Ray Lewis a murderer? No, he's Ravens' inspiration

First of all, let's get this out of the way. Ray Lewis didn't kill anyone.

The Lewis-is-a-murderer mantra is the biggest thing you see the anti-Ray Lewis people say. It's repeated on every message board whenever the Ravens win and Lewis plays a prominent role. It's even repeated by the wives of New England Patriots players.

I covered the Lewis murder case. The NFL office, and most court observers and journalists around the case at the time, believed that the prosecution overreached in charging Lewis. This was later proven as the prosecution's case crumbled and Lewis was offered a misdemeanor obstruction plea deal.
An overreaching prosecution was a fact mentioned by former commissioner Paul Tagliabue in his then-record fine of Lewis.

This is all stated for an important reason. The narrative of Lewis as a murderer has become real in the eyes of some fans and adds to what has become Lewis' legendary status in the Baltimore locker room.

I get why some people hate Ray Lewis, but what he's done in turning around his life is miraculous. It's beyond Kobe Bryant post-rape accusations or Mike Tyson or maybe anything else that's happened in sports history.

You can hate him all you'd like -- and sometimes he's a bit much -- but to the Ravens, Lewis is football's version of a messiah. The players believe his protestations and preaching and that's all that matters.

"The more people attack Ray and bring up his past," Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith said, "the more we believe in him. He's the greatest leader I've ever seen."

A doctorate thesis or several books could be written on all of the religious-socio-political-racial issues involved in what Lewis is doing now. There has never been anyone in NFL history like Lewis who garners a flock of followers using both action and words. Normally, this kind of influence and belief system comes to a player only after he's died.

When Lewis speaks of destiny and God's plan, the players believe this as well. They are fully in. If you doubt this fact, you don't know this locker room.

The thing I hear most from Baltimore players about why they love Lewis (I use that word purposely) is that, as one player explained, "He's been through the s--- and back." The players know all about Lewis' past (particularly the murder accusation) and to them, what happened to Lewis could have happened to any of them.

That last point cannot be emphasized enough.

So hate Lewis all you'd like. Ignore how he's come back from the brink. Call him a murderer.

That just adds kindling to an already intense flame. The Ravens believe in Lewis and belief is a powerful force.


(cbssports.com)