DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis smiled after making a play during yesterday's AFC practice.

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Ravens’ Lewis
Back on Top

The linebacker overcame
murder charges to become
the NFL’s defensive MVP

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By Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbuletin.com

Over the past four years, Ray Lewis has made one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sports.

It has everything and nothing to do with his performance on the football field.

Pro Bowl Who: AFC All-Stars vs. NFC All-Stars When: Tomorrow, 2:30 p.m. Where: Aloha Stadium TV: Live, ESPN Radio: 1420-AM

The Baltimore Ravens linebacker is the NFL's reigning defensive MVP and continues to be one of the most dominant players in the league. That is no surprise; he's been an outstanding performer since joining the Ravens out of Miami in 1996. But Lewis' gradual ascent as one of the image-conscious league's most public faces is.

Lewis is everywhere -- in commercials, on video games, in NFL promotional material. He will never be considered cuddly, but Lewis does project an image that reflects talent, focus and hard work.

It's almost -- but not quite -- enough to make people forget that in 2000 Lewis was charged with murder after he was on the scene of a double homicide in Atlanta the night of the Super Bowl. He eventually pled guilty to obstruction of justice and interfering with an investigation and received probation. His role and actions that evening were never fully explained.

And Lewis wasn't about to start talking about it yesterday at Pro Bowl practice.

His positive public image that includes commercial endorsements and the popularity to bring in $1,525 for an autographed pair of shoes on eBay is surprising considering his predicament four years ago. But he also said no one besides his teammates bothered to get to know the real Ray Lewis early in his career, and that's why many football fans thought of him as a thug even before they saw him in handcuffs on Court TV.

"Yeah, they never tried to find out about me in the first place. They looked at me as a gladiator. I am one, but only on the field," Lewis said yesterday after practice.

The MVP of the Ravens' Super Bowl XXXV victory over the New York Giants has a foundation and hosts various events throughout the year to raise money for underprivileged families in Baltimore. He also has spoken to NFL rookies about the need to be careful about associations.

Ravens running back Jamal Lewis (no relation) said his teammate deserves the positive attention he's getting now.

"The media makes you. He's getting a lot of exposure right now. It's not all about what happened or didn't happen or whatever in the past," said Jamal Lewis, who is also here for the Pro Bowl. "He's a great guy. He does great things off the field, too, and I think he's getting exposed for that now."

Ray Lewis added 161 tackles to his ledger this season, plus 11 more in a 20-17 wild-card-playoff loss to Tennessee. He said the Ravens are just a slight attitude adjustment away from a return to the Super Bowl.

"Yeah, you always need to be playing as a team. We had a lot of things in place, things we could do. And we had a great season. Don't get it twisted," he said. "But I think our thing is once we get our chemistry back, you know, you've got to walk with a certain swagger and let them know you're a team. That's the little thing we're missing."

Perhaps the league's most intense competitor, Lewis is able to turn it down enough to have fun at Pro Bowl practices. Yesterday he grinned and joked his way through a light workout on picture day.

But he said he takes even this game seriously.

"Relaxed? I don't know how many games I play relaxed," Lewis said frowning, but then he laughed. "It's fun. It's cool. But it all comes right back down to the game, either way. So you just deal with it."

Right or wrong, Ray Lewis has masterfully dealt with whatever happened on the night of the Super Bowl in 2000.

The one thing that is clear is he has the complete respect as a player of those he competes with and against in the NFL. Some don't like his propensity for talking on the field, but he certainly backs it up.

"He's somebody that comes in and takes control, not only on, but off the field," Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Trent Green said. "Guys follow him because he's a natural leader. The energy that he brings is on a daily basis. It's great to be around people who love to play the game, who aren't just going through the motions, who have a passion for it every day. And he's one of those people."