Lewis remains in contact with McNair's family

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis can't bring Steve McNair back, but said he's tried to do his part to make things easier for the late quarterback's family.

Lewis has stayed in touch with McNair's mother, Lucille, and said he's also there for McNair's boys Tyler and Trenton. Lewis was McNair's teammate in Baltimore for two years after competing against him so many years while McNair played for the Titans.

"To see those kids and understand the tragedy they had to go through ... as a father, that's why I've lent myself to whatever it is, whatever it is they need," Lewis said. "The baby (6-year-old Tyler) picked up my phone and called the other day and said, 'I just want to call you all the time.' I said, 'You can call me any time you get ready.'

"I try and talk to (Steve McNair's) mom and tell her, one son is gone but another son is here, so pick up the phone and call me the same way."
Titans quarterback Vince Young invited McNair's two youngest sons to the Pro Bowl last week. Lewis said he's proud of Young for what he's done since McNair was shot and killed on July 4. He hopes to continue to help out as well.

"Sometimes you never know why people are brought together,'' Lewis said. "And years ago we could have never imagined, after the many wars that we had against each other, that something so tragic would happen to him.

"But the bottom line is maybe God placed me right there so I could be there to help his kids and help his mother ease the pain a little bit. You can never take away what happened but you can ease it.''

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(theleafchronicle.com)