Ray Lewis Research Paper

Chapter One introduction

Personal Information
Born Ray Anthony Lewis on May 15, 1975, in Bartow, FL; son of Ray Lewis, Sr. and Sunseria Keith; children: Ray Anthony III, Rayshad
Education: University of Miami.
Career
Professional football player. Baltimore Ravens, linebacker, 1996-.
Life's Work
Ray Lewis emerged from tiny Lakeland, Florida to become one of the National Football League's (NFL) most feared defensive players of the modern era. Lewis's passion for football grew out of his love of wrestling, a sport that he excelled in at Lakeland Kathleen High School. Lewis's father had won state wrestling titles at Kathleen, and that motivated Lewis to set new records there. On the football field Lewis has exuded the same kind of
passion and desire. His prowess in football at Kathleen attracted the attention of all of the state's major colleges. Once Lewis decided on the University of Miami, he worked to become one of the best players in the school's history.
After three years of college, Lewis entered the NFL and was taken by the Baltimore Ravens.
The previous season, the Ravens had moved from Cleveland to Baltimore and had not yet developed a team identity. But Lewis quickly established an identity for himself through his tenacious defensive playing. He combined speed and power with the ability to change the game with one hit or one big play. During the 2000 season, Lewis led the Ravens to a victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
As a youngster Lewis's determination to succeed as an athlete was formidable. At Kathleen High Lewis won the Class 4A 189-pound state title, while earning at the same time Florida High School Athletic Association All-State honors. But most of Lewis's notoriety came through football, which would prove his vehicle to stardom. On Kathleen's football team, Lewis was named the most valuable player during both his junior and senior years. During his career, Lewis played running back and linebacker, and returned kicks. He also had ten quarterback sacks in two years as well as several kick return
touchdowns.
Such athletic prowess helped him to earn a full football scholarship to the University of Miami, where Lewis played for then-coach Dennis Erickson. Off the field, however, Lewis suffered a major loss: his roommate, Marlin Barnes, was murdered. Lewis wears a T-shirt under his uniform that symbolized the bond that he had with Barnes. He told the Baltimore Sun, "[w]hen he passed away, he became my motivation. I do this for him." Despite the setback, Lewis was named a second-team All-American after his junior season with the Hurricanes. He also was the runner-up for the coveted Dick Butkus Award, which is given to college football's best linebacker each year. All of the success prompted Lewis to enter his name into the NFL Draft, where the Ravens chose him 26th overall.
Lewis made his impact felt throughout the NFL, particularly in the American Football Conference's Central Division, where the Ravens played eight of their scheduled 16 games. As a 21-year-old rookie, Lewis was the Ravens' leading tackler, registered two and a half quarterback sacks, and one interception. For his efforts, Lewis was named to USA Today's All-Rookie Team. Lewis followed up his rookie year with another outstanding campaign that included 210 tackles, which earned him team honors once again. A 13-tackle performance against the rival Cincinnati Bengals on December 21, 1997, helped him to preserve the NFL's title for tackles and put him in his first Pro Bowl ever. Before the 1998 season, Lewis signed a four-year $26 million contract, which placed his salary among the NFL's highest for linebackers. Ravens' defensive coordinator, Marvin Lewis, commented to Sports Illustrated about the linebacker, "[h]e's got everything you want, from great mental capacity to leadership skills to incredible intensity and athletic ability."
While Lewis's accomplishments as a football player were constant, they were overshadowed by the events of January 31, 2000.
During the after-party following Super Bowl XXIV in Atlanta, Georgia, Lewis's friends Joseph Sweeting and Reginald Oakley allegedly got into a fight with Richard Lollar and Jacinth Baker near the Cobalt nightclub in upscale Buckhead, Georgia. Lollar and Baker were stabbed to death in the fracas. Lewis, Sweeting, and Oakley were charged with six counts of murder. He was jailed in Atlanta before posting bond. He was allowed to return to his home in Maryland.
According to CNN Sports Illustrated.com, in June of 2000, a judge approved a deal that allowed Lewis to avoid murder charges and jail time by pleading guilty to a misdemeanor and testifying against Sweeting and Oakley. Lewis pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and was sentenced to 12 months probation, which prohibited him from using any illegal substances during that time. For his involvement, Lewis was fined $250,000 by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue for violating the league's morality clause.
Before Ravens' training camp in July of 2000, Lewis apologized to his teammates and asked them for their forgiveness. He determined to put the incident behind him and led the Ravens to the AFC Playoffs. In the process, the Ravens defense set a single 16-game season record for the fewest points
allowed.
Lewis made one spectacular play after another, helping the Ravens to secure playoff wins over the Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, and Tennessee Titans. During the playoff run, Lewis was quoted by Slam! Sports as saying, "I'm like a pit bull with a steak. I'm blood-thirsty, but only about football." Despite constant pleas from Lewis to talk about just football, questions from members of the media kept going back to the incident from January of 2000. But in the end, Lewis felt that he had once again overcome adversity, especially after the Ravens' victory in Super Bowl XXXV. "(God) says, 'When you go through tragedy, I'll make it your biggest treasure,'" he told Cincinnati Enquirer contributor Paul Daughtery. "And I feel like the season I'm having is my treasure."