In his 17-year career, NFL Linebacker Ray Lewis won two Defensive Player of the Year awards, was named a First Team All-Pro seven times, and still to this day holds the record for most tackles. Lewis also won two Super Bowls.
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His first ring came in 2001, when he proved that a team could win a title on the strength of its defense. The second came 12 years later, after which he rode off into the sunset and retired. As someone who only played for one team ever [Baltimore Ravens], Lewis claims there is no place like home.
On a recent appearance on Patrick Bet-David’s podcast, he spoke more about how watching two of his sports heroes switch teams made him realize just how important it was for him to stick with the Ravens, no matter what.
“Don’t ever leave home, no matter what,” Lewis said. “Two of the stories that broke my heart, which was Joe Montana going from the 49ers to KC. Broke. My. Heart.”
The Hall-of-Famer explained how Montana was his favorite player growing up, and like so many 49ers fans, he mourned when the quarterback was traded to the Chiefs to make room for Steve Young. Seeing Montana in a Chiefs jersey just didn’t feel right.
Lewis switched sports to talk about the second time he had his heart broken, saying that as he dealt with a difficult upbringing, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were his guiding light.
“I was die-hard,” he said. “‘Cause I didn’t have nothing else but to watch somebody do what they do. Like, you don’t have nothing to eat at night, you’re starving, I’m starving. I don’t have dad, I don’t have none of that.” He explained how even after Montana was traded, there were still 49ers he cared about, like running back Roger Craig.
When he found out that Jordan would no longer be with the Bulls after winning his sixth title in eight years, he was in disbelief. “Who does that?!” he wondered. Jordan would come back a couple years later with the Washington Wizards, but it was no longer the same.
The Bulls haven’t won a title since Jordan left, and though neither he nor Montana had full control over the end of their time in San Francisco and Chicago, their departures helped him make up his mind about being ‘ride or die’ with the Ravens.
Very few players these days can say they spent their entire career playing for just one franchise. John Elway is one who comes to mind. Steph Curry and Aaron Judge also seem destined to remain with the Warriors and Yankees forever, but then again, smruthat’s what people thought about Montana and Jordan, too.
