Ray Lewis LB First Year of Eligibility 2018
Ray Lewis is one of the most polarizing players in NFL History. His obstruction of justice conviction in a double murder case is well known. His brash demeanor and on-field assertiveness also attracted many and detracted others.
Lewis started at Miami as a true Freshman in 1993. Among the career records Lewis holds at Miami are tackles in a season with 95 and for a career with 160.
Ebony Bird
Lewis earned all Big-East in 1994 and ’95. He left for the NFL after the 1995 season. The Baltimore Ravens selected Lewis with the 26th pick in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft.
Lewis was incredibly the Ravens second first-round pick in that year’s draft. Tackle Jonathon Ogden who was Baltimore’s first first-round pick in the same draft was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Lewis made an immediate impact with the Ravens. During the team’s first year of existence after moving from Baltimore, Lewis had 110 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one interception.
Lewis played his entire 17-year career in Baltimore. The Ravens won two super bowl titles during his tenure. During the 2000 season, Lewis earned the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award and was the MVP of the Super Bowl.
Lewis would add to his remarkable 2000 season by earning a second Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2003. Lewis was named to a few teams recognizing the All-Decade team of the 2000s. He also earned spots on the list of the NFL’s top 20 players late in his career.
It would be shocking if Lewis doesn’t get in next year. He is considered by many as the greatest linebacker in NFL History.