Ray Lewis vs. Brian Urlacher: Who is the better Hall of Famer?
Impact on the game:
Lewis became beloved by Baltimore, and demonized in other markets. Lewis was tried for murder but he was found not guilty. When the Ravens made their first Super Bowl run, it was a shadow that hung over the Ravens organization. Lewis is iconic no matter what you think of him, but he is easily the most polarizing player who will be inducted this week. The 2000 Ravens were historic. They set an NFL record for the fewest points allowed in a season and they won the Super Bowl. Lewis willed his team to a Super Bowl victory twelve years later. Lewis will be remembered as a player who never stopped making history.
Lewis put on a show in Super Bowl XXXV. He showed that sideline to sideline athletic ability was more important than size and brute power at the middle linebacker position. Lewis was taken with the 26th pick in the 1996 NFL Draft. The Chicago Bears had the 13th pick in 1996 and they passed on Lewis. Four years later the Bears drafted Urlacher with the ninth pick. Lewis changed how linebackers were looked at in the NFL Draft which may have ultimately helped the Bears pick Urlacher. Lewis paved the way for the modern every day linebacker.
Picking a winner: Ray Lewis
Urlacher is a phenomenal player and he deserves his first ballot induction. In the end, Lewis made the greater impact on his team, and the game. While Urlacher may be the most ubiquitously liked player being inducted, being compared to number 52 is tough for anybody.
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It will be an emotional night on Saturday when the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is enshrined in Canton forever. While we have fun debating who is the best, remember that Urlacher and Lewis now belong to the most historic group of people in the history of football.