Ravens MLB Ray Lewis continues to amaze

TAMPA - In his 15th pro season, Baltimore Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis continues to impress teammates, coaches and opposing players.

Lewis, an 11-time Pro Bowl selection, leads the Ravens with 91 tackles heading into Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is the obvious focal point for any attack facing Baltimore's 3-4 alignment.

"Ray Lewis has been a defensive MVP in two kinds of defensive systems,'' said Tampa Bay center Jeff Faine, in his eighth NFL season. "He deserves that respect and he's one of those guys you'd better account for in all your schemes. It's one thing to see a backup quarterback make it for that amount of time (15 years), but it's amazing for a guy who plays as physical as Ray Lewis, always in the mix and always making playoff runs. You say 15 seasons, but I want to say 16 seasons because of the playoff games. I know I won't be out there for 15 years.''

Ravens coach John Harbaugh says it's been a privilege to coach the future Hall of Famer.

"I think he has an amazing combination of confidence and humility,'' Harbaugh said of Lewis, the NFL's longest-tenured defensive player still competing for his original team, one season ahead of Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber. "He's a very humble guy, but no one believes in himself or his teammates more than Ray. His relentless preparation is amazing to see. He's the linebacker who has played the longest and at the highest level in the history of the game.''

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



(tbo.com)