The Miami Hurricanes Top 100 Plus Sports Icons

9. Ray Lewis

Possibly the best defensive player in University of Miami history. Lewis was part of one of the most talented defenses in Miami history in 1994. He and Sapp led a Hurricanes defense that finished second in the country allowing 11.9 points per game.

The Hurricanes held a 17-7 lead late in the third quarter in the Orange Bowl over a powerful Nebraska offense before the to ranked Cornhuskers rallied to win the National Championship 24-17. At Miami, Lewis was a first-team All-American following the 1994 and ’95 seasons

He was drafted 26th overall in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens in the 1996 NFL Draft. The Ravens had selected future Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden earlier in the first round that year.

Lewis became a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Ravens, including being named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXV. He was also a 13 time Pro Bowlers, Seven-time first team All-Pro, two-time NFL defensive player of the year and three-time AFC defensive player of the year.

Lewis named to the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2000s. Lewis played alongside former Hurricanes great Ed Reed for many years in Baltimore. Both players will be eligible for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the summer of 2018.