Ray Lewis Biography

Raymond Anthony Lewis Jr. was born on May 15, 1975, and played 17 seasons as a professional football linebacker in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning All-America honors during his career. Lewis was selected by the Ravens in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft and remained the last active player from the team's inaugural season after retiring following the 2012 season. He led the Ravens in tackles as a rookie and went on to lead the team in tackles 14 times during his career. Lewis became the second linebacker to win the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award and the first to earn it on a winning Super Bowl team. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2003, becoming the sixth player to win the award multiple times. Due to his numerous accolades and outstanding performance, Lewis is widely considered to be the greatest middle linebacker in NFL history.