Ray Lewis

[twilightraven2723]

Three words describe Ray Lewis: leader, dominant, and physical. approaching his fourteenth year in the league i don't believe he's lost a step. of course you're gonna get slower because you get older but Ray Lewis has grown as a player through his years with baltimore. wisdom is the key. Ray Lewis is the wisest player on the defense and stresses that in the huddle every play. you can hate him or love him but if you are a true football fan you won't forget Ray Lewis. a definite hall of fame inductee after he retires Ray Lewis/University of Miami/Baltimore Ravens/Twenty Six overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft/ 2000 superbowl MVP/the greatest middle linebacker to ever play in the NFL

[Sizzle]

Preach it.

[VA_Fan]

Great Thread and totally agree. But he was drafted in the 1996 NFL Draft.

[Token]

My favorite player of all time.

[ed.s52]

Definitely the best ever. Only LB to ever win Super Bowl MVP besides Dallas-great Chuck Howley who was on the losing team. Even now he is easily one of the top 3 or 4 LB's.

[BloodRaven]

Church.

[Ravenmore74]

Ray Lewis is the best emotional leader the game of football has to offer. I'm glad that he will retire a Raven the icing on the cake will be a championship one day...

[berad]

Preaching to the choir. Always has, and always will be, my favorite player.

[1/28/01]

[quote name='Ravenmore74' date='02 May 2010 - 11:09 PM' timestamp='1272856178' post='403601']
Ray Lewis is the best emotional leader the game of football has to offer. I'm glad that he will retire a Raven[b] the icing on the cake will be a championship one day...[/b]
[/quote]
You mean another.....

[marek0393]

Great post. Couldn't agree more anyone of any background can follow in his footsteps

[raylewisjr]

It is going to be an extremely sad day for the city of Baltimor...hell the entire league...when he decides to hang em up.

Well unless he pulls an Elway!

[Rav'n Maniac]

Couldn't agree more! He has been the staple of our team. The driving force behind them. No one could ever think of Baltimore football and not include Ray in the same thought. I've lived long enough to see a lot of really good linebackers through the years, but Lewis is without a doubt the greatest of all time!

[T-ray]

I'm gonna hate to see him retire... but it is inevitable. He's the one who got me started in football

[JohnnyBoy8102]

Ray is entering his 15th season not his 14th.

[Purple Nurple]

I feel bad for the future Ravens fans who will only hear about him and watch highlights.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='Purple Nurple' date='04 May 2010 - 11:51 AM' timestamp='1272988304' post='404369']
I feel bad for the future Ravens fans who will only hear about him and watch highlights.
[/quote]

Agreed. Even though I've seen a good amount of his career, I still wish I could have seen him play in the 90s when he was at his quickest and fastest.

[Sizzle]

Imagine the Baltimore Ravens 20 or 30 years later. Young kids just starting to watch and play football for the first time and watching Ray Lewis highlights saying to themselves "man that's football player".

[BloodRaven]

He was a lightning bolt back at his peak, especially back in the U at around 230lb.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='BloodRaven' date='04 May 2010 - 11:02 PM' timestamp='1273028530' post='404828']
He was a lightning bolt back at his peak, especially back in the U at around 230lb.
[/quote]

Yep. Check him out as Sophomore at The U: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ-WooB8EHY&feature=related

[Halden52]

How can you disagree with this guy? Ray Lewis is most certainly one of the best MLB's ever, and always will be. His physical game is only one card that he brings to the table. He's smart to, and most linebackers now-a-days don't use thatm, they just rely on their strength and hitting power. Ray Lewis is the complete package. He's got that hard hitting take no **** from anyone mentality but can also back it up with his smarts. It'll be a sad day whenever he does retire, because he brings so much to this team. He's a game changer and is a big leader on the team, we can all clearly see it every game whenever he fires up the boys on the sidelines and the locker room. There won't ever be a player who is as capable at playing the position or that brings the same love for the game as Ray Lewis.

[Fred Sanford]

The thing that stinks is that we could draft the best inside linebacker for the next 10-? years and probably not come close to a guy as good as Ray, especially the leadership intangibles. Dannell and Tavares have their good points but they're eons from Ray, as is every LB in the game including (overrated) Patrick Willis.

That tackle in the backfield against Sproles was earth shaking. Bednarik, Nitschke, Butkus, Hendricks, Lambert, Singletary, Lewis. And yeah, I know Ted Hendricks was an OLB.

[Bltravens]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' date='04 May 2010 - 09:10 PM' timestamp='1273029034' post='404832']
Yep. Check him out as Sophomore at The U: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ-WooB8EHY&feature=related
[/quote]
I dont know if u got the extra cash floatin...but if you wanna see him in his prime get the Ravens 2000 super bowl run DVD with the 4 playoff games. Football was played so much differently then but his athleticism is off the charts at MLB.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='Bltravens' date='06 May 2010 - 03:29 PM' timestamp='1273174148' post='405739']
I dont know if u got the extra cash floatin...but if you wanna see him in his prime get the Ravens 2000 super bowl run DVD with the 4 playoff games. Football was played so much differently then but his athleticism is off the charts at MLB.
[/quote]

I saw the DVD on the shelves of Best Buy once and cursed my broke state. I'm going to(have to) buy it one day though.

[FlaccoFlicker]

have all the games on vhs and will get around to converting them to dvd on day

[Bltravens]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' date='06 May 2010 - 01:43 PM' timestamp='1273175037' post='405753']
I saw the DVD on the shelves of Best Buy once and cursed my broke state. I'm going to(have to) buy it one day though.
[/quote]
For sure man, I got them for Christmas this year. I wish I would have realized at the time just how beyond bad*** Ray really was when I was watching him in high school and taped everything.

[Bltravens]

[quote name='FlaccoFlicker' date='06 May 2010 - 04:12 PM' timestamp='1273183962' post='405892']
have all the games on vhs and will get around to converting them to dvd on day
[/quote]
I may have to hit you up for copies lol jk




but maybe not lol

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='Bltravens' date='06 May 2010 - 07:32 PM' timestamp='1273188750' post='405936']
For sure man, I got them for Christmas this year. I wish I would have realized at the time just how beyond bad*** Ray really was when I was watching him in high school and taped everything.
[/quote]

Cool. Were the clips of him in high school shown on TV at some point?

[XxSizzleXx]

[quote name='Bltravens' date='06 May 2010 - 01:29 PM' timestamp='1273174148' post='405739']
I dont know if u got the extra cash floatin...but if you wanna see him in his prime get the Ravens 2000 super bowl run DVD with the 4 playoff games. Football was played so much differently then but his athleticism is off the charts at MLB.
[/quote]

I own it along with the Ravens Americas Game Superbowl 35. In the 4 playoff games basically every play you will see Ray Lewis make an impact. This all does not fall on Ray though as our WHOLE DEFENSE was downright scary, everybody could make plays.

[Malkavian Raven]

Best LB ever... best football player ever... If every player that took that field each week played with his heart, his athleticism, his passion... I think the universe would explode!

Truly an inspiration!

I may not even want to watch football after Ray retires b/c no one comes close.

One more Super Bowl ring, a Hall Of Fame induction and possibly a bronze statue to put up beside Unitas... and it's all over but the crying.

[Bltravens]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' date='06 May 2010 - 05:39 PM' timestamp='1273189177' post='405949']
Cool. Were the clips of him in high school shown on TV at some point?
[/quote]
Nah the DVDs are strictly the games....unless I totally missed some special features lol.

PS Dierdorf as per usual hates on us, even in 2000.