Ray Lewis was in vintage form for his Hall of Fame induction speech

Ray Lewis gave an unforgettable speech to close out the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony:

Ray Lewis is uncontrollable positive energy in the form of a human being. There’s nobody like him, there never will be and it’s a true experience. The Pro Football Hall of Fame saved the best for last, though there were some incredible speeches over the course of the evening. Jerry Kramer, the 13th inductee from Vince Lombardi’s Packers, told incredible stories about the game in a much different state. Brian Dawkins spoke with a passion that only number 52 could come close to, and Randy Moss made an appointment for his hometown in West Virginia to see the gold jacket.

Brian Urlacher gave a really moving speech, and showed love for his late mother that was moving. He gave appreciation for his teammates and his family. It was a night with every emotion the world has to offer, but each speech was uplifting. Every inductee spoke with grace and was truly in the moment. Every Pro Football Hall of Fame class is special, but this group was just unreal.

The night ended with 33 minutes of vintage Ray. Lewis couldn’t stand still. If you thought a podium was going to contain Lewis, you didn’t know what you were in for. Lewis does nothing standard, and everything at the volume and intensity that doesn’t exist for most people. Wearing a microphone, he used the entire stage. Here are some takeaways from the speech:

• He talked about his injury in the 2012 season and how he was basically told he had an injury he wasn’t coming back from. Lewis talked about how he told Ozzie Newsome and Steve Bisciotti he was going to make it back.
• Lewis included Jonathan Ogden as they both did Ray’s dance. Ogden’s signature smile was a great way to involve another Ravens legend. Ray explained the connection between Christianity’s holy trinity and the dance. He talks a lot about religion and prayer, there’s nothing new there.
• Lewis gave thanks to the Ravens for being a first class organization and praised Art Modell.
• Lewis talked about a need for leaders and love to deal with the problems we have in our country without steering too far into politics. His general message is one that asks us to use love to lift each other up.
• Lewis really honed in on his love for his family and the journey he went through with his mother. There were some very touching moments.

There were several times where he got the Ravens fans there very into the speech. It was an incredible speech that only Ray Lewis himself could have given. Lewis showed so much energy and passion in his speech, it almost seemed like he wanted to jump back onto the football field. Lewis was very endearing. It was a 33 minute speech, but it didn’t drag and he wasn’t holding the audience captive, but instead captivated. For Baltimore Ravens fans it was a special moment.