete linebacker and being able to be on the field on all downs.”

This season, Lewis leads the Ravens yet again with 30 tackles and has also notched one sack and one interception. He was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after his Week 3 performance in St. Louis, in which he stripped quarterback Sam Bradford after blitzing up the middle.

How long can Lewis keep up that type of production? Harbaugh admits that he doesn’t know.

“Hey, let’s be honest. Ray’s a human being,” Harbaugh said. “At some point in time, he’ll tell you he’s going to have to come off the field. He’ll probably tell you it won’t be before he retires, and I don’t know when that is either. He’s playing at a really high level right now.”

“Ray takes a lot of pride in [his pass coverage]. And he’s done a really good job with it. Obviously he’s not a cover guy, per se. But he believes he is and he’s done a good job of it so far.”

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoreravens.com)

Thanks to the bye week, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis got a chance last week to return home to Lakeland, Fla., where he watched his son, a junior running back and linebacker for Lake Mary Prep, play a game Friday night.

With his father in attendance, Ray Lewis III rushed for 236 yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries and had 13 total tackles in a 34-29 loss to Lakeland Victory Christian. It was Lake Mary Prep’s first loss of the season.

Lewis III first gained national attention a year ago when he racked up 504 yards of total offense as a runner, returner, receiver and quarterback. According to Rivals, he is being recruited by -- surprise, surprise -- Miami.

A year ago, Tribune talked to the prep star about what it was like having an NFL superstar for a father.

"I don't think about what I have to accomplish because of who my father is," said Lewis III, whom The Orlando Sentinel reports is a 5-feet-8, 186 pounds. "I really don't let that stuff get to me. He is an NFL icon to a lot of people, but I don't look at him like 'Ray Lewis, celebrity.' I just go out there and play my game."

In six games this season, Lewis III has carried the ball 97 times for 1,181 yards and 18 touchdowns and has made seven catches for 162 yards and a touchdown. He is also one of Lake Mary Prep’s leading tacklers.

"I would like to follow in his footsteps,” Lewis III told The Baltimore Sun in 2010. “One day I do have a dream of going in the NFL, but I also have a dream of making a difference in people's lives outside the football field."

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

In the film he has seen of the 2011 Jets, linebacker Ray Lewis has noticed a change from years past, as the team has passed (120 pass plays) more than it has run (73 run plays).

"That’s probably the biggest identity you do see," Lewis said on a conference call from Baltimore. "When you watch film that Mark Sanchez is throwing the ball way more than those running backs are touching it. Even when the running backs are touching it, they're touching it more from the backfield out of pass sets and different things like that. It's definitely a change-up from what you saw the last couple years, which was run, run, run, run, run."

The Jets and Ravens have played each other twice (once in the preseason and once in the regular season) since coach Rex Ryan left his post as Baltimore defensive coordinator. When Ryan came up to New Jersey, both Lewis and Bart Scott were free agents, but it was Scott whom the Jets visited at home when free agency opened.

Lewis said he doesn't think much about that crossroads.

"His decision was to take Bart with him, start fresh, whatever he wanted to start in NY," Lewis said. "It’s not like we didn’t have real conversation with each other, like real conversation. Years ago, he used to tell me that Baltimore will always be where I always end up at, bottom line. When that opportunity came for him, I was more happy for him that he got the job than anything else."

Lewis, who has played his entire career in Baltimore and won a Super Bowl there, said Ryan understood that is where the player's legacy is.
"I don’t know what could have ever pulled me away from here," Lewis said. "That would have to be something so incredible to pull me away from here, to leave this city and everything I already built here. For a coach, it’s kind of different because they can travel different places and start over in new territories. For players, I think it’s totally different when you're trying to leave the legacy that I'm truly taking."

Lewis saw another of his veteran teammates, Derrick Mason, depart Baltimore for the Jets this year. Mason was cut when the lockout ended to save the Ravens salary cap space and signed with the Jets two weeks later.

"You talk about a veteran presence from the receiver position, a guy that had been consistent for so many years, year in and year out," Lewis said of Mason. "When you leave Baltimore, you leave that open. As you saw last week, we started a couple of rookie receivers and things like that. That’s the transition of the business. 'Mase' is always a heck of a teammate, someone you know you can rely on. But now he is on the other side, so now we've got to get ready to defend him."

Mason fielded offers from the Jets, Ravens and Titans after being originally cut from Baltimore.

"The original issue was a salary cap move," coach John Harbaugh said. "We had to do that with four veteran players, right at training camp we decided to do it. We really had no choice cap-wise. As it worked out, a couple weeks later we had an opportunity to possibly bring him back, but he decided to go with the Jets."

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(nj.com)

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after he recorded 10 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in Baltimore's 37-7 rout of the St. Louis Rams, the team announced Tuesday.

This marks the eighth time that Lewis has received the award in his 16-year NFL career. It's his first since Week 10 of 2008.

The Ravens, who rank first in fewest points in the NFL this season, have taken this defensive award twice in the first three weeks of the season. Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after the first game.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

OWINGS MILLS -- Baltimore Ravens All-Pro middle linebacker Ray Lewis tackled running back Javon Ringer after he gained one yard in the third quarter.

It was a routine tackle for the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, but it also pushed Lewis to 2,500 for his career.

Tackles are an unofficial NFL statistic, but Lewis, 36, is the league's current active leader.

"It's just a credit of going out and giving it everything you've got year in and year out," Lewis said. "Just try to stay as healthy as you can be and never stop loving the game. I never stopped loving it. If you are a true professional, you are going to prepare a certain way when you win and you are going to prepare the same way when you lose.

"That is a credit to me coming back every year in better shape than I was the year before, because I always like the journey and to see where the journey is going to end."

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(carrollcountytimes.com)

While Baltimore Ravens standout Ray Lewis makes his living on the defensive side of the ball, his son Ray Lewis III is making his mark on the offensive side.

The Lake Mary Prep running back had one of the top performances in the country last week as he ran 27 times for 384 yards and five touchdowns in a 60-36 win over Foundation Academy.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(maxpreps.com)

Prior to the current four-division configuration in the AFC, the Ravens had belonged in the AFC Central, a format that pitted them against Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans on a regular basis through the 2001 season.

The Ravens and Titans will meet for the 17th time in a series that is often remembered as being one of the most rugged and evenly-played for both franchises. The all-time series is tied at 8-8, and both sides have won four games at home and four games on the road.

Playing at Tennessee continues to resonate with Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis, who still thinks of LP Field by its former corporate moniker, Adelphia Colisuem.

"I kind of like playing there," Lewis said Wednesday. "It’s a grass stadium, and they have a great fan base that gets very rowdy there. And me going back there so many years back, I don’t think anything is going to change. It’s their home opener, and I just think it’s going to be real, real loud. But I do remember that stadium, yeah.” 

The series was especially electric in the postseason. The Ravens knocked off the Titans, 24-10, to advance to the AFC championship and eventually capture the franchise's only Super Bowl championship to cap the 2000 season.

The Titans returned the favor with a 20-17 win in the wildcard round of the 2003 season, but the most recent meeting between the franchises ended with the Ravens winning, 13-10, and advancing to the AFC championship of the 2008 campaign.

“For so many years, I played against the Titans," Lewis said. "There was nothing like that rivalry. We used to have kind of like the same rivalry that we have with Pittsburgh now. And to have Eddie George and, rest in peace, Steve McNair, and all those guys back then, it was just two heck of a teams going at it. And we always knew that one of us was going to be there at the end of the day. You know, 1999, they went to the Super Bowl. [In] 2000, we came back and went to the Super Bowl, but it was always a dog fight between us two. And honestly, we said the same thing and then look for the same thing coming up this week.”

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

Because Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis is in his 16th season, there is always speculation the current season could be his last. Some have suggested that if the Ravens win a Super Bowl, Lewis and Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed would both retire.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said he has not heard that from either player, and he'd like to see both retire in Baltimore. But, it won't be at any price.

"No, I have not," said Newsome about hearing if Lewis or Reed would retire at the end of this season. "Retirement is something I went through myself so I know when the opportunity will come to talk to Ray about that. I went through that with JO [Jonathan Ogden], I went through that with Steve McNair and both of them came into this office and said I can’t do it.  I think I’ll be able to have the discussion with Ray at the appropriate time."

"I’ve had great dialogue with Ed Reed," Newsome said. "Ed Reed thinks he could play four or five more years in the conversations that I’ve had.  What we’ll have to figure out over the course of the next couple of years is how to — or whether we are going to — extend his contract over the next couple of years so he can retire a Raven."

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ or Ed Reed’s proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

On the first play of the second half, Haloti Ngata forced and recovered a fumble that led to a Ravens touchdown. Then, on the first play of the Steelers' next drive, the defensive tackle tipped a Roethlisberger pass that fell perfectly into the hands of teammate Ray Lewis.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and representatives from the Ray Lewis Family Foundation will distribute 200 book bags to youth on Tuesday Sept. 6 at Chuck E. Cheese’s in Baltimore. Alongside Ravens rookie WR Torrey Smith and additional teammates, Lewis will supply children with all the necessary supplies to enhance school readiness.

Children to receive the book bags have been pre-selected and are from multiple organizations, including Baltimore City and Baltimore County Public Schools, Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center, the Woodlawn community and Ray Lewis’ Kids of Character Program.

The Ray Lewis Family Foundation is a non-profit tax-exempt corporation whose mission is to provide personal and economic assistance to disadvantaged youth and families in distress. Since his arrival in Baltimore, Lewis has been a leader both on and off the field. With a focus on building togetherness in the community, his foundation has developed annual programs focused on educational development, self esteem, health awareness and family unity. For more information on annual events and programs, please visit www.raylewisfamilyfoundation.org.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.

The new "Madden" game came out on Tuesday, which partially explains why I wasn't blogging very often Tuesday and Wednesday. Are any of you "Madden" junkies out there having trouble beating your buddies at the game? If so, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is here to motivate you with this video:



Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.

About a month after last season ended, Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano received a text from a friend that read: "I’m watching one of your players run in the sand for an hour."

Later that morning, another text flashed on Pagano’s phone: "Now, I’m watching your player swim 30 minutes in the ocean."

When Pagano finally asked for the name of the player, it was as if he already knew the answer: Ray Lewis.

The enduring face of the franchise is entering his 16th season - a feat impressive for any NFL player, much less an inside linebacker - and the secret of Lewis’ longevity is really no secret at all.

The 36-year-old Lewis prides himself on outworking everyone, whether it’s on the field, in film study or inside the weight room.

Lewis’ 210 games played rank fourth-most among active players, but the others ahead of him are a kicker (Jason Hanson), long snapper (David Binn) and fullback (Tony Richardson). None of them have been in as many high-impact collisions or logged as many plays as Lewis.

That’s why coaches praise him and players look up to him. Even baseball’s "Iron Man" admires Lewis’ durability.

"The fact that Ray has been able to play the game at such a high level for so long is amazing to me," said Cal Ripken, who holds the baseball record for consecutive games played at 2,632. "His passion for football is clear and I would imagine that it is that love of the game that keeps him going so strong. As a Ravens fan, I have enjoyed watching him play since his career began here in Baltimore."

Just like no one can talk about Orioles history without mentioning Ripken, the same goes for Lewis.

He is the longest-tenured Raven on this roster by six seasons (Ed Reed is second). The Ravens actually selected Ray Lewis in the draft before they had selected their team colors.

Lewis did not play in the Ravens’ second preseason game, a 31-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs at M&T Stadium last Friday night, because he has been excused from team activities to deal with a serious family medical issue. He rarely misses time due to injury; he has played in 14 or more games in all but two of his 15 seasons.

Lewis is the team’s ultimate survivor, lasting through three head coaches, two salary-cap purges (2002 and this year) and one trip into free agency. This year’s first-round pick, cornerback Jimmy Smith, was 8-years-old when Lewis played his first NFL game.

While few players have lasted as long as Lewis, even fewer have been playing as well at this stage of their careers. Lewis was the highest-rated defensive player in an NFL Network poll of current players and ranked No. 4 overall behind Tom Brady [stats], Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson.

"He’s still playing as well as any middle linebacker in football today," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "I want him to play as long as he wants to play, and I think he’ll know when it’s time. But as he has told me before, it’s not time."

Trying to figure out that "time" is as difficult as breaking a Lewis tackle.

He recently said he may retire this year if the Ravens win a Super Bowl, but he doesn’t guarantee it.

"I don’t know when it will all be over for me," Lewis told CBS Sports. "People want to use my age against me. They say I’m too old. People fear getting old. I don’t fear that because now I have wisdom and a tough body to go with that wisdom."

When Lewis will end his Hall of Fame career has been a hot topic in recent years.

Four months ago, Lewis hinted that he will play for two more seasons, telling the NFL Network that he can’t see playing football past 37. His contract runs through 2015.

"People would always ask me about when Ray would retire and I used to say, ’Next year," linebacker Jarret Johnson said. "Now, I don’t even say anything. I don’t even guess. To me, he could play 25 more years because he comes in every year in better and better and better shape."
No other great middle linebacker has played as along as Lewis.

Mike Singletary retired after 12 seasons before his play declined. Jack Lambert walked away after 11 years because of a severe toe injury. And Dick Butkus stopped after nine seasons because of multiple knee injuries.

One of the reasons why Lewis can continue to take the field is how he takes care of his body off of it.

His offseason regimens over the years have included kickboxing, martial arts, swimming and wrestling. This past year, he’s even picked up cycling because it improves cardio-vascular conditioning "without all that pounding."

"My world is a violent world," Lewis said. "That’s why I train so hard. I don’t know if I have ever found a man on this Earth that would flat-out outwork me."

Lewis can talk boldly after playing in 1,111 snaps last season. He missed only five of the Ravens’ total defensive snaps and that was due to a thumb injury.

His 12th Pro Bowl season included 139 tackles (sixth-most in the NFL), two interceptions (including one for a touchdown), two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

There has been talk within the organization of reducing Lewis’ snaps to extend his career. When asked if the Ravens are thinking about lessening Lewis’ workload, Pagano said, "You can’t take him out of there. It would take a tractor and chain to pull him off the field. Because all of those other guys feed off his energy, he raises everyone else’s bar. They see No. 52 on all of those downs and it’s all about accountability - we’re not going to let this guy down."

Criticism of Lewis and his play appears to increase with each passing year, which only motivates him more to keep playing and proving them wrong.

"I listen to people that say, ’Oh, he lost a step,’ " Lewis said. "Then you go watch film yourself and you see why players say he’s still the best in the game. Bottom line, it’s about making plays. It’s not about running a fast 40. I’m not trying to run against Usain Bolt.

"As long as I take care of my body and I love the game like I did from Day One, I can honestly play as long as I want."

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(bostonherald.com)

The Ravens were happy to have their leader back on the field Sunday, as Ray Lewis returned from taking care of what Head Coach John Harbaugh called a “personal matter.”

Harbaugh said Lewis even led a prayer to kick off team meetings Sunday morning.

“It’s great to have Ray back,” Harbaugh said after practice. “Just to walk in this morning and see him sitting in his usual seat … it’s Sunday today, so we had a little prayer, and he did it for us. Ray’s our leader, so it’s great to have him here.”

Lewis, who did not speak to the media, issued a statement about the situation through a team spokesman.

“Family always comes first and is the most important part of our lives,” Lewis said.  “I want to thank everyone for every prayer and thought they’ve provided. I’d also like to give a special thanks to the coaches and Ravens organization who have always put family first and allowed me to leave and take care of my family during this very hard time.

“We will get through this together as a family and with God. Thank you again for the thoughts and prayers and for respecting our privacy during this challenging time.”

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoreravens.com)

After missing Thursday's practice and Friday's preseason game against the Chiefs as he dealt with an illness in his family, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was back at team headquarters today.

The Ravens had given Lewis the last few days off to deal spend time with his aunt, who is seriously ill, but the veteran linebacker was back on the practice field this afternoon.

"Family always comes first and is the most important part of our lives," Lewis said, in a statement released by the team. "I want to thank everyone for every prayer and thought they've provided. I'd also like to give a special thanks to the coaches and Ravens organization who have always put family first and allowed me to leave and take care of my family during this very hard time. We will get through this together as a family and with God.

"Thank you again for the thoughts and prayers and for respecting our privacy during this challenging time."

As would be expected, Lewis took his spot with the first-team defense this afternoon, and looked to participate in full.

"It's great to have Ray back," head coach John Harbaugh said. "Just to walk in this morning and see him sitting in his usual seat ... it's Sunday today, so we had a little prayer, and he did it for us. Ray's our leader, so it's great to have him here."

Third-year linebacker Dannell Ellerbe had been getting the reps at Lewis' inside linebacker spot during the veteran's absence.



(masnsports.com)

About a month after last season ended, Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano received a text from a friend that read: "I'm watching one of your players run in the sand for an hour."

Later that morning, another text flashed on Pagano's phone: "Now, I'm watching your player swim 30 minutes in the ocean."

When Pagano finally asked for the name of the player, it was as if he already knew the answer: Ray Lewis.The enduring face of the franchise is entering his 16th season — a feat impressive for any NFL player, much less an inside linebacker — and the secret of Lewis' longevity is really no secret at all.

The 36-year-old Lewis prides himself on outworking everyone, whether it's on the field, in film study or inside the weight room.

Lewis' 210 games played rank fourth-most among active players, but the others ahead of him are a kicker (Jason Hanson), long snapper (David Binn) and fullback (Tony Richardson). None of them have been in as many high-impact collisions or logged as many plays as Lewis.

That's why coaches praise him and players look up to him. Even baseball's "Iron Man" admires Lewis' durability.

"The fact that Ray has been able to play the game at such a high level for so long is amazing to me," said Cal Ripken, who holds the baseball record for consecutive games played at 2,632. "His passion for football is clear and I would imagine that it is that love of the game that keeps him going so strong. As a Ravens fan, I have enjoyed watching him play since his career began here in Baltimore."

Just like no one can talk about Orioles history without mentioning Ripken, the same goes for Lewis.

He is the longest-tenured Raven on this roster by six seasons (Ed Reed is second). The Ravens actually selected Ray Lewis in the draft before they had selected their team colors.

Lewis did not play in the Ravens' second preseason game, a 31-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs at M&T Stadium Friday night, because he has been excused from team activities to deal with a serious family medical issue. He rarely misses time due to injury; he has played in 14 or more games in all but two of his 15 seasons.

Lewis is the team's ultimate survivor, lasting through three head coaches, two salary-cap purges (2002 and this year) and one trip into free agency. This year's first-round pick, cornerback Jimmy Smith, was 8-years-old when Lewis played his first NFL game.

While few players have lasted as long as Lewis, even fewer have been playing as well at this stage of their careers. Lewis was the highest-rated defensive player in an NFL Network poll of current players and ranked No. 4 overall behind Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson.

"He's still playing as well as any middle linebacker in football today," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "I want him to play as long as he wants to play, and I think he'll know when it's time. But as he has told me before, it's not time."

Trying to figure out that "time" is as difficult as breaking a Lewis tackle.

He recently said he may retire this year if the Ravens win a Super Bowl, but he doesn't guarantee it.

"I don't know when it will all be over for me," Lewis told CBS Sports. "People want to use my age against me. They say I'm too old. People fear getting old. I don't fear that because now I have wisdom and a tough body to go with that wisdom."

When Lewis will end his Hall of Fame career has been a hot topic in recent years.

Four months ago, Lewis hinted that he will play for two more seasons, telling the NFL Network that he can't see playing football past 37. His contract runs through 2015.

"People would always ask me about when Ray would retire and I used to say, 'Next year," linebacker Jarret Johnson said. "Now, I don't even say anything. I don't even guess. To me, he could play 25 more years because he comes in every year in better and better and better shape."

No other great middle linebacker has played as along as Lewis.

Mike Singletary retired after 12 seasons before his play declined. Jack Lambert walked away after 11 years because of a severe toe injury. And Dick Butkus stopped after nine seasons because of multiple knee injuries.

One of the reasons why Lewis can continue to take the field is how he takes care of his body off of it.

His offseason regimens over the years have included kickboxing, martial arts, swimming and wrestling. This past year, he's even picked up cycling because it improves cardio-vascular conditioning "without all that pounding."

"My world is a violent world," Lewis said. "That's why I train so hard. I don't know if I have ever found a man on this Earth that would flat-out outwork me."

Lewis can talk boldly after playing in 1,111 snaps last season. He missed only five of the Ravens' total defensive snaps and that was due to a thumb injury.

His 12th Pro Bowl season included 139 tackles (sixth-most in the NFL), two interceptions (including one for a touchdown), two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

There has been talk within the organization of reducing Lewis' snaps to extend his career. When asked if the Ravens are thinking about lessening Lewis' workload, Pagano said, "You can't take him out of there. It would take a tractor and chain to pull him off the field. Because all of those other guys feed off his energy, he raises everyone else's bar. They see No. 52 on all of those downs and it's all about accountability — we're not going to let this guy down."

Criticism of Lewis and his play appears to increase with each passing year, which only motivates him more to keep playing and proving them wrong.

"I listen to people that say, 'Oh, he lost a step,' " Lewis said. "Then you go watch film yourself and you see why players say he's still the best in the game. Bottom line, it's about making plays. It's not about running a fast 40. I'm not trying to run against Usain Bolt.

"As long as I take care of my body and I love the game like I did from Day One, I can honestly play as long as I want."



(baltimoresun.com)

Ray Lewis has been excused from the Ravens so the inside linebacker can deal with a family member's illness.

There is no timetable for Lewis to return. He wasn't at practice Wednesday as the team prepares for Friday's preseason game at Kansas City.

"It's something he has to take care of," coach John Harbaugh said.

Other Ravens not practicing are: cornerback Chris Carr (hamstring), guard Marshal Yanda (back), center Matt Birk (knee), receiver David Reed (wrist), receiver James Hardy (hamstring), running back Damien Berry and safety Marcus Paschal (undisclosed).

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

Under Armour gave a sneak peek at its latest advertising campaign during last Thursday's season debut of "Jersey Shore," and you might have seen a 30-second "Footsteps" spot on TV or the Internet this week.

The company's latest commercial, which is embedded at the bottom of this post, was directed by Peter Berg of "Friday Night Lights" fame. It features cameos by NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady and Cam Newton, and though Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis isn't seen in the ad, he narrates it in a very Ray-like manner.

“Do you hear footsteps,” Lewis whispers in the stirring spot, “or are they hearing yours?”

The Baltimore-based apparel company went all-out with the campaign, which pushes its footwear hard.

“This is our biggest footwear campaign, and when you see it you know immediately that it is Under Armour,” Under Armour’s vice president for brand Steve Battista recently told The New York Times.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

OWINGS MILLS, MD. -- Ray Lewis is asked about his legacy, and it's not an easy question to answer considering his legacy is thick and palpable and historic. Then he answers by pulling out two big notebooks.

Lewis doesn't like the schedule-keeping gizmos. He goes old school with pen and datebook. Both are full, but it is the second one that's most interesting. In it is Lewis' workout schedule, and it's this insane level of physical preparation that, to me, has allowed Lewis to pass Dick Butkus as the best middle linebacker of all time and challenge the legacy (there's that word again) of Lawrence Taylor as the most impactful linebacker period.

Almost every day of the book is filled with something ... many somethings. Wednesday: two hours of workouts including 10 150s in sand.

Thursday ... more hours, including squats. The incline benches, the 20 miles on the bike, and more 150s. Even for an NFL player, Lewis' workouts are intense, reminiscent of what Jerry Rice used to do.

Lewis has at least 20 or 30 of these books chronicling his workouts dating back years. They are representative of his dedication as well as his attempt to beat back time as a 36-year-old player in his 16th season.

"When you're still chasing something," Lewis explains, answering the legacy query, "it's hard to look back. I don't look back. At least not yet. I'm chasing the greatest of all time. Period."

When I ask the Ravens star how long can he keep up his frenetic pace the response was highly intriguing.

"My son will be a junior this year. I only play this game for another ring. If we can win it this year, and I'm being brutally honest with you, if we win it this year, I'm gone to then spend as much time as I can with him," Lewis said. "I'm gone to be with my son. And I feel like now we have enough pieces in place to make a good run at the Super Bowl."

So if the Ravens win a title this season -- and they have a definite shot to do so -- Lewis may not come back. Is that set in stone? No, but Lewis made it very clear that while he isn't consistently pondering retirement, a championship would likely lead to the end of one of the top five greatest defensive careers the sport has seen.

Lewis is only getting started in his conversation. The motor is beginning to warm, and when Lewis gets going it would take something atomic to stop him.

"I don't know when it will all be over for me," he says. "People want to use my age against me. They say I'm too old. People fear getting old. I don't fear that because now I have wisdom and a tough body to go with that wisdom.

"I don't ever want to be 24-year-old Ray Lewis again. I made too many bad choices. Now I have the maturity and I take care of my body. I haven't eaten fast food in 13 years."

Lewis next threw down a league-wide challenge.

"If people think I'm slow let me say this," he said. "Sideline to sideline there still isn't a 'backer in this business that can beat me. Sideline to sideline. Not one. I challenge you to find one.

"There are fast guys in this league but it's also not just about the speed. Young guys make a lot of money at the combine from running the 40 [-yard dash]. But then you put on the film and they don't play with heart."

Lewis inspires great emotion. Some love him, others hate him. But it is undeniable that we have watched a player who is only surpassed in effectiveness by names like Deion Sanders and maybe even Taylor -- and Lewis' legacy is giving Taylor's track record a serious run.

When Lewis is asked to specifically address his legacy, he pauses and shows me his cell phone. On it is a fresh text from a young kid named Darious who lives in Baltimore and needs a heart transplant. Part of the text to Lewis read: "You've done so much for me."

Lewis argues that watching Darious face such a horrible situation with courage has done more for Lewis.

Lewis has befriended Darious as Lewis has many young inner-city children around the country.

"If I had a legacy," Lewis says, "maybe that would be it."

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(cbssports.com)

In the now-famous commercial, Ray Lewis says the animals want to talk so they can communicate with him. But a lot of animals might not be able to catch the future Hall of Famer the way he's pedaling his bike these days.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh says the All-Pro linebacker is in the best shape that he's ever seen him in, and Lewis says that's thanks to cycling.

"I credit a lot of my training to a lot of my cycling," Lewis told reporters, getting more excited by the word. "I did a lot of cycling. I became real big in it. First couple times I went out there I was like, 'Oh my gosh!' I mean, the fatigue that you go through..."

One reason Lewis brought out the bicycle is because it puts less stress on legs than pounding the pavement.

"It's really a mind thing on how you have to breathe and just let your legs keep going, going, going, going," Lewis said. "And then when you get on the field and you go back to running, running isn't the same because you can't take as many steps running as you can cycling. So that's one of the things that really, really helped me out a lot this off-season."

While you won't see Lewis in the Tour de France soon, cycling can be a great changeup to your cardio routine if you're sick of the treadmill or pavement every day.

A stationary bike is great for steady state cardio and may be even better for interval training than the treadmill because of the lack of acceleration and deceleration lag that a treadmill belt undergoes when the speed changes.

If you're looking for sport-specific conditioning, however, cycling may not be your best bet. The best way to train is to replicate movements and the stress your body goes through in competition. While there's a lot of running involved in basketball, for instance, it's nearly useless for a basketball player to run five miles at a steady state to train for the season. When would that ever happen in a game?

Plus, look at it this way: If Lance Armstrong's cardiovascular endurance directly transferred over to running, he'd be a world-class marathoner.
But that's not to say Lewis wasted his time on the bike. Hardly. At 36, his body has been through a lot of wear and tear over 15 NFL seasons. And as we said before, interval training is easily adaptable on a bike. Relatively short bursts of power followed by longer recovery periods are normal in any cycling class.

Besides, one of the most important aspects to any fitness routine is rest. By subjecting himself to grueling, but lower-impact workouts, Lewis says he feels fresher.

At the very least, that means no letdown for fans coming to the stadium to see him dance this season.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(thepostgame.com)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - The Baltimore Ravens launched training camp Thursday with a three-hour practice, and when it was over, Ray Lewis appeared to be as fresh as when it began.

While the NFL locked its doors for nearly five months, Lewis used the time to get ready for his 16th NFL season. The results of his extensive offseason regimen quickly became evident during the team's first foray onto the field since January, a grueling session in which the players didn't wear pads but rarely stopped running.

"He's been in great shape every year," fourth-year coach John Harbaugh said, "but I think this is the best shape that I've seen him in."

For Lewis, one of the finest linebackers in the history of the game, the initial practice was actually less taxing than his typical offseason workout.
"One thing I think this down time did do for a person like myself is it gave me a lot of time to myself, which let me do anything I wanted to do as far as cross-training in so many different areas," Lewis said. "And that's what I did."

Lewis added a new wrinkle to his workout: cycling. He was reluctant to discuss the topic, but once he got started he couldn't stop.

"I don't like giving away all my secrets, but I will give one secret away," he said. "Cycling is one of the greatest sports in the world."

Lewis liked the idea of improving his cardio-vascular conditioning "without all that pounding."

"Then when you get on the field and go back to running, it isn't the same," he said. "Because you can never take as many steps running as you do cycling. That's one thing I really helped me out this offseason."

The Ravens keep changing around Lewis, but he remains the one constant on the team since its first season in 1996.

Thursday's session took place without several players from last year's playoff club, including four who were formally released at 4 o'clock. Running back Willis McGahee, nose guard Kelly Gregg, wide receiver Derrick Mason and tight end Todd Heap were informed earlier in the week that their contracts would be terminated.

"This is my 16th year. I've seen people come and go. I've seen some of the greats come and go," Lewis said. "That's the business side of it."
Baltimore has already re-assigned the numbers of McGahee (23) and Gregg (97), but did not give out jerseys bearing the numbers of Mason (85) and Heap (86).

There's a possibility that Mason or Heap, or both, could return at a lesser salary.

"With those guys, it's not like we're totally done with them," Lewis said. "I'm almost certain that we'll try to work out something to try to bring those guys back in whatever capacity we can."

Also missing from camp: safety Ed Reed and free agents who played with Baltimore last season but have not yet negotiated new contracts, including quarterback Marc Bulger, running back Le'Ron McClain and defensive backs Chris Carr and Dawan Landry.

"We're short a bunch of guys because of these crazy rules that say your unrestricted free agents can't practice," Harbaugh said.
It was the first NFL practice for second-round pick Torrey Smith, a speedster out of Maryland who is expected to be the long threat that was lacking last season. Smith sat out part of the session with leg cramps.

Generally, though, Harbaugh was happy with the conditioning of his players.

"I think the overall conditioning is excellent," he said. "I'm pleasantly surprised by the shape our guys are in. I think they're in very good shape. We had guys blowing the conditioning test away."

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(nbcsports.com)

Pat Kirwan from NFL.com continued his player rankings with the linebackers and split the group into two categories — inside and outside backers.

The list has 20 players (10 inside and 10 outside), which is only about 18 percent of the approximately 112 starting linebackers in the league. The result is a large number of players will end up in the honorable-mention category or nowhere on the list at all.

Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis enters his 16th NFL season, but many believe he still is among the best at his position. Include Kirwan in that group, because he lists Lewis first in Group A ahead of New England’s Jerod Mayo, Pittsburgh’s Lawrence Timmons, Chicago’s Brian Urlacher and San Francisco’s Patrick Willis.

“It’s straight to the Hall of Fame for Lewis, who still plays at a high level and has the most commanding presence on an NFL field,” Kirwan writes. “He was in on 139 total tackles in 2010 and had two sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. His pass-coverage skills are not what they used to be, but still good enough to get the job done.”

Jameel McClain enters his fourth season with the Ravens as an inside mate to Lewis, but he is a free agent and needs to be re-signed. He was not ranked.

The second five from Group B, in order, are Carolina’s Jon Beason, Chicago’s Lance Briggs, Washington’s London Fletcher, Minnesota’s Chad Greenway and Jonathan Vilma from the New Orleans Saints.

Pittsburgh’s James Farrior, David Harris from the New York Jets, Buffalo’s Paul Posluszny, James Laurinitis from the St. Louis Rams, Atlanta’s Curtis Lofton, Kansas City’s Derrick Johnson, Tennessee’s Stephen Tulloch and Green Bay’s A.J. Hawk were on the honorable-mention list.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(footballnewsnow.com)

Former Ravens fullback Lorenzo Neal said he doesn’t think Ray Lewis will play beyond the 2012 season.

“I think Ray [will retire] this year or next year,” said Neal, who attended Ray Rice’s football camp Monday. “I don’t think he’ll play after these two years. I think he’ll just bow out.”

Neal is a friend of Lewis who enjoyed a healthy rivalry when they went against each other for 13 years. When they were teammates in 2008, Neal had a locker close to Lewis and they worked out toegether almost daily.

Lewis, 36, is entering his 16th NFL season this year.

“This might be Ray’s last year,” said Neal, who retired last season. “You’re getting ready to lose an icon. What he lacks in athletic ability now – you can see it and he can see it, he’s not crazy – but he has it here [points to his head]. He anticipates. He studies enough film to get to play.”

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

(hurricanesports.com)

Here's how big Ray Lewis is: Even as he waits out the NFL lockout, doing his usual aggressive offseason workouts and chilling in front of his 400-inch flat-screen TV, football people keep heaping praise on the Ravens' All-Galaxy middle linebacker.

First the NFL Network, after a survey of players, ranked him the fourth-best player in the league and the best defensive player going into this season.

And Wednesday, The Baltimore Sun's crack Ravens Insider staff voted Lewis as the all-time best inside linebacker in Ravens' history.

That second accolade, of course, was not exactly a shocker. Lewis is a 12-time Pro Bowler and two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year who's been the heart and soul of the Ravens' defense since he arrived in Baltimore.

But it's still a nice honor for a player who continues to perform at such a high level as he heads into his 16th season.

(And yes, there will be a season. Calm down. You think the owners and players are just going to throw up their hands and say, "Well, that's it, we can't figure out how to divvy up this $9 billion in annual revenue, so we're canceling the season and walking away from all that loot?"

(Are you kidding? These guys would rather hack off one of their arms with a chainsaw than lose a dime of that money.)

But seeing Lewis in the spotlight this week got me wondering whether, even in this town, we truly appreciate the greatness of No. 52.

Look, I'm not going to tell you Lewis is the fourth-best player in the league right now, because I don't believe that

The Ray Lewis of five or seven years ago, sure, he gets that nod from me. In fact, I probably put him higher than fourth.

But even if Ray has lost a step or two, I still find it astonishing that a 36-year-old who's played 15 years at the most punishing position in pro football can still perform at such a high level.

Go to the NFL Network's video clip on Lewis if you want to see what he's done for the Ravens lately. Look at the big hits, the big picks, the game-winning plays he's made just in the past year or two.

No wonder the clip's narrator calls Lewis "the hard-hitting yardstick by which all defensive players are measured."

No wonder Ravens coach John Harbaugh says of his superstar: "At this stage of his career, he's playing as well as any linebacker in the game."

I don't know if I've ever seen a professional athlete play with the passion of Ray Lewis. Heck, I'm not sure I've seen anyone do anything with the passion that Lewis brings to his job.

The NFL Network clip of him circling his teammates on the sidelines, the veins in his neck standing out like whipcords and his eyes narrowed like dark pinpoints as he exhorts them with shrill cries of "We got work to do!" will give you chills.

And he brings that same sort of passion to everything else he does, from the over-the-top pre-game dance to all the mentoring and charity work he does.

Ask him about, I don't know, the cornhole tournament in the Ravens' locker room and his voice rises like a Southern preacher's as he gives you 20 minutes on the beauty of the camaraderie it fosters.

But it's not just Ray Lewis' passion for the game that's helped him survive 15 seasons in the NFL. There's also his wondrous durability.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

Ravens linebacker and future action hero Ray Lewis has done it again, making another hilarious cameo in a fake movie trailer for Funny or Die. Lewis appeared with Drew Brees in a Pepsi Maxx commercial, fending off a serial-killing Pepsi bottle, on the sometimes unsafe-for-work website FunnyorDie.com back in February.

This time, Lewis was one of a handful of NFL players -- including Tony Gonzalez, Shawne Merriman, DeSean Jackson and Dwight Freeney -- with lines in the lockout-spoofing trailer for “Field of Dreams 2.” With the NFL lockout shutting down the NFL season, “Twilight” actor Taylor Lautner heard voices in his head that asked him to build a football field in the middle of his Iowa farm. Then the NFL players started showing up.
And trust me, when Lewis arrives, he makes an impact. But I won’t spoil the surprise for you.

Added to the website early Wednesday morning, the video has already racked up more than 100,000 page views and reached “Chosen One” status in the site’s viewer rating system.

I’ve embedded it below for your enjoyment.



Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis made two appearances on the finale of NFL Network's list of the top 100 players for 2011. The first, of course, was when he was revealed as the fourth-best player in the league -- and the highest defender on the list -- according to his peers. The second was when he introduced Tom Brady, who was named the best player in football, beating out Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, Lewis and Ed Reed.

Lewis, along with Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, gave commentary during Brady’s highlight package, and Lewis heaped tons of praise on the Patriots quarterback, an MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion.

“He’s not the biggest. He was never the strongest. He was never the fastest,” Lewis said intensely. “He was overlooked. He went in the sixth round. So with that being said, all of the intangibles that a quarterback is supposed to have, they overlooked with him because it was burning from the inside of him.”

Brady has 34,744 passing yards and 261 touchdowns in his NFL career. In 2010, he threw for 3,900 yards and 36 TDs while tossing just four interceptions -- and it wasn’t even his best season.

“It’s a chess match because he understands every coverage, he understands every defense,” Lewis said. “And If you give it away too early, then the game is like checkers then for him. He plays it how he wants to play it. … And that’s what makes it frustrating playing against him, he always finds those mismatches.”

Lewis, whose segment as the NFL’s No. 4 player included a lot of screaming, hard hits and woooos, called Brady “the greatest of greats,” saying “he was willing to go beyond limits that people won’t go to.”

“You don’t find too many people playing that’s willing to sacrifice that much time to doing that,” Lewis said of the 33-year-old. “That’s why Tom Brady will always be considered one of the greatest of all time.”

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

Here was the NFL Network’s top 10 (with fan ranking in parentheses):
1. Tom Brady, QB, New England (No. 3) 2. Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis (No. 1) 3. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota (No. 7) 4. Ray Lewis, LB, Ravens (No. 4) 5. Ed Reed, S, Ravens (No. 8) 6. Troy Polamalu, S, Pittsburgh (No. 6) 7. Andre Johnson, WR, Houston (No. 10) 8. Darrelle Revis, CB, N.Y. Jets (No. 14) 9. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans (No. 9) 10. Julius Peppers, DE, Chicago (No. 18)

Do you see any Seminoles or Gators? We don’t....

NFL Network's "Top 100 Players" series wraps up Sunday night, with the top 10 revealed over two hours (starting at 8 p.m. ET). Quarterback Tom Brady will fall somewhere in the top group, and the team revealed an interesting twist tonight -- Brady will be presented by veteran Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

Brady will be the fifth Patriot to be on the show, with the rankings a result of player votes.

Linebacker Jerod Mayo was 62nd. He was presented by Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

Receiver Wes Welker was 50th. Bills coach Chan Gailey did the honors.

Offensive lineman Logan Mankins was 39th. Belichick presented him.

Defensive lineman Vince Wilfork was 35th. Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, a fellow University of Miami alum, did the honors.

And now Brady being presented by Lewis.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

6. Best leader: Ray Lewis -- Lewis wins this honor simply because he still impacts games without the benefit of the same athleticism that made him a future Hall of Famer in the first place. Just step inside the Baltimore Ravens' locker room and try to suggest that this 12-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker doesn't still set the tone for that franchise. Younger stars like Terrell Suggs, Ray Rice and Haloti Ngata still defer to Lewis, and he's wise enough to carry himself more like a proud, protective big brother than a loud-mouth, past-his-prime know-it-all.

That combination of wisdom and love -- along with a tenacity that still drives him to overcome his age (he's 36) -- allows Lewis to keep his stature as a Pro Bowler. Most aging veterans have a hard time commanding respect from younger players as their careers wind down. Lewis is the rare breed who doesn't have to say a word to keep that generation in lockstep behind his lead.

See the other rankings.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

Ray Lewis apparently spoke to the current crop of Hurricane player on Wednesday afternoon and from the current players’ tweets which you can read below, he left quite an impression. Coach Golden has been great in bringing in former players to address the current Canes or just to be a presence in the weight rooms. Check out the tweets below including Coach Golden’s.

JFutchCincoOcho Jordan Futch
Wow Ray Lewis just blessed us Canes...Time Waits For No Man So Dont Waste No Time

RIP_ANT_45 eduardo clements
JUST HEARD A MESSAGE FROM ONE OF THE GREASTEST...#RAYLEWIS

B34STMODE_ CJ Holton
Just heard the greatest message ever from #RayLewis

Cane78Boy Jermaine Johnson
After hearing Ray Lewis only one word to discribe this man....... BLESSED

UMB99M Marcus Forston
Great message by #RayLewis

UMB99M Marcus Forston
"I win the game in practice, so that when the lights cut on I'm ready to dance" #RayLewis

UMB99M Marcus Forston
"The eye of the hurricane sits in my heart" #RayLewis

adjohnson4 Aldarius Johnson
#RayLewis love the word WOW

GrindMode29 Jojo Nicolas
Very thankful to be able to gain knowledge from one of the greatest... #RAYLEWIS

UMB99M Marcus Forston
"Pain don't last forever" #Ra

GrindMode29 Jojo Nicolas
RT @UMB99M "The eye of the hurricane sits in my heart" #RayLewis --- This one was one of the powerful things he said

UMB99M Marcus Forston
You have to lead and serve. "Best message of the night. #RayLewis

millertime_6 lamar miller
Just got a great word from #raylewis!!!!

GoldenAl Al Golden
Super Bowl Champion, All-Pro & First Ballot Hall of Famer that came back & talked to our team today: Ray Lewis #UpholdTheLegacy

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.

So … remember when Ray Lewis insisted that the longer the lockout went on, the more crime there would be? Turns out, there's no historical precedent for such a statement, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's PolitiFact group.

In a recent ESPN interview, Lewis said that "if we don't have a season -- watch how much evil, which we call crime, watch how much crime picks up, if you take away our game." Lewis' contention was that the lockout affected the fans as much or more than the players and owners.

"There's too many people that live through us, people live through us," he said. "Yeah, walk in the streets, the way I walk the streets, and I'm not talking about the people you see all the time."

The AJC accepted Lewis' invitation to do that research, contacted the Northeastern's Sport in Society center and was told that "there is very little evidence supporting Lewis' claim that crime will increase the longer the work stoppage lasts."

The AJC cited a similar crime study.

The Baltimore Sun also looked at crime in 1982 and found an increase during the strike in only one category: homicides.

The Sun tried some other methods to tackle Lewis' claim. The newspaper's Crime Beat blog looked at crime data last season when the Ravens had their bye (off) week. The Sun found there was slightly more crime during the bye week.

The Sun looked at crime in Baltimore the four weeks before the season started and the first four weeks of the season. There was the same number of crimes. The Sun also examined the crime rate there at the end of the Ravens' season and what happened afterward. What did it find? There was less crime after the season ended in early January.

The Sun stressed several times that its findings were unscientific.

The AJC then went to look at increases in crime during bye weeks, assuming that the no football/higher crime equation would fit a much shorter time frame. No real evidence was presented that would lead in one direction or another.

One criminologist we interviewed had a different take. Northeastern University professor James A. Fox heard Lewis' comments and did a study. He looked at key FBI data from the last three years available, 2006 through 2008, focusing on the week before the Super Bowl because there were no games that week and there was intense interest in football around that time of the year. Fox, who was referred to us by the FBI, found no increase in crime the week there was no football.

"I took the Ray Lewis(notes) challenge and I don't see any evidence of [a crime increase]," said Fox, the author of several books on crime who also writes a crime and punishment blog for the Boston Globe.

As far as player crime … well, aside from Kenny Britt(notes) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there hasn't been a huge increase during this offseason, and the closer both sides get to a settlement, the more most players will be putting their collective noses to the grindstone, leaving them too busy to get in trouble.

At least, that's one theory we hope will stick.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(yahoosports.com)

After reading about the major upgrades to the new franchise mode on “Madden NFL 2012,” I am pumped to pick up the latest installment of the legendary video game. But if you’re not a huge nerd and/or bad boyfriend like me and you aren’t in the year 2029 in the franchise mode of the 2011 game, check out this video of the Ravens’ pre-game introductions for the new “Madden,” which will be released in late August.

They have nailed the details, like the male cheerleaders sprinting out of the tunnel, the Ravens defense being introduced and a more accurate version of Ray Lewis’ pre-game dance.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis(notes) isn't always seen as a kind man, mostly because of his on-field demeanor and certain incidents that happened over a decade ago in Atlanta, but the truth is that on a day-to-day basis, there are few NFL players more interested in helping and mentoring others than the future Hall of Famer. This came into sharp focus recently, when Lewis met 10-year-old LaShaun Armstrong, whose mother drove her car into the Hudson River in April. LaShaun was the only one to escape the car — his mother, younger sister and two younger brothers did not survive.

Lewis was made aware of the story, and immediately reached out to the child, remembering to WNYT.com that his own mother could not afford to keep him when he was a teenager. "I looked at him and told him, 'I'm here for you man. I can't replace what you've lost. But I can tell you that I'm here to go forward with you.'"

On a "TODAY" show piece on the bond between the two, LaShaun said that Lewis "[is] like a big brother to me, like an older brother to me. He says that I'm like family to him."

Lewis isn't the only NFL players touched by LaShaun's story; several players have endeavored to cover costs for counseling, tutoring and college for the young boy.

(sports.yahoo.com)

Want to work under Ray Lewis?

No, you probably won’t have the chance to stand aside the All-Pro Baltimore Ravens linebacker on the gridiron at M&T Bank Stadium. But the Super Bowl MVP’s newly launched staffing firm, however, is scouting for talent.

RL52 Staffing, the information technology search firm part of several businesses backed by Lewis, is hiring recruiters and salespeople for its Baltimore office. You don’t necessarily have to be local to apply for the job, as you may be eligible to work remotely.

In total, the firm currently has four open positions, said Dan Caporale, president of RL52 Staffing.

Caporale seeks candidates with two or more years experience in the IT staffing industry, but would consider those without an IT background. Salary is based on experience.

Caporale said the agency represents clients like AT&T, Verizon and PNC Bank and does business in 35 states. Here’s a link to the technical recruiters and account managers openings. IT staffing manager openings can be found here.

Meanwhile, the agency is seeking to boost its database of resumes from individuals with IT backgrounds. Job seekers who upload their resume onto RL52’s website will be eligible to win an autographed football signed by Lewis. A winner will be announced July 4 on Facebook.

(bizjournals.com)

Last month, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis participated in a New York fundraiser to help a 10-year-old New York boy whose mother drowned herself and three children by driving a van into the Hudson River in April.

On Wednesday morning, NBC’s “Today” show devoted a portion of its 8 o’clock hour to profiling LaShaun Armstrong’s progress since that tragedy and the roles that Lewis and former Carolina Panthers cornerback Reggie Howard have undertaken to assist Armstrong.

During the almost five-minute segment, Lewis can be seen watching Armstrong bowl, and the 12-time Pro Bowler discussed how he has offered Armstrong a mentorship and emotional support.

“I look at him and I told him, ‘I’m here for you, man,’” Lewis said during the broadcast. “‘I can’t replace what you’ve lost. But I can tell you that I’m here to go forward with you.’”

Armstrong said of his relationship with Lewis: “He’s like a brother to me, like an older brother to me.”

According to the morning program, the Ray Lewis Foundation is accepting donations for Armstrong’s education and counseling, and Lewis has personally donated $10,000 to the cause.

(baltimoresun.com)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is one of the most influential players in the NFL. But until his recent interview with ESPN's Sal Paolantonio, Lewis had not commented publicly on the league's work stoppage.

Lewis has a unique perspective on the troubles between the NFL and NFLPA. He believes huge egos from both sides are getting in the way and crime could rise in our country if a full season is lost.

"Do this research if we don't have a season," Lewis told Paolantonio. "Watch how much evil -- which we call it crime -- watch how much crime picks up if you take away our game."

Lewis has not participated in mediation sessions but said the "time is coming." Could Lewis be the right voice to help end the lockout?

The future Hall of Famer is well-respected on many different levels. Lewis is closely in tune with the players and common fans, while his name and star power also are enough to grab the owners' attention. This might be the proper combination to bring the two sides closer together.

Lewis' intense pre-game speeches to help motivate the Ravens have become famous to football fans. But if Lewis can find a way to motivate the owners and NFLPA to put pride aside and reach a new collective bargaining agreement this summer, it could be Lewis' biggest speech of all.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(espn.com)

Although there's no scientific evidence to suggest a lack of NFL football having a measurable negative effect beyond the economy, Baltimore Ravens All-Pro middle linebacker Ray Lewis believes that crime will increase if there's no season due to the labor dispute.

"Do this research if we don't have a season, watch how much evil, which we call crime, watch how much crime picks up, if you take away our game," Lewis told ESPN. "There's too many people that live through us, people live through us. Yeah, walk in the streets, the way I walk the streets, and I'm not talking about the people you see all the time."

Lewis wasn't referring to the mounting amount of arrests by NFL players during the lockout.

Lewis said he thought there would be an uptick in crime simply because, "There's nothing else to do."

Lewis made another point when it comes to resolving the work stoppage that has lasted three months.

"It's simple, we really got to remove pride," Lewis said. "Seriously. There's no other reason the issue is going on. That's why I don't get into words and all that other stuff, because it takes away from life ... itself. There's people who are really struggling for real. There's real struggles out there."

Lewis said he has been communicating with NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith.

"Tell me when you're ready for me to come speak," Lewis said. "Because I'm not speaking about all, oh I want this, I want that."

And Lewis may speak out soon regarding the labor impasse, saying, "Oh, the time is coming."

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(nationalfootballpost.com)

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason and linebacker Ray Lewis have organized a player's only workout from May 24-26 at Towson University. The team will meet to lift weights then head on over to Unitas Stadium to run through drills and practice together. Of course, no coaches or team personnel will be there and the practice is closed to the public. I have not heard if media will be permitted to be present and if so, Baltimore Beatdown will be there to cover the practice.

Quarterback Joe Flacco has also been in contact with rookie wide receivers Torrey Smith and Tandon Doss, according to a story on BaltimoreRavens.com. It is expected that most rookies will have received copies of the team's playbook from the veterans who are sharing them with their respective position players. At the same time, there is a risk to these practices, as they are not sanctioned by the NFL and therefore the players are not covered by the league's health insurance if there is an unfortunate injury at these "unofficial" practices.

In a story from the National Football Post, certain front office personnel are just waiting for word about an injury that could end a player's season long before it starts. Some people, such as former Ravens head coach Brian Billick, think these practices will not help prepare the players for the season as there is no comparison to the OTA's and mini-camps run by the coaches. I say anything that begins to get the players, especially the rookies, up to speed on the nuances of the Ravens' playbook could only help them once this labor issue gets settled and the season underway.

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(baltimorebeatdown.com)

Baltimore Ravens All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis knew 10-year-old La'Shaun Armstrong could use a helping hand.

Armstrong was left alone after his mother, 25-year-old Lashanda Armstrong, drove her van and four children into the Hudson River in Newburgh, N.Y. on April 12, killing all but La'Shaun.

La'Shaun escaped through a van window and was rescued by a diver who saw him in distress in the waters.

"We are human and to hear that story ... as soon as I heard it, I was like, 'I need to find him.' Nobody is supposed to walk through life alone with that, especially being 10 years old," Lewis told the New York Daily News on Tuesday at the Chelsea Piers Bowling Complex, where the 12-time Pro Bowl player met with La'Shaun and his grandmother Datrice Armstrong and great-uncle, Cedric Armstrong as part of a United Athletes Foundation charity event.

Lewis spent time with La'Shaun, teaching him to bowl in an effort to take his mind off the passing of his mother and three half-siblings, ages 5, 2 and 11 months.

Lewis, a veteran of 15 NFL seasons with the Ravens, told the newspaper that stepping into the boy's life for just a moment wouldn't do him justice.

"Probably in his lonely times, you know that he's going to think about it. He's going to miss his mom, his other family members. Like I told his grandmother, I don't want to come into his life for a phase. I want to be in his life forever," Lewis said.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(nfl.com)

The last time the Ravens selected 26th in the first round, they took a chance on an undersized linebacker named Ray Lewis. He has gone on to become the face of the Ravens' franchise and lead a Hall of Fame career.

While no one can expect to find another Ray Lewis, teams have failed to have the same luck when it comes to this spot.

Since Lewis was drafted, the No. 26 slot has produced just three Pro Bowl players (guard Alan Faneca, cornerback Lito Sheppard and linebacker Clay Matthews). It's a point in the draft where such busts as quarterback Jim Druckenmiller, defensive end Erik Flowers, running back Chris Perry and defensive tackle John McCargo were selected.

Here's a look at the 12 players drafted with the 26th pick since Lewis:

1997: Jim Druckenmiller, quarterback, San Francisco. He will go down as one of the biggest first-round quarterback flops. His career stats: one touchdown pass, four interceptions and a 29.2 quarterback rating.

1998: Alan Faneca, guard, Pittsburgh. He has become one of the best guards of his generation. The eight-time Pro Bowl lineman was an anchor for the Steelers for years.

1999: Fernando Bryant, cornerback, Jacksonville. He never reached Pro Bowl status, but he was a dependable nine-year starter in the NFL.

2000: Erik Flowers, defensive end, Buffalo. He recorded five sacks and six starts in his forgettable six-year NFL career. Keith Bulluck, a two-time All-Pro linebacker, was drafted four spots later.

2001: Jamar Fletcher, cornerback, Miami. This is how much the Dolphins coveted him: They sent him to San Diego to complete a trade for wide receiver David Boston. He has been a journeyman since.

2002: Lito Sheppard, cornerback, Philadelphia. A two-time Pro Bowl defender, he was an integral part of a talented Eagles secondary. He has 19 career interceptions.

2003: Kwame Harris, offensive tackle, San Francisco. He was a longtime starter for the 49ers, but he built a reputation for being soft. Nnamdi Asomugha, who is considered one of the top cornerbacks in the game, was taken with the 31st pick.

2004: Chris Perry, running back, Cincinnati. Benched in favor of Cedric Benson, Perry was a major disappointment, averaging 17.3 yards per game and scoring a total of two touchdowns.

2005: Chris Spencer, center, Seattle. He has become a five-year starter but has failed to live up to first-round expectations.

2006: John McCargo, defensive tackle, Buffalo. The surprise first-round selection has never started a game. His trade to Indianapolis was voided because he failed a physical.

2007: Anthony Spencer, defensive end-outside linebacker, Dallas. Starting his past two seasons, Spencer has impacted games with 11 sacks and four forced fumbles.

2008: Duane Brown, offensive tackle, Houston. After struggling in his rookie season, Brown was suspended four games last year for violating the NFL's policy on performance enhancing drugs.

2009: Clay Matthews, LB, USC. A two-time Pro Bowl performer, Matthews finished second in the NFL defensive player of the year race after recording 13.5 sacks in 2010.

2010: Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee. He didn’t start a game as a rookie, making 38 tackles as a backup.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(baltimoresun.com)

ESPN.com continued its series of positional power rankings today by tackling a position near and dear to Ravens fans: linebacker. The Ravens sent two linebackers -- Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs -- to the Pro Bowl this year, but only one cracked ESPN’s top 10.

Lewis finished fifth in the voting, and ESPN’s seven divisional bloggers ranked Suggs 11th. 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis topped the list, followed by James Harrison of the Steelers, DeMarcus Ware of the Cowboys and Clay Matthews of the Packers.

Lewis recently praised Willis on ESPN.

“I just love the way he plays the game," Lewis said. "He plays the game with a fire. He reminds me of myself -- a lot, a lot, a lot."
Lewis, 35, was as high as third on one voter’s ballot and as low as 10th on another.

"Ray Lewis would not be in my top five at this point,” said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc., who didn’t have a vote but provided analysis. “For his age, he is still exceptional and a borderline Pro Bowler, but he doesn't run like he did. I remember when I was with the Browns, I looked at every report the team had written since 1999 and Lewis had the highest grade ever given out. He was nearly perfect."

Here’s the full top 10 list:
1. Patrick Willis, 49ers
2. James Harrison, Steelers
3. DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys
4. Clay Matthews, Packers
5. Ray Lewis, Ravens
6. Jerod Mayo, Patriots
7. Brian Urlacher, Bears
8. LaMarr Woodley, Steelers
9 (tie). Tamba Hali, Chiefs
9 (tie). Jon Beason, Panthers

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(baltimoresun.com)

Ray Lewis says he still feels like he hasn’t played his best football.   After appearing to slip at one point, the Ravens linebacker has experienced an almost unprecedented renaissance in his mid 30′s.

Lewis missed only five snaps last year and doesn’t appear to be slowing down much.  He has always discouraged questions about retirement, but may have given up a hint about his future on NFL Network this week.

At one point, Lewis said “only God knows” how long he can play.   But Rich Eisen asked Lewis during another part of his stay whether he’d be around long enough to possibly play with his son, finishing his sophomore year in high school.

“That’s another four years!” Lewis said via Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun. “Nah. Because I’m real with myself, that would be a very hard task. I can’t see myself playing football past 37.”

Lewis turns 36 this season, so that would give him two more years on the gridiron.  His contract runs through 2015.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see him as a cool addition to NFL Network’s crew once he’s done playing.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(profootballtalk.com)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis dropped by the NFL Network studios Monday, so we took the opportunity to talk with him about a few critical offseason topics, as well as what he sees in his own future:

What would happen if you and Tom Zbikowski stepped into the ring? RL: Zbikowski would lose. We’ve already talked about that. Zbikowski is a realist when it comes to the sport. The locker room talk is always that about who can beat who. He’ll be the first to tell you he’s not going to get in the ring with a 250-pound person. That’s crazy!

Who is your favorite two-sport athlete of all-time? RL: Probably Bo Jackson. We were just at an event for my foundation in my hometown, and we bonded quickly. I watched Bo from a perspective of awe my whole life. How can you by that fast, that strong, and that quick? He had it all. If there is a two-sport athlete I love, it was Bo.

What is the inspiration behind your pre-game dance? RL: Well, it’s changed over the years. But a good friend of mine is a retired military veteran by the name of Kirby Lee from my home town. He started having some mental issues. I met him, and that man loves me like my mother loves me. He has a tattoo of me on his shoulder. I didn’t know about any of it. He always comes up with these crazy dances. One day I told him I’d do his dance on TV. I promised him. So one Sunday when they introduced the defense first, coach always brings me out last. I did it, and once I did it I had to do it every week. After first, there wasn’t even music to it. Then it turned into this huge thing. Now, it’s just an animal.

Have you thought about your career being done at some point? RL: No. I can’t. I never thought about it being there when I first started. I promised myself that I would finish something, and I’m going to finish it.

What do you have left to finish? RL: A lot. What I’m chasing, you won’t find in the record book. It’s what I’ve been chasing since Day 1. I don’t play this game for any other reason. But when I walk off, I will be considered the greatest ever to play this game, period. That’s the only thing I chase. That’s why I train the way I do, and that’s why I’ve never looked at the end and thought my end is coming. God will let me know when my end is coming. The day I wake up and don’t have the energy to get up and be me, something has changed.

You were No. 18 on ‘The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players.’ Thoughts? RL: Everyone has their opinion. The thing I’ve never been able to grasp when they try to do that is that there are too many eras. It’s humanly impossible to compare 20 years ago to us now. The game is totally different. We’re not playing the same game as when Dick Butkus was playing. He got to do anything he wanted to do . Now, I get fined for those same hits. How do you rate that? Who is the greatest linebacker of all-time? In my era, I thought Mike Singletary was the greatest linebacker I had ever seen. It’s a tough conversation.

Any thoughts on playing long enough to play with your son, Ray Lewis III? RL: (Laughing) That’s another four years! Nah. Because I’m real with myself, that would be a very hard task. I can’t see myself playing football past 37.

Give me another player in the AFC North you have a ton of respect for … RL: I can go down in the line if you’re talking about guys from Pittsburgh. I love Ben Roethlisberger. I love Troy Polamalu. I love the way the play the game. Hines Ward plays the game at a very high level. He pisses people off, but I love it. Those are the guys I love. When me and Ben see each other, there’s a mutual respect. I put my hand on my heart, he puts his hand on his heart. It’s that type of respect I have for the guys I truly like.

Are there any guys in the NFL who you would pay to watch play? RL: Yeah, Chris Johnson. I’ve never seen anyone that fast with a football in his hand. … You can go back since the beginning of football, I’ve studied historical football for ages. We’ve had Lenny Moore, we’ve had Gale Sayers. We’ve never seen that. But what we never had was two steps and then out!

Did you ever think you had the angle on him and he got the corner on you? RL: Yeah. I’m telling you, he split us one time through a hole, and I went to our defensive coordinator and said, “I don’t care what you do, do not blitz from the inside. Keep him bottled.” If you let him find a seam, the race is over. He has that type of speed. I would love to see the race – and I know a lot of people think he wouldn’t win – but I would love to see a race between him and Usain Bolt in the 40-yard dash. But in the 40, not the 100. Usain is a totally different athlete after 50 yards. But Johnson is one of those special talents. But he’s raw with it. I would pay to see him play any day.

Who do you enjoy trash-talking with on the field? RL: You know, I don’t have those conversations anymore. That’s what’s funny. The reason why, and this is the funniest thing ever, but I live it. When I hit people, some get up and say, “Pops, I love you, man.” In the middle of the game, (they get up and say) “Pops, I got to talk to you, I have a lot of stuff going on.” I can go down the line and tell you about the conversations I have on the field with guys. It’s a different respect now.  A lot of these babies were in junior high school when I (started) playing. Now they’re playing with who they grew up watching. It’s different.

Who is the next great NFL inside linebacker? RL: Patrick Willis. I think he has it. I watch football, and I think he has it. Now, you know a lot comes with that. You have to be very careful to crown someone in the first few years.

On a special note, Lewis was available on behalf of his work with the United Athletes Foundation, as he and over 150 top U.S. athletes have joined Ironman triathlete and dialysis patient Shad Ireland in the fight to prevent obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, the leading causes of kidney disease. Ireland is the first kidney dialysis patient in the world to accomplish the Ironman triathlon. Click here to watch Ireland and Lewis talk about the cause.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(nfl.com)

Ravens LB Ray Lewis has been a Pro Bowler 12 times in his 15-year career, including last season.

Yet he told NFL Network's Rich Eisen that the best is still ahead, one reason Lewis only allowed himself to miss five of Baltimore's defensive snaps in the 2010 season.

"I would do my fellow teammates a disservice, I feel, if I ever left the field," Lewis said on NFL Total Access on Monday. "And it's one thing to talk about somebody if they're just slowing down and can't do it anymore, and you're just like, '(End) your career, don't ruin yourself like that.' It's another thing when I still say to this day, I haven't played my best football yet. I just believe that in my heart of hearts."

Lewis, 35, has also willingly embraced the role of mentor among teammates who call him "Pops," "Uncle" and "Godfather."

"Some people say dominant is your play. I don't believe dominant is your play, I believe dominance is your presence on how you influence other men," Lewis said.

"And any time that I'm in the middle of my defense -- where I've got a Sizzle (Terrell Suggs), where I've got a Ed Reed, where I've got Haloti Ngata … that's one of my greatest abilities, being able to pull that type of strength out of men. And that's why I enjoy playing the game."

Lewis didn't seem too perturbed by the ongoing lockout, laughing that typically in April he's "probably calling coach (to) tell him why I can't come to a minicamp."

And whether it's the labor front or the Ravens' 2011 outlook, "Pops" is focused forward, not reliving the team's latest playoff near-miss after its divisional round ouster to the rival Steelers in January.

"When it's over, it's over -- yesterday's gone," Lewis said. "I'm not done chasing it. I always tell everybody the same thing … 'If we were supposed to be there, we would have been there. This year was the Green Bay Packers' year.'

"For me, go back to the drawing board, figure some things out, and say, 'Here we go again.' "

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(usatoday.com)

Baltimore Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski is 3-0 as a professional boxer, but teammate Ray Lewis said he would whip him if the two ever fought.

"Zbikowski would lose," Lewis said during a guest appearance on NFL Network Monday night. "We've already talked about that. Zbikowski is a realist when it comes to the sport. The locker room talk is always about who can beat who. He'll be the first to tell you he's not going to get in the ring with a 250-pound person. That's crazy!"

Zbikowski, who is listed at 215 pounds, begs to differ with the perennial Pro Bowl linebacker. In an interview last month, Zbikowski acknowledged he would be nervous stepping into the ring against Lewis but also said he'd beat any active NFL player in a boxing match.

Zbikowski, who will turn 26 in May, has scheduled his fourth professional bout for April 23 against Blake Warner.

If the lockout goes on long enough, maybe we'll see a Zbikowski vs. Lewis match.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(aol.sportingnews.com)

Ray Lewis said Monday that it would be "a disservice" if he would stop being an every-down linebacker.

Lewis, who turns 36 next month, only missed five plays last season for the Ravens.

"It's one thing to talk about somebody if they're slowing down and can't do it anymore," Lewis said on the NFL Network. "It's another thing when I say to this day that I still haven't played my best football yet."

Lewis was invited to his 12th Pro Bowl after leading the Ravens with 145 tackles. He also recovered three fumbles, broke up four passes and intercepted two throws.

Still, Lewis explained that his impact goes beyond the stats.

"I'm the only one inside the film room with my coaches to see how dominant I am on the football field," Lewis said. "Some people say dominance is your play. But I believe dominance is your presence on how you influence other ment. That's one of my greatest abilities, being able to pull that type of strength out of men."

Lewis said players jokingly call him pops, uncle and godfather.

"That is the reward of playing this business at such a high level for so long," Lewis said.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(baltimoresun.com)

Ravens LB Ray Lewis was at the NFL Network studios on Monday to talk about the United Athletes Foundation, and Shad Ireland who is the first kidney dialysis patient in the world to accomplish the Ironman triathlon.

When you think about Lewis, it's hard not to think about his place not only one of the greatest linebackers of all-time, but also as one of the great Miami Hurricanes, too.

So I took some time on Monday to ask him about the greatest Hurricanes ever.

"It's impossible to really say who the greatest is without talking about all of the different eras," Lewis said. "And even then, I can't do it."

So we compromised, I shot him my list of greatest Hurricanes ever, and he gave him his first reaction. My list would have included Lewis as No. 1, but in deference to him, I have omitted him and his teammate Ed Reed -- you know, not to cause any friction.

Bonus - Ted Hendricks: Said Lewis, "His wisdom was everything. He just knew how to play the game."

Onto the list ...

6. Edgerrin James James led the league in rushing his first two years in the league, is the Colts' all-time leading rusher and a member of the all-decade team for the 2000s. "I never saw somebody run the ball with such an ability to shift and change direction. So I called him 'Easy.'"


5. Jim Kelly Kelly led the Bills to four AFC championships and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The best of a strong group of Miami quarterbacks that included Bernie Kosar and Vinny Testaverde. "He was resilient."


4. Warren Sapp Sapp won the Lombardi Trophy and Outland Trophy at Miami, was a seven-time Pro Bowl player and a member of the Buccaneers lone Super Bowl championship team. "The first time I saw him, I said that I have never seen anything like that."


3. Jerome Brown Brown was a dominant defensive tackle, but might be most well known for staging a walkout with his Hurricanes teammates during a dinner with Penn State players prior to the 1987 Fiesta Bowl. "He was the forefather before Sapp. He set the path in motion for Miami football. He was the trend-setter."


2. Michael Irvin Irvin might be the poster boy for the flamboyant Miami player. Irvin was a member of the Hurricanes 1987 championship team and won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys. Lewis summed up Irvin in just one word. "Passion."


1. Sean Taylor "He broke all of the rules. It was amazing how good he was. He shouldn't have been able to do the things that he did. He had the size, speed and range. He was the complete package. We lost him way too early."

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(nfl.com)

 

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(baltimoresun.com)

Ravens icon Ray Lewis went on ESPN First Take Monday morning and talked about how he's using his lockout time.

His first initiative is the United Athletes Association, which features 150 world-class athletes trying to increase awareness about combating diabetes and obesity. "Our numbers are staggering in the U.S. when you're talking about diabetes and kidney disease," said Lewis, who says exercise is the solution.

He also said he has created a number of companies "with my team of people" that can help those without employment.

"I've been playing football since 1985," Lewis said. "I've never had a summer off in 25 years. ... Our whole purpose is to create these businesses to help anybody. I got a job for you."

ESPN did not pursue what those companies -- and jobs -- might be, but did ask if Lewis would consider going in the ring, like teammate Tom Zbikowski.

"Absolutely ... NOT," Lewis said, grinning.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(baltimoresun.com)

Ray Lewis said he doesn't have a gut feeling on whether there will be a full 16-game NFL season this year.

Asked why he doesn't, the Ravens linebacker offered this cryptic response Wednesday: "I don't know. I'm more on the inside of it of talking to [NFL Players Association leader] DeMaurice Smith and talking to all those guys. But a lot of it, I'm totally away from them because I look at it totally different, and I'll share that at another time."

The NFL and the players disagree on who should oversee talks after a judge handling the injunction urged the sides to go "back to the table." Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are plaintiffs in the case.

The players have been locked out by the owners since March 12. Lewis said he isn't angered by the fact that there are no offseason workouts at team headquarters.

"I would hope and pray all the guys I talk to … the thing I try to tell them is please do something else," Lewis said after an autograph signing session at That Sports Store at the Harford Mall. "You have to have many things going on. To me, this is probably the greatest window of opportunity I've ever had in my life. It's been 25 years of my life that I've never had a summer to myself."

Lewis said he is completely healthy after finishing his 15th NFL season and didn't need any surgeries this offseason. He has begun his training regimen, but he's been "working out for a lifestyle" rather than football, he said.

On the business end, Lewis has been busy promoting his clothing line, RL52 Style; a workout application available on iTunes; a pre-training formula; and his annual "Ray's Summer Days" in Baltimore next month.

"When you get time off, you build something different," Lewis said. "You don't sit around and say, 'If they lock us out, what are we going to do?' What we're going to do is I'm going to keep building empire after empire after empire."

Lewis added: "Don't get me wrong, that's our job and I love it to death. But when somebody abuses your heart and what you do, you've got to move on. If you don't, you'll find yourself bitter and mad. That's too much."

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(baltimoresun.com)

ESPN SportsNation's poll for the best NFL hit in 2010 goes to the Baltimore Ravens' Ray Lewis, for his crushing blow on the New York Jets' Dustin Keller in the Ravens 10-9 season opening victory in the New Meadowlands. The Jets were down 10-9 in the waning moments of the game when Jets QB Mark Sanchez tried to find Keller over the middle. The ball glanced off of Keller's hands, as he was probably already expecting to get nailed. However, Ray read Sanchez' eyes and zeroed in on Keller long before the ball got to him.

As soon as the ball hit his hands, Lewis put his shoulder into Keller's chest, stopping him in his tracks and laying him out flat to help preserve the victory. No penalty was called for what was obviously a legal hit, and shortly thereafter, Keller inexplicably stepped out of bounds on fourth down with a yard more to go. Perhaps he was still hurting from that crushing hit and wanted no more damage to his body, much less his ego.

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(baltimorebeatdown.com)

LAKELAND | Ray Lewis wants to bring back the times when there was unity in a community, a time when people cared about their neighbors.
An All-Pro linebacker for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens and Kathleen High School graduate, Lewis has returned to Polk County to help build his dream.

Speaking to about 350 people Thursday at CommUnity Celebration 2011, Lewis weaved through stories of how he used negative events in his life to become a better player — and a better person.

He said he didn't have the luxuries he has now when he was growing up in Lakeland. But through ­determination and effort, he was able to overcome his perceived shortcomings, he said.

"Many are called, but few are chosen," Lewis said. "What everybody is saying (is that ) we are in the greatest turmoil our country has ever seen. I call it a call of duty."

His foundation is an extension of that call.

Lewis is in town this week to kick off the inaugural activities of the Lakeland branch of the Ray Lewis 52 Foundation. He is having a charity bowling tournament today as well as a free youth fitness clinic Saturday at his alma mater. This is just the start of what he hopes to bring to the community.

"This has always been my dream," Lewis said. "This is the ultimate. We have all the beautiful people in our city come back for one common goal – not to make money or any of that stuff – but to affect lives.

"Sometimes life takes you in so many different ways," Lewis said. "When you finally get it, you know how to bring it back. What I built in Baltimore for so many years, I have that mode to bring it to this city. I know that this helps, this works, this changes lives."

Soon to be 36 years old, Lewis is arguably one of the best linebackers of all time. He was voted to the Pro Bowl 12 times, including this past season. But as he enters his 16th year, Lewis doesn't know when his final year will come.

Even when he is done, his work will continue.

In Baltimore, he is known for his charitable work, including food drives and back-to-school events. In May, Lewis was rewarded for that work when the city named a portion of North Street as Ray Lewis Way.

Now he is extending his foundation to Lakeland.

"Anything that I've built, it's about educating somebody," Lewis said. "If you surround yourself with more good than evil, then you will have a better chance to survive. ... My journey is to give somebody hope."

Lewis hasn't had many poor performances on the football field but admitted making poor choices off of it when he was younger. He said hanging with the wrong crowd led him to being charged with double murder in Atlanta in 2000. Lewis pled guilty to obstruction of justice, was fined $250,000 by the NFL and sentenced to one year of probation.

And while his reputation took a serious hit, Lewis said he gained something else out of the experience.

"It removed me from a bad crowd," he said. "What you have to be careful is entertaining what people want you to entertain.

"I don't want to be liked," he said. "I live to be respected. If you're going to be respected, I can assure you there will be trials and tribulations you go through. No matter what you go through, it's your mind-set when you go through it that determines the outcome. What I lost then, I gained back double-fold from a respect angle."

And now he's giving back.

"We have a chance to create a model," Lewis said. "I'm not here to compete with anybody. I'm here to make it a better place."

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(theledger.com)

LAKELAND | Ray Lewis has been in a lot of big events in his lifetime and the NFL star is embarking on one of his most important missions.

Lewis' foundation will make its Lakeland debut on Friday in the city that shaped him. The Ray Lewis Foundation will hold two fund-raising events on Friday and a youth clinic on Saturday.

An NFL All-Pro linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, Super Bowl MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, Lewis attended Kathleen High.
He started the Ray Lewis Foundation in Baltimore where he has helped thousands of children. Now, he's bringing his foundation to the place he calls home.

Lewis will be the keynote speaker for the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce CommUnity Celebration at The Lakeland Center on Thursday. He will offer a personal perspective on diversity in the Lakeland community.

On Friday, Lewis will have a celebrity bowling tournament at Orange Bowling Lanes. Limited tickets are still available. Call John Ruffin at 863-537-0570.

An after party (by invitation only) will be at Louis Mack's Steakhouse.

Funds from the two fund-raisers will help the foundation provide dental care and eye glasses for underprivileged youth and events for back to school and holidays.

The Youth Fitness Clinic at Kathleen High School on Saturday starts at 10 a.m. Children ages 8-16 can exercise with Lewis.

The event is free but parents must pre-register children from 8-10 a.m. at the school. The first 200 children who pre-registercan participate in the clinic. Children will be provided a light lunch and a shirt.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’s proCane Rookie Card.



(theledger.com)

March 4, 2011: It seems as if products such as Gatorade's Prime are not productive enough for one of the toughest guys in the NFL.

Ray Lewis, a future Hall of Fame linebacker with the Baltimore Ravens, is putting his marketing efforts behind Power Fuel, which is described as a "pre-workout intensity supplement." Power Fuel, from New York-based Twinlab Corp., will feature Lewis on its packaging and "contain a powerful custom ingredient blend named in his honor."

“I was interested in a formula that could bring real results to the table and not just hype," Lewis said in a statement. "Anybody who knows me knows that if I’m going to do something, it’s going to be done right, and that’s exactly what we’re doing."

According to Twinlab, Power Fuel's "Fuel Management System works to help get you primed and ready for truly intense workouts [and] replenish vital electrolytes lost through perspiration, infuse B-vitamins to increase metabolism and help turn food into energy and patented Cinnulin PF.

Among its ingredients, Power Fuel contains "Formula52 [which is] packed with a proprietary blend of nitric oxide precursors and facilitators to help stimulate pump; clinically tested fatigue-fighting agents beta alanine, caffeine and a taurine to aid performance and focus; and creatine to help fuel strength and size gains.

Lewis, whose endorsement deals also include Old Spice, will do supporting marketing for Power Fuel, such as Internet and a personal appearance at the Arnold [Schwarzenegger] Sports Festival Expo on at the Columbus (Ohio) Convention Center.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’s proCane Rookie Card.



(nysportsjournalism.com)

The Ravens will have more pressing needs to address during the upcoming NFL draft than finding a long-term replacement for legendary linebacker Ray Lewis. But that difficult task is something they must tackle sooner rather than later.

First, here's a disclaimer from Ravens coach John Harbaugh.

"There’s not going to be a Ray Lewis in the draft in the next year or two,” Harbaugh recently told NFL Network. “We won’t be able to replace Ray Lewis.”

Lewis is a once-in-a-generation player, and few have personified a football franchise like the 35-year-old linebacker has with the Ravens. He has been selected to 12 Pro Bowls, named to seven All-Pro first teams, handed two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. He was the Super Bowl MVP when the Ravens won their only Lombardi Trophy. He truly is an entertainer and an icon.

“In my opinion he’s the greatest middle linebacker in the history of the game," Harbaugh said. "He’s still playing as well as any middle linebacker in football today. That’s an incredible thing after 15 years in the National Football League. I love him. I want him to play as long as he wants to play, and I think he’ll know when it’s time, but as he has told me before, it’s not time.”

That all may be true, and we know the chances will be slim of a youngster taking over Lewis' leadership role and slimmer of that player filling the void in the hearts of Ravens fans when Lewis decides it's time. But the Ravens do need to find a do-it-all inside linebacker to take over for him on the team's depth chart. They can't throw Lewis' bronze bust from Canton out there in the middle of the defense and expect it to make tackles and intimidate Twitter-happy wide receivers.

Jameel McClain, an undrafted free agent who started alongside Lewis in his third season, was a revelation in 2010, finishing third on the team in tackles. But Tavares Ellerbe and Dannell Ellerbe are limited in their abilities and are better suited as situational players or bench warmers, depending on your perspective.

That's why I wasn't surprised to read that the Ravens had chatted with Oregon inside linebacker Casey Matthews, the brother of Packers sack master Clay Matthews III. And that's why I suspect they kept a close eye on the linebacker prospects at the recently-concluded NFL scouting combine. Matthews, Quan Sturdivant, Greg Jones, Martez Wilson and Nate Irving are among some of the top inside linebacker prospects, though none might get drafted in the first round. Will the Ravens see enough potential in one of them to spend a second-rounder or third-rounder in April? Only Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta know the answer to that question.

If they don't use an early pick on an inside linebacker this year -- the top end of the crop is considered weak -- they would be wise to do it soon. Lewis' strong play in 2010 suggests that he has two or three more productive years left in him, but let's not forget that Harbaugh "broached" the subject of limiting Lewis' snaps. Age catches up to everyone eventually, even if you're riding a rocket-powered raven into outer space.

Harbaugh is right; Lewis' eventual replacement probably won't end up being a future Hall of Famer or a franchise icon. But someone will have to start at inside linebacker when Lewis is gone.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’s proCane Rookie Card.



(baltimoresun.com)

Whenever the Baltimore Ravens play a home game at M&T Bank Stadium, either the team's offense or defense is introduced. The player's names are called and the fans cheer as they make their way out of the smokey tunnel and onto the field. The biggest cheers on offense go to QB Joe Flacco, Todd Heap and Ray Rice. On defense, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs get theirs when their names are announced.

However no one comes close to getting the fans riled up into a frenzy like linebacker Ray Lewis does when he emerges from the tunnel. Once the other defensive players have been introduced and are on the field, the smoke thickens, the height of the spitting fire increases and the huge video screens show Ray entering the field to the strands of Nelly's "It's Hot in Herre!" Ray picks up a few tufts of grass to tell the world "this is my house!" and then breaks into his trademark dance that sends the fans into a wild mob of screaming lunatics. His teammates feed off of his passion and cannot wait to get out on that gridiron and hit somebody.

Nothing short of being there as witness to this spectacle compares, as the level of emotion cannot be felt from your living room. If you've ever seen this live, it never gets old and the  hairs on your arms tingle with the amazing passion you feel for what #52 has brought to the team, the city and its fans.

Regardless of whether or not the offense or defense is introduced prior to each home game, Ray Lewis should always be the last player out of the tunnel and his trademark entrance should become a staple of the introductions each and every game. Especially in the light of what could be his last season, the team owes this "birthright" to him, and the fans come to the game hoping to see it.

It was mentioned at one time that the team purposely did not do this to prove a point to Ray that they were "bigger" than him and it was about the team and not any individual. However, that is a bunch of bunk, as the purpose of the introductions is to raise the passion level and excite the fans to a level to get the most out of the home field advantage even before the opening kickoff.

So join with me in letting the team know that Ray LEwis should be an integral part of the opening plyer introductions each and every game!

Click here to order Ray Lewis’s proCane Rookie Card.



(baltimorebeatdown.com)

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who talked about acting after his football career is over, showed off his skills in a Pepsi commercial with New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees,



Click here to order Ray Lewis’s proCane Rookie Card.

Ray Lewis joined "The Dan Patrick Show" to discuss whether he will go into acting when his NFL career is over and whom he'd like to star with in a romantic comedy.

When this is all done, are you going to get into acting? Are you going to be like "The Rock"? What kind of actor will you be?
"I'm not going to be like The Rock. I'm going to be like me, but yes, I'm going into it [acting]. I think I'm very versatile. I'm very versatile. I mean, I could definitely go into action, but action is probably the easiest one. But you know drama, suspense, things like that ... I don't like nothing about horror. I don't like nothing about that mess. But when you talk about acting, that's kind of what I do, you know. I sit at home the way people read books. That's the way I watch movies. I get the same lessons that people get because I'm a visual person. That's why I watch so many movies because I like being in the producer's head before they give you the plot of a movie, whether it's suspense, whether it's whatever. That's kind of from a kid, you know, I always used to act out whoever it was and imitate all these different people. Then when I got older, I started to realize that I was very comfortable with the camera. ... With the Pepsi Max thing with Drew [Brees], that was hilarious to create that sense of humor. This sense of horror from a Pepsi bottle that's created all this drama you know going on. You know me and Drees Brees, we had a good time. We had a real good, good, time doing it."

Are you going to be in a romantic comedy? Who's going to be your co-star?
"I would like those. I like those. Who would be my co-star? Oh, see I don't know. Just let that person pop up. Ugh. I don't know. I like a lot of actresses, like a lot of them. I like, you know, Salma Hayek. She's a great actress. Yeah, that would be awesome. Can you imagine?"

Click here to order Ray Lewis’s proCane Rookie Card.



(espn.com)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis has confirmed he will play at least one more season.

The aging Lewis said on The Dan Patrick Show that rumors of him retiring are not true.

“I heard that they gave me a front office job,” Lewis said in the interview. “I have never heard of that in my life.”

Lewis racked up 139 tackles last season as the Ravens finished the regular season 12-4 before losing to eventual AFC champion Pittsburgh in the second round of the playoffs.

Rumors immediately surfaced that Lewis would step down, although many of his teammates – most notably running back Ray Rice –said they expected him to be back.

“We do not listen to what everyone writes,” Lewis said. “No way.”

Click here to order Ray Lewis’s proCane Rookie Card.



(sportingnews.com)

There have been a lot of rumors swirling about the Ravens offering linebacker Ray Lewis a financial package to retire, but Lewis laughed about that option, and Newsome also said it wasn't true.

"We just had our personnel meetings this week, and Ray hasn't told any off our defensive staff he was retiring," general manager Ozzie Newsome said. "The last I heard from Ray he stood up at the end-of-the-year meeting and told his teammates that he had already begun to prepare for next season."

At the Pro Bowl, Lewis did his usual recruiting for the Ravens to lure some free agents here to Baltimore.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(baltimoresun.com)

Something tells me Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco wasn’t kidding when he said he wanted to “fight” Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis on Fox Sports’ The Dan Patrick Show Thursday.

Making a guest appearance alongside New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, Dan Patrick asked the two if they attended a Super Bowl party in Dallas hosted by Ray Lewis. The conversation from that point took a very interesting turn back to the infamous Ray Lewis hit that knocked off Ochocinco’s helmet back in October 2009.

“I’m looking for Ray. I got some choice words for him.” (Ochocinco)

“I don’t think so. What would you say to him?” (Patrick)

“I don’t know I just want to fight.” (Ochocinco)

“Why you want to right Ray, man?” (Revis)

“I don’t know, it’s just…” (Ochocinco)

“Do this stem back from the Pro Bowl last year?” (Revis)

“No, when he knocked my helmet off. He’s yet to apologize and I still get headaches from that hit.” (Ochocinco)

“Do you want to pop him?” (Patrick)

“Pop him. And if I was at his party I would have probably popped him right there.” (Ochocinco)

I’d still put my money on Ray Lewis to win that imaginary fight. See evidence below.

On a side note, I do think Chad Ochocinco was kidding when he said his pending marriage to VH1 Basketball Wives star Evelyn Lozada would last longer than 23 years — the amount of years Dan Patrick has been married.

The Chad Ochocinco Evelyn Lozada engagement feels like a publicity stunt, but I guess we shall soon see.

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was rated the top "Media Day Diva" in a recent article on AOL FanHouse. Lewis was the focal point of the Super Bowl media day in January 2001, which was about a year after he was connected to two murders in Atlanta.

Others included on that list were: Doug Williams, Terrell Owens, William Perry and Duane Thomas.

FanHouse's Chris Harry explained why Lewis topped his list: "It had been nearly a year since Lewis, the Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker, had been indicted on murder charges stemming from a fight that broke out in downtown Atlanta and led to the two stabbing deaths during Super Bowl XXXIV weekend the year before. Lewis eventually pled guilty to charges of obstruction of justice for giving police misleading statements. He was sentenced to one-year probation."

"Lewis went the entire 2000 season without speaking to reporters, but was required to climb the podium on Media Day for Baltimore's showdown against the New York Giants. Yes, the subject of the murders came up. 'Yeah I got money. Yeah I'm black. Yeah I'm blessed,' Lewis railed. 'But at the same time let's find out the real truth. The real truth is this was never about those two kids dead in the street, it's about Ray Lewis. And that's the same thing this is about and that's not right.' Asked if there was anything he'd like to say to the family of the victims, Lewis responded, 'Na.' Five days later, he was voted MVP of Baltimore's 34-7 victory. Not one of the game's finer moments."

(baltimoresun.com)

Here is a photo of three of the 10 proCane Pro Bowlers in Honolulu this past weekend. Vince WIlfork, Ray Lewis and Brandon Meriweather ar throwing up “The U” in Honolulu.

HONOLULU -- Jerod Mayo has big plans for his first Pro Bowl trip. And he planted the seeds last night during the AFC players orientation meeting. Mayo cozied up to Ray Lewis, formally introduced himself, shook the man’s hand, and basically told the Ravens linebacker he hoped to pick his brain during the week for pointers on how to get better.

And guess what? Lewis agreed.

"He seemed like a good guy," Mayo said. ”It was a quick meet-and-greet. But he welcomed me with open arms, and we’re going to get together and talk."

Now the Patriots [team stats] and Ravens aren’t quite to the degree of the Pats and Jets on the hate meter, but they’re up there, especially when Terrell Suggs starts yapping crazy things about Tom Brady [stats].

But being teammates in Hawaii on a Pro Bowl team apparently calls for a temporary truce. All of the barriers and walls tend to come down for the week when the NFL’s all-stars gather. So Mayo wanted to take advantage.

The one person he was hoping to meet and spend time with this week was the future Hall of Famer Lewis, who is among the greatest middle linebackers to ever play the game.

"He’s just someone I’ve been wanting to sit down with, and talk with, and pick his brain," said Mayo, who flew in from Boston yesterday. "I’ve watched him and just want to see how he’s been able to do what he’s done for so long that’s so amazing to me, and take what I can from him."

Lewis has certainly been a tone-setter for the Ravens defense. He plays with a fierceness and ferociousness that’s unmistakable. He’s always had a knack for making big plays at crucial times. At age 35 this season, he played well enough to make his 12th Pro Bowl after recording a team-high 139 tackles. He also had two sacks, two interceptions, forced two fumbles, and played 1,111 out of a possible 1,116 snaps. He is the standard for this generation of linebackers.

That’s why Mayo was happy he got the green light last night from Lewis after Pats coach Bill Belichick opened the proceedings with a meeting that lasted a little more than an hour. So along with seeing sights like Pearl Harbor, spending time with Lewis was high up on Mayo’s bucket list for the Pro Bowl.

What impresses Mayo the most about his rival?

"Just his overall assertiveness," Mayo said. "How he takes control of the defense, how he gets everyone in the right place at the right time. How he lines everyone up. I know he studies a lot of film, and he just seems to know where the play is going before everyone else does."

Mayo holds the same job, but obviously feels he needs to improve in that area in order for the defense to raise its level. While he has certainly grown more as a leader, Mayo is still young and still feeling his way.

It’s hard not to like this move by Mayo. Some young Pro Bowlers - and All Pros, for that matter, as Mayo became this week - think they have it made and have all the answers.

Pick Lewis’ brain? What for? What’s he going to tell me that I don’t know?

"Hey, I’m absolutely sure I can learn something from him," Mayo said. "Even if it’s something small, it’ll be good to hear what he has to say."
The Pats linebacker led the league in tackles this year, but he’s still trying to improve, still trying to get better, still trying to be a better leader on the defense.

Who says the Pro Bowl isn’t good for something?

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(boston.com)

OFFENSE
Quarterback-Tom Brady, New England.
Running Backs-Jamaal Charles, Kansas City; Arian Foster, Houston.
Fullback-Vonta Leach, Houston.
Tight End-Jason Witten, Dallas.
Wide Receivers-Roddy White, Atlanta; Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis.
Tackles-Jake Long, Miami; Joe Thomas, Cleveland.
Guards-Logan Mankins, New England; Jahri Evans, New Orleans.
Center-Nick Mangold, New York Jets.
Kicker-Billy Cundiff, Baltimore.
Kick Returner-Devin Hester, Chicago.
---
DEFENSE
Ends-Julius Peppers, Chicago; John Abraham, Atlanta.
Tackles-Haloti Ngata, Baltimore; Ndamukong Suh, Detroit.
Outside Linebackers-Clay Matthews, Green Bay; James Harrison, Pittsburgh.
Inside Linebacker-Patrick Willis, San Francisco; Jerod Mayo, New England.
Cornerbacks-Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland; Darrelle Revis, New York Jets.
Safeties-Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh; Ed Reed, Baltimore.
Punter-Shane Lechler, Oakland.
---
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback-Vacant.
Running Backs-Michael Turner, Atlanta; Adrian Peterson, Minnesota.
Fullback-Ovie Mughelli, Atlanta.
Tight End-Antonio Gates, San Diego.
Wide Receivers-Brandon Lloyd, Denver; Calvin Johnson, Detroit, and Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City (tie).
Tackles-Jason Peters, Philadelphia; Sebastian Vollmer, New England.
Guards-Chris Snee, New York Giants; Carl Nicks, New Orleans.
Center-Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh.
Kicker-David Akers, Philadelphia.
Kick Returner-Leon Washington, Seattle.
---
DEFENSE
Ends-Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants; Justin Tuck, New York Giants.
Tackles-Vince Wilfork, New England; Kyle Williams, Buffalo.
Outside Linebackers-Cameron Wake, Miami; DeMarcus Ware, Dallas.
Inside Linebackers-Brian Urlacher, Chicago; Ray Lewis, Baltimore.
Cornerbacks-Devin McCourty, New England; Charles Woodson, Green Bay.
Safeties-Nick Collins, Green Bay; and Antrel Rolle, New York Giants, Eric Weddle, San Diego, Malcolm Jenkins, New Orleans, Quintin Mikell, Philadelphia, Chris Harris, Chicago, Michael Huff, Oakland, Michael Griffin, Tennessee, and Darren Sharper, New Orleans (tie).
Punter-Mat McBriar, Dallas.



(miamiherald.com)

During his introductory press conference last week, Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano was asked how much linebacker Ray Lewis has left in the tank. Pagano revealed that during the 2010 season, the 35-year-old linebacker played 1,111 out of a possible 1,116 snaps, which is crazy. "And we chewed him out when he came out for that, for missing five plays," Pagano joked.

Lewis was selected to his 12th Pro Bowl this season after recording a team-high 139 tackles. He had two sacks, two interceptions and forced two fumbles. Lewis also jacked up Saturn.

I've been asked a few times about Lewis potentially retiring, but trust me, it's not happening any time soon. Sports Illustrated's Peter King wrote on Monday that "Ray Lewis is telling friends he definitely wants to return for a 16th year, whenever that may be."

As long as he is still a productive player and has at least two or three of his limbs intact, you can pencil Lewis into the middle of the Baltimore defense. I see Lewis playing out the final year of his three-year contract then signing a shorter deal (or two) to retire with the Ravens. 

That being said, the Ravens need to start looking for a long-term replacement for Lewis, and by replacement, I mean someone to eventually fill his spot on the depth chart because it's highly unlikely they will find someone to fill his Canton-bound cleats. Young linebackers Jameel McClain, Dannell Ellerbe and Tavares Gooden are all complimentary players, so the Ravens need to find an impact player in the next draft or two to man a spot in the middle once Lewis hangs them up.

Now, if that linebacker can go to a dozen Pro Bowls, play 99.6 percent of his snaps at age 35 and carry the organization that way Lewis has -- and blow up a planet, too -- consider this city blessed.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(baltimoresun.com)

OWINGS MILLS, Md.—With All-Pro middle linebacker Ray Lewis(notes) along with former Ravens assistant coach Hue Jackson linked to a product called "The Ultimate Spray" that contained a banned substance, general manager Ozzie Newsome defended the NFL drug-testing program.

“No. 1, I think we probably, in professional sports, have the best testing of all the four major sports,” Newsome said. “ Our testing for performance enhancers goes year-round [and] they’re random. So, if there’s anything that any of our players are taking, then they will be found out about because they will test positive for it, and there would be a suspension.

“That being said, if there is a product that he’s taking, and he’s passing the tests, then I can’t explain that one. That’s up to our league and the testing that we go through. Now, Ray is one person that I think that we all can talk to, and he’ll explain any and everything to us about what he’s doing, why he’s doing it. So, if need be, we’ll have that conversation. But I trust, and I know because five times a week I walk into this building and people are here to test our guys, that nobody is getting away with anything.”

Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals safety Roy Williams, New York Jets running backs coach Anthony Lynn and Cincinnati Bengals tight ends coach Jay Hayes were all linked to the spray in a report by PostGame.com.

And Jackson was ordered by the NFL to end his promotional relationship with the supplement company selling the spray.

“I’m no longer affiliated with this company,” Jackson told the Associated Press. “I don’t even know about a banned substance.”

Per the report, the spray contains IGF-1, a banned substance.

The owner of the supplement company, Mitch Ross, said he has sent over 25 bottles of the spray to Lewis.

He showed text messages and receipts from Lewis, according to the report.

“I use the spray all the time,” Williams said. “Two to three times a day. My body felt good after using it. I did feel a difference.”

St. Louis Rams linebacker David Vobora(notes) sued the company when he was suspended by the league for a positive steroid test, claiming the spray triggered the failed test.

“I didn’t know [IGF-1] was on there,” Williams said. “I’ve never failed a drug test. I don’t want to be associated with something that is banned.”

Ross told the website that he gave the spray to Jackson, Lewis, Hayes and Lynn.

“In April of '08 I gave various alternatives to steroids, including spray, to Hue Jackson at the Ravens’ training camp,” Ross said. “I also gave the spray to Jay Hayes of the Bengals and Anthony Lynn of the Jets. I want to prove that my protocol reverses the aging process on aging athletes and promotes the healing of injuries in a legal manner.”

Added NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy: "We have a long-standing policy that prohibits coaches from any relationship with a supplement company. Coach Jackson is now in compliance.”

Hayes denied giving the spray to players.

"I did not dispense the spray to players at all. Mitch gave me a sample," he said. "I still have it. I know Mitch, but I am in no way affiliated with S.W.A.T.S.”

Ray Lewis didn't comment for the story.

There was a text message allegedly from Lewis, saying, "Yes, send me all the stuff."

Lewis and Williams haven't failed drug tests, though.

The NFL doesn’t test for human growth hormone, which can only be detected through blood tests. The NFL, in conjunction with the NFL Players Association, only uses urine tests.

“I’ve read the report, but we haven’t had a chance to really follow up and see what’s behind it,” team president Dick Cass. “We’ll obviously look into it. It’s really hard to comment when we haven’t really talked to Ray and really don’t know the facts yet.”

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(sports.yahoo.com)

Three of the four Ravens who went to the University of Miami are defenders, and now they have a coordinator who is also part of the Hurricane football tradition.

Chuck Pagano, promoted from secondary coach to defensive coordinator this week, was the secondary coach and special teams coordinator at Miami from 1995-2000. He coached four first-round draft picks, two of whom -- Ed Reed and Duane Starks -- the Ravens selected.

"My relationship with Ed Reed is pretty good," Pagano said. "I've known him since he was 17 years old when I dragged him into a biology lab and made sure all the Bunsen burners were off and talked him out of going to Tulane and coming to Miami. …He's got a strong family right here in Baltimore and he's got a ton of support. He's a warrior and he's a great leader and he'll go down as one of the all-timers to ever play this game."

Reed was just as complimentary of Pagano.

"Chuck will do everything he can to make sure the defense is prepared for each practice and every game," he said. "The time and effort he puts in and what he will sacrifice will be more than a championship-caliber.

"I believe his best coaching quality is working with the other coaches and players around him. Just like coach [Greg] Mattison, Chuck will get input from everyone, and that will help him be the best coordinator he can be and us be the best defense we can be."

In addition to Reed, Ray Lewis, Tavares Gooden and Willis McGahee comprise the list of former 'Canes in the Ravens' locker room. Lewis echoed Reed's description of Pagano as a personable, player-oriented coach.

"I really have had a truly personal relationship with Chuck, not only from when he got here, but even before because of our ties to the 'U,'" Lewis said. "Even though he didn't coach me, I have known what kind of man and coach he is for a while now. He has an extreme knowledge of the game, and the way he communicates that with his players and fellow coaches is amazing.

"You have to respect how he studies opponents and how he prepares for the task at hand each week. He is truly a pure players' coach. He is a man's man, and there is nothing that I wouldn't do for him. I am excited to see what we can do as a defense and as a team leading into next season. Here we go."

As Pagano broadens his focus from the secondary to the entire defense, he will have more chances to work with Lewis, and he said he was excited about that opportunity. Lewis, the only remaining member of the inaugural Ravens roster, played 1,111 out of 1,116 snaps this year.
"We chewed him out when he came out for that, for missing five plays," Pagano said. "You play at the level that he's played at for 15 years because of your due diligence in the weight room in the offseason, watching tape and taking care of yourself.

"He's taken great care of his body and he understands that his body is his earning power and what's made him. There is not a more passionate guy. Standing next to Ray Lewis and just knowing that you're going to war with him … it's a very, very comforting feeling."



(pressboxonline.com)

According to Ravens LBs coach Dean Pees, Ray Lewis missed just five snaps during the 2010 regular season.

He played 1,111 downs. Lewis finished with 139 tackles -- his most since 2004 -- as well as two forced fumbles, two interceptions (one pick-six), and two sacks. Still, Lewis turns 36 this May, so the Ravens may have to get serious about reducing the future Hall of Famer's snaps going forward.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(msnbc.com)

After watching the Ravens go off the field Saturday night, the one player you felt sorry for was middle linebacker Ray Lewis.
Here is a player who has given his heart and soul to this organization for the past 15 seasons, and the franchise hasn't been able to build an offense to match his or the team's effort on defense.

The Ravens have invested a lot into this offense for the past three seasons, and to come up with that kind of effort in a divisional playoff game was awful.

Lewis isn't the same player he once was, but he is still one of the better linebackers in the NFL, and he gives 110 percent every play. As the season winded down, you hoped the Ravens would be able to give him another Super Bowl ring before he left the game.

The window keeps closing for Lewis, and it would be nice to see him come off the field holding the Lombardi Trophy. He has been through enough head coaches, offensive coordinators and quarterbacks in his time here in Baltimore for the Ravens to find an offense that can match his effort, production and passion.

(baltimoresun.com)

Ray Lewis has been linked to a banned substance in an article on ThePostGame.com about Raiders head coach Hue Jackson’s affiliation with a supplement company.

The article discusses that the NFL ordered Jackson to end his affiliation with Sports With Alternative To Steroids (S.W.A.T.S.) because they offer a product that contains IGF-1, a substance that is banned by the National Football League.

How is Ray Lewis mixed into all of this? Stay with me here. According to the writer, S.W.A.T.S. owner Mitch Ross said that he supplied Jackson with free products that he distributed to players at the NFL Combine in 2008, including Ray lewis.

“In April of ’08 I gave various alternatives to steroids, including spray, to Hue Jackson at the Ravens’ training camp,” Ross said. “I also gave the spray to Jay Hayes of the Bengals and Anthony Lynn of the Jets. I want to prove that my protocol reverses the aging process on aging athletes and promotes the healing of injuries in a legal manner.”

The spray mentioned in the quote above, is called “The Ultimate Spray,” and was used by Rams linebacker David Vobora when he failed a drug test in 2009. Vobora is currently suing S.W.A.T.S. because he believes the spray was contaminated with a steroid.

Ross (S.W.A.T.S. owner) provided half a dozen text messages exchanged between him and Ray Lewis over the past two years in which the Ravens linebacker acknowledged receiving the spray. Ross estimated that he sent 25 bottles of spray to Lewis over the past two seasons.

Bengals safety Roy Williams was also a user of “The Ultimate Spray.” While Lewis was unreachable, according to the writer, Williams was more than able to talk about it.

Asked about IGF-1 being listed on the S.W.A.T.S. site, Williams said, “I didn’t know it was on there. I’ve never failed a drug test. I don’t want to be associated with something that is banned. Kids look up to me.”

As ThePostGame.com points out, neither Ray Lewis or Roy Williams have ever been sanctioned for failing an NFL drug test.

While this article is may be creating a story out of nothing, it is clear that according to S.W.A.T.S. owner Mitch Ross, Ray Lewis does indeed use “The Ultimate Spray,” which contains IGF-1. The question is whether Ross is telling the truth or whether Lewis even uses the substance. Since he has never failed a drug test, odds are that this story is false.

But how much can NFL drug tests be trusted? There are far too many questions to be answered before any assumptions are made.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(baltimoresportsreport.com)

In the decade that's passed since Ray Lewis(notes) was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXV, the Baltimore Ravens star linebacker said he had never worn the ring commemorating the title he and his teammates won on that January night in Tampa. Until Saturday.

Lewis took out the ring for the first time in 10 years in order to show it to his Ravens teammates before the team's wild-card game against the Kansas City Chiefs. It's now sitting by his bed, serving as a reminder of what he's accomplished in the past and as an inspiration to do it again now. 

The All-Pro linebacker has been talking to his team about playing in Dallas, the site of next month's Super Bowl, since the beginning of training camp. Now Baltimore, which will face division-rival Pittsburgh on Saturday night, is two games away. 

I bet Lewis' Ravens teammates were happy to see the linebacker pull out a new motivational trick out of his bag. As we've seen countless times in various mic'd up segments throughout the years, Ray-Ray recites a variation of the same inspirational speech before every game. (It's something like: "Tonight is about us. [pause] Tonight is about victory. [longer pause] They will know when we hit them! [repeat 3x] Together! [longest pause] Sixty minutes of football! Ravens on three.")

When you watch those clips you can always see someone in the huddle looking completely disinterested or wondering how much longer they're going to have to hold their hand in the middle of a group circle. At some point, I'm sure some guys tune him out. Lewis is the unquestioned leader of the team and I wouldn't want anyone else giving a pregame speech, but you can't treat a season opener in Cincinnati like you do a playoff game in Pittsburgh, you know?

There's no tuning out a Super Bowl ring, though. Lewis is the only link to the Ravens' last title team, so when he talks about watching that confetti drop, it merits attention. That's what you play for. Lewis finally brought the ring out. When he puts it back, he clearly wants another to go with it. 

Click here to order Ray Lewis’s proCane Rookie Card.



(yahoo.com)

6 proCanes made early exits out of the NFL playoffs after he wildcard round this weekend.

Reggie Wayne (Colts), Javarris James (Colts), Jon Vilma (Saints), Jimmy Graham (Saints), Jeremy Shockey (Saints), Antonio Dixon (Eagles) all lost their respective games and will start their offseason.

Below are the remaining proCanes in the NFL playoffs.

AFC: Ed Reed (Ravens), Ray Lewis (Ravens), Tavares Gooden (Ravens), Willis McGahee (Ravens), Brandon Meriweather (Patriots), Vince Wilfork (Patriots).

NFC: Kelly Jennings (Seahawks), Spencer Adkins (Falcons), Devin Hester (Bears), Greg Olsen (Bears), Sam Shields (Packers).

Props to Kevin Richardson of The Baltimore Sun for putting together a pretty clever video that remixes Ray Lewis' press conference catch phrases -- a la DJ Steve Porter. My favorite Lewis buzz phrase is "the bottom line," and the bottom line is that I counted 16 instances of him saying "the bottom line" in the clip, which I'm pretty sure is still less than your typical Lewis press conference. Anyway, check out Richardson's video:

 

Click here to order Ray Lewis’s proCane Rookie Card.



(baltimoresun.com)

Ray Lewis knows there won't be many more chances to win another Super Bowl, so he's attached a sense of urgency to this year's playoffs.
Baltimore opens the postseason Sunday in Kansas City, but the Ravens linebacker began talking championship with his teammates when New Orleans came to town last month.

The night before the Ravens faced the defending Super Bowl champion Saints, he gave an impassioned speech to his teammates, stressing the importance of dedication and sacrifice.

"When New Orleans was coming here, they are still defending champs until somebody else touches that confetti," Lewis said Wednesday. "That's what I tried to get my young guys to clue in on. We watched them win a Super Bowl against the Colts last year. Do you want to feel that? Because I do — again."

For Lewis, that's the only one reason to play the game.

His 12 Pro Bowl invitations and two Defensive Player of the Year awards are meaningless next to the Super Bowl ring he earned a decade ago with Baltimore.

Now in his 15th season, the 35-year-old Lewis wants to make each play, each down count.

"I've watched some of the greatest warriors come in this business and leave this business without a ring," Lewis said. "When you get that, the thing that waters you mouth is to feel that again. So when you find yourself back here, the message starts to become simple: What will you sacrifice for your team? What will you give up for that ultimate prize?"

Sounds like another speech brewing. And if Lewis does decide to address the Ravens before they face the Chiefs, there is no doubt that his teammates will heed every word.

"It's huge to have a guy like him on the team, someone who knows what it takes to do something that's darn near impossible," linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "There's only going to be one champion at the end of the year, and he's done it before. A couple of years in the past we've had chances to win it but we've come up short. He can pinpoint exactly why we came up short."

Lewis knows only one team emerges as champion each season, and he understands how difficult a task it is to win a Super Bowl title. This will be the sixth time since their lone Super Bowl appearance that the Ravens have been in the playoffs, and each of the previous five ended in disappointment.

Lewis intends to rectify that shortcoming in the weeks ahead.

"We're back in the dance a third (consecutive) year. I say finish. Finish now. Because we've done everything else," he said. "We've been to the AFC championship, we've been to the divisional round, we've done everything we're supposed to do. What's next for us? What's next is finish."
If he can't go to the Super Bowl as a player, Lewis won't go as a fan. The only way he intends to be there in person is wearing a helmet, shoulder pads and a No. 52 jersey.

"I would never attend one without playing in it. But I do watch it," Lewis said. "You sit there and you're like, 'Wow, somebody will experience what I experienced.' I want that. That's the only reason you play the game. And right now, my job as a leader of this team is to tell them, 'Look, we've got three weeks. Make up your mind. We've got Kansas City this week, whoever the next week and whoever the next week. Whatever you've got to do, let's see if we can make that trip to Dallas.'"

Lewis has been the leader of this team for 15 years, but his dozen Pro Bowl invitations are proof that he's more than just a voice in the huddle and locker room. He leads the Ravens with 145 tackles, has two interceptions, two sacks, forced two fumbles and recovered three.

That, and his experience, should prove instrumental in Baltimore's bid to go deep into the playoffs.

"When you have a Ray Lewis and (Pro Bowl safety) Ed Reed, you have confidence they're going to be leaders and play great," Ravens cornerback Chris Carr said. "They always show up in big games. When you're playing with great players like that who have experience, you go into the playoffs it doesn't seem like as big a deal. Ray has high expectations every single week, so we're going to feel comfortable out there having him with us."

After going through training camp and a 17-week regular season to get to this point, Lewis can't wait to get started.

"Here we go again," he said. "You had your peaks and valleys, your ups and downs, your wrongs and rights, your dos, your don'ts. You had all these different things. And now you find yourself with the only reason you play the game, and that's the opportunity to be in the dance."
And, more importantly, to be the last one standing.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’s proCane Rookie Card.



(sfexaminer.com)

17 proCanes will participate in the 2010 NFL playoffs. 8 from the AFC and 9 from the NFC. Below is a list of the players.

AFC: Reggie Wayne (Colts), Javarris James (Colts), Ed Reed (Ravens), Ray Lewis (Ravens), Tavares Gooden (Ravens), Willis McGahee (Ravens), Brandon Meriweather (Patriots), Vince Wilfork (Patriots).

NFC: Kelly Jennings (Seahawks), Jon Vilma (Saints), Jimmy Graham (Saints), Jeremy Shockey (Saints), Antonio Dixon (Eagles), Spencer Adkins (Falcons), Devin Hester (Bears), Greg Olsen (Bears), Sam Shields (Packers).

Thanks to the Baltimore Ravens' perennial All-Pros, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, the Ravens held off the Cincinnati Bengals 13-7 Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium. Reed had two interceptions and Lewis two fumble recoveries to thwart the Bengals each time they seemed poised to drive for a score in the game. The game ended inside the Ravens five yard line when Bengals QB Carson Palmer threw incomplete on a fourth and one.

Reed's two picks were the third time this season that he had two interceptions in a game and his eight for the year lead the NFL, despite the amazing fact that Reed missed the first six games of the 2010 regular season due to being on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List. Lewis had his typical great game, with nine tackles to go along with the two fumble recoveries.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’s and Ed Reed’s proCane Rookie Card.



(baltimoreravensbeatdown.com)