BALTIMORE -- Enjoy Ray Lewis
while you can.
Because in a few years, the future Hall of Fame
linebacker plans to separate himself from the NFL
completely -- with no second-guessing and no regrets.
"When it's time for me to hang up those cleats, there
is no coming back,'' Lewis said. "There is no 'Yeah, I
feel good again and I'm in better shape.' Because I
know what I give every day of my life, and that is
complete focus on my task at hand.''
That current task is bringing Baltimore back to
prominence. Just two years ago the Ravens were Super
Bowl contenders after a 13-3 season, but injuries and
inconsistent play resulted in last season's 5-11
finish.
Despite nine Pro Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl MVP
on his résumé, Lewis says he is training harder than
ever. Increasing his workout regimen with age is a
trick he learned from former teammates Rod Woodson and
Shannon Sharpe, who played 17 and 14 years,
respectively.
Lewis, who turns 33 Thursday, is in his 13th season and
believes his intense training will help him play
"another three or four years, easily.'' He arrived at
minicamp in midseason form last weekend, weighing 255
pounds with 6 percent body fat and biceps large enough
to make running backs cringe.
In addition, there is a newfound energy about Lewis. He
was running around the practice field last week like a
23-year-old and was playful in the locker room with
actual 23-year-olds, such as rookie quarterback Joe
Flacco.
"You appreciate it more,'' said Lewis. "You appreciate
why you play the game, why you mentor these young kids,
and why you go through the ups and downs of this
business. So my energy is more incredible now than I
think it's probably ever been, probably because of the
excitement of everything that's going on."
Much of the optimism in Baltimore revolves around the
hire of rookie head coach John Harbaugh, who replaced
Brian Billick after nine seasons.
Harbaugh spent the past few months with both hands over
his ears, blocking out any public perception about his
new team and particularly as it pertains to Lewis.
There is speculation in Baltimore that Lewis' strong
personality could make it difficult for a first-time
head coach to put his imprint on the team. Harbaugh is
in the process of running a much tighter ship than
Billick, and the theory was that if Lewis wasn't on
board, the locker room would be tough to win over.
Harbaugh said his relationship with his star player is
the "complete opposite" of what outsiders expected.
"I didn't know if it was going to be a problem or a
solution, and Ray has been beyond a solution,''
Harbaugh said. "Ray is every bit the leader than
probably anybody in the history of the NFL. That is a
big statement. But I've been in the league 10 years
now, and I can't imagine there being a better leader in
this league than Ray Lewis.''
This season marks a contract year for Lewis.
Baltimore is in a tough spot because all three starting
linebackers potentially could hit the open market after
the 2008 season. Bart Scott is at the end of a
three-year deal he signed before the 2006 season, and
Terrell Suggs was given a one-year franchise tag in
February.
The Ravens currently are negotiating extensions with
both Suggs and Lewis, but there are no guarantees
either will reach an agreement by the start of the
regular season.
"I've never got caught up in that,'' Lewis said. "If
anybody has ever bothered to check with my career,
everybody knows there has never been a camp where I've
held out.
"There's never been a contract problem with me -- and
it will never be that with me -- bottom line."
According to Lewis' timeline, his next contract likely
will be his last.
Before long he will join the recently retired Brett
Favre and Steve McNair as three throwback players of
this generation who could transcend any era. Whether
it's linebackers Jack Lambert, Dick Butkus or Mike
Singletary, you can envision Lewis lining up next to
those players and fitting in perfectly.
But Lewis says he will be prepared when the next phase
of his life arrives. That phase will include business
ventures and, most importantly, family time.
Lewis' children tug at his heart every day. Most
recently he mentioned a track meet that he regrettably
missed because of his obligations at Ravens camp.
It's a delicate balance of family and football that
Lewis finds increasingly difficult to manage. That is
part of the reason Lewis plans to remove himself from
the spotlight once he retires, because it will open
another door to become the ever-present father he wants
to be.
"It's a push-pull [situation],'' Lewis said candidly.
"My kids are young enough now. But when they start
getting to that age where they are in high school, I
want to be there to say, 'I got this. I'll go shopping
for everything,' and things like that.
"So that part of life, man, that is exciting once you
actually put everything into it that I want to put into
it."
(espn.com)