Ray Lewis vows to help 10-year-old survivor of tragic accident

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)