Ray Lewis seemed like the best place to start on our Ravens Legends series. In this series of posts we will highlight one Ravens legend every week until we have shined a light on all of the best moments in Ravens history. Ray Lewis was the leader of the Baltimore Ravens from the second he was drafted until the second his last season ended with a Super Bowl championship.
Related: What Does Play Like A Raven Mean?
There are so many great moments in the history of the Ravens and almost all of them are at least in part because of the greatness of Lewis. From 1996-2012, Lewis was the face of the Ravens franchise. He led some of the greatest defenses in the history of the NFL. The 2000 defense is widely considered the best defensive unit of all time.
We are starting with the greatest Ravens legend of all because he is different. He is the most unique athlete we have ever seen in sports, and I am not exaggerating. There has never been a more ferociously passionate player in football. There has never been a bigger heart or a better leader on the field than Lewis. What made him so special as a player, and what makes him special as a person is that everything with him is genuine. It isn’t showmanship, it isn’t playing to the cameras, with number 52 you got his everything on every single play.
Next: 5. Ray's Last Dance
5. Ray’s Last Dance In Baltimore
When he announced that the 2012 playoffs would be his last ride, it made the Ravens and their fans desperate to win a Super Bowl for him. Lewis timed the announcement perfectly, and it really gave the Ravens the burst to get over the hump and win a championship. The Ravens playoff push began with a home game against the Indianapolis Colts. Ray Lewis had missed most of the season with a triceps injury, the first playoff game was his first game back on the field.
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The Ravens had their way with Andrew Luck and won the contest 24-9. In an almost comical moment, Lewis dropped an interception that was thrown right to him, which of course he blamed on the brace on his arm. The Ravens were happy to have their field general back and he made his presence known. The real memory of this game won’t be that the Ravens beat the Colts easily but that this was Ray’s last game in Baltimore.
In a wonderful decision the Ravens put Lewis on the field when the Ravens got into victory formation. Joe Flacco took a knee that sealed the deal and Lewis did his dance as the clock ran out. It was a special goodbye. Ravens Nation eagerly showed Lewis how much he meant to them with a standing ovation and thunderous applause. It was perfect in every way.
Next: 4. 4th & 2
4. 4th & 2
The Ravens were battling the San Diego Chargers in 2009 when Lewis had one of those special plays that only he could deliver. It was fourth down with two yards to go for the Chargers offense with less than a minute remaining in the game. It was the final drive and the entire game rested on this play on 4th & 2.
Phillip Rivers took the snap and handed the ball off to Darren Sproles, who immediately got crushed by Lewis. It was one of the greatest gambles you’ll ever see on the football field. If that was a play-action pass, Lewis would have left the middle of the field wide open. If he shot the wrong gap, the play could have had much different results. Lewis immediately fired into the backfield in a straight line for Sproles. For anybody else that would have been a gamble for Ray it was instinct.
Ray Lewis read that it was a run up the gut and he knew it from the first second the Chargers lined up. Lewis was right and he made one of the most exciting plays in NFL history. It was the kind of play that showed you just how amazing Lewis was on the football field. The play was symbolic of what Lewis ultimately is, a lightning bolt of positive energy that cannot be stopped.
Next: Say Goodbye Eddie...
3. Say Goodbye Eddie…
On the way to the Ravens first Super Bowl ring (shown above) was a battle with the Tennessee Titans who had yet to lose a game in the Adelphia Coliseum. The 2000 season was special and no battle was more epic than this divisional round playoff game. The Titans were supposed to be the best team in football. The Titans were supposed to march to their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, but this time they finished much more than a yard short. The Ravens eliminated the Titans in what may have been the loudest statement game I have ever seen.
There were a lot of amazing moments in that grueling but convincing win by the Ravens. The one that stands out the most may be Lewis’s best play of all time. Before we discuss the play here is a little background information that surrounds it. Lewis and Titans running back Eddie George, had a very unique rivalry. Nobody ran harder than George and nobody hit harder than Lewis and back then the Ravens and Titans were divisional foes. With the Titans it was personal, they were the Ravens first great rivalry.
Steve McNair threw a pass to George in the middle of the field. Ray Lewis jumped in front of the pass at the perfect moment. Lewis literally stole the football from the Heisman winning running back and took it to the end zone. This was the biggest play of the game. Words cannot do the play justice because it was as amazing as anything I have ever seen in my life. At that point we knew one thing, the Ravens didn’t care that they were the underdogs. Under the leadership of Lewis the marched in the coliseum and destroyed the Titans.
Next: Super Bowl MVP
2. Super Bowl MVP
There was nothing scarier on the football field than a young Ray Lewis and I mean that as the ultimate compliment. When the Ravens beat the New York Giants In Super Bowl XXXV, it was because of the dominant defense of the Ravens. It was the greatest defense of all time and to be honest I have a hard time even debating it. To me it is a fact, no defense ever dominated like the Ravens. The 1985 Chicago Bears were amazing, the Steel Curtain surely had their day but the Ravens defense was better. In the middle of that defense was good old number 52.
In that Super Bowl the Giants came in with one of the best offenses in the NFL. Kerry Collins may have been on fire coming into the game but the Ravens clearly extinguished those flames. The Ravens won on that triumphant day with a score of 34-7. It was a defensive shutout, the Giants only score came on a kickoff return (Jermaine Lewis made history by taking the subsequent kickoff back for a touchdown too, but this slideshow is honoring a different Lewis).
Ray Lewis was the MVP of that Super Bowl victory. He roamed from sideline to sideline. He somehow seemed to be everywhere and the Giants could barely move the football at all. One of my favorite all time plays was when Lewis tipped a pass into the hands of Jamie Sharper for an interception. It felt more like a pass than a well-timed tip. The Ravens defense deserves all the credit for that magnificent win and Lewis was the clear leader.
Next: Retiring A Champion
1. Retiring A Champion
The Ravens had made the playoffs for 5 consecutive seasons; 2012 was time to get over the hump and win a championship. With the looming retirement of Lewis the Super Bowl meant even more than it would have. Few players get to walk off into the sunset with a championship to remember for the rest of their lives. Lewis willed the Ravens all the way and insured a happy retirement. 12 years after winning his first Super Bowl Lewis and the Ravens struck gold (or Lombardi Trophy silver) again.
It looked like Super Bowl XLVII was going to be a snooze fest when a Jacoby Jones kickoff return gave the Ravens a 28-6 lead to start the second half. Then the lights went out. The lights eventually were restored and the 49ers attacked the Ravens like it was a new game. In typical Ravens fashion the game would end up coming down to the wire.
Next: Baltimore Ravens: Top 10 All Time Players
The Ravens needed a goal line stand to beat the San Francisco 49ers in the last game Lewis would ever play… how is that for a fitting end. The 49ers were held out of the end zone and the Ravens went on to win. The next few months were full of celebration, not only for a Super Bowl championship but for the career of Baltimore’s favorite Raven.