Ray Lewis still striving for 'greatness'

FORT LAUDERDALE — — From the moment Ray Lewis set foot on the University of Miami campus, he openly pledged he'd become the greatest player ever to wear a Hurricanes jersey.

Outside of leaving Coral Gables without winning a national championship, his college resume clearly puts him in that debate.

When Lewis entered the NFL as the 26th overall pick in the 1996 draft, he felt slighted that 25 teams had passed on him. He pledged to become "the greatest linebacker to ever play the game."

There are plenty of contenders for that distinction, but again, it's impossible to argue against the body of work this first-ballot Hall of Famer has produced in his 15 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. It includes 11 Pro Bowl selections, two-time Defensive Player of the Year honors and a Super Bowl XXXV championship, which accompanied a Most Valuable Player award.

"I believed in a vision and I spoke it," said Lewis, who was ranked the 18th-greatest player in NFL history, according to the NFL Network. "Some called it cocky. Some said it was arrogant. I called it confident."

While every player from that Super Bowl team has moved on — most are retired — at 35, Ray Ray's still churning out tackles at a record-setting pace.

His Ravens defense is once again among the NFL's elite, and Lewis and his old bones are still considered among the toughest in the game. Just ask those who have absorbed one of his blows.

"Ray Lewis, who I was fortunate to coach, is not the most gifted physical athlete, although he's very gifted," said Dolphins defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, whose team faces Lewis' Ravens on Sunday. "There are a lot of guys that look better, bigger, stronger, faster. But they can't play near as well as he plays."

It's as if this Lakeland product has found football's fountain of youth. But, Lewis said, "there's no secret."

He credits his longevity to "taking care of my machine," through disciplined eating (no fried foods, plenty of vegetables and fruits, tons of water), regimented workouts and faith in God.

"Discipline and hard work will take you everywhere in this world. You got to find a way to block out all the foolishness," said Lewis, who has produced 60 tackles, two sacks, forced a fumble and pulled in an interception this season. "I've never been that gifted. I just figured it out."

The same way Lewis has routinely figured out what play opposing offenses are running is the approach he's taking in the next phase of his life, which is figuring out what comes after football.

While he has no intentions of retiring anytime soon, "I've got plenty of football left," Lewis is busy setting up Baltimore- and Florida-based businesses that he hopes will make him just as successful an entrepreneur as he was a professional athlete. He's using Magic Johnson's business formula, but is trying to go higher.

He started a clothing line a year ago, and already has a respectable amount of properties. His latest venture is a realty office and gallery he and his business, RL52 Group, opened up in Fort Lauderdale's Las Olas district just last week.

Lewis' focus has always been to build things and people from the ground up, and because of that formula he rarely struggled to find supporters.

"He never broke me down," said Ravens linebacker Tavares Gooden, a fellow Hurricane Lewis has taken under his wing. "Some people will flat-out tell you, 'You sucked today,' for making a bad play. He's always told me [to] keep pushing. When I miss a tackle he tells me, 'Did you touch the football? If you touched the ball carrier that's a good start. Take it from there one step at a time. Keep it positive.'"

Mentoring players off the field is as important a job to Lewis as his role as Baltimore's signal caller on it. He's part of a firm called Allied Athlete Group, which helps players prepare for life after athletics. The goal is to connect athletes with business opportunities in their communities in a effort to strengthen the player's financial base and enhance his overall image.

According to Lewis, a unified coalition of athletes is an untapped resource, and Lewis believes he's the man with the right playbook.

"Opportunity is always knocking," said Lewis, who received UM's last scholarship because former Hurricanes coach Dennis Erickson attended his final high school game to scout an opposing receiver and left enamored with a hard-hitting defender he'd never heard of.

"The only question you have to ask yourself is how hard can you work to take advantage of that chance."

Omar Kelly can be reached at okelly@sunsentinel.com and read regularly on the Dolphins blog at sunsentinel.com/dolphins.

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



(sun-sentine.com)