In a day and age where TikTok dances and targeting calls litter the gridiron, players such as the Baltimore Ravens legend, Ray Lewis, have become emblematic of a different and much more violent era of football. In addition to being one of the most devastating and menacing defensive players to ever grace the NFL, the former Super Bowl MVP also had an acumen for the Xs and Os of the sport.
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Even when competing against the likes of the New England dynasty, Lewis made sure to leave his mark. During the latest episode of the Dudes on Dudes podcast, the pair of former Patriots in Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski found themselves reflecting on the insanity of having to compete against the Hall of Fame linebacker.
Despite having his fair share of brutal interactions with the legend, Edelman couldn’t help but look back in awe at Lewis’ dedication.
“He would study all of our TV copies so he could hear Tom’s signals, he could hear all of the line front signals, so anytime we would play the Ravens with Ray, we kinda knew that he knew everything. We had to change everything because he was such a smart, hard-working guy that did anything it took to f**king go out and win a game,” he revealed on the Dudes on Dudes podcast.
In light of Edelman’s assertion that Lewis was also “one of the smartest” competitors that they had ever played against, Gronkowski expressed that the physicality of the two-time Super Bowl champion is still underrated. According to the future Hall of Fame tight end, the were certain traits that made Lewis an inherently terrifying figure to come across.
“Vicious on the field, absolutely vicious. Intimidating, 100%. I would put my hand down and I was already scared of Ray Lewis when he was lined up in front of me. When you’re scared of a player, you’re kind of already beat as well. That’s just how intimidating he was. Just the nature of the way he carried himself, the energy that he brought to the table, you did not want to mess with Ray Lewis.”
Edelman, unfortunately, experienced the brutality of Lewis firsthand. During the second season of his 12-year NFL career, the wide receiver came across the linebacker while scoring in a playoff game.
After Baltimore had taken control of the contest with a 24-point lead in the first quarter, Edelman would prove to be the only one that score for the Patriots that day. In hindsight, however, one of those touchdowns may not have been worth it.
“I scored on a scramble in the red area, Tom darted it to me. I caught it and I got a touchdown. Ray was right behind me and he kneed me so hard in my left butt cheek that I got a crazy hematoma… I wouldn’t have been able to play the next week because I had internal bleeding.”
Lewis won two Super Bowl championships with the Baltimore Ravens, including Super Bowl XXXV MVP. He was a 13-time Pro Bowler and a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and also holds the record for most tackles in Ravens history.
The history of football is filled with characters of various shapes and sizes, for Lewis to have a claim to being one of the most horrifying is nothing short of a testament. A true mixture of talent and natural ability, if there ever was one, his legend will surely be passed down for generations to come.
