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Monday, January 15, 2007
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Death on Wings, NFL "Most Dominant player".
The Baltimore Ravens feared defensive unit.
Ray Lewis.
Lewis was a three-year starter at the University of Miami, one of the nation's premier collegiate programs, and declared eligibility for the draft after his junior season. He earned consensus 1st team "All-American" and "All-Big East" honors his junior year. He finished his junior season with 160 tackles (2nd highest in University of Miami team history, behind only Ed Weisacosky's 164 in 1965).
Lewis left the university before graduating to pursue an NFL career. In the 1996 NFL Draft, he was selected in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens with the 26th overall pick. He finished his degree in 2005 at the University of Maryland.
Lewis won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2000 and 2003. In 2003 Ray Lewis became just the sixth player to win the Defensive Player of the Year award multiple times (Lawrence Taylor - 3 times, Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith and Reggie White - 2 times each). Lewis has career statistics (as credited by yahoosports.com) of 1399 total tackles, 8 Forced Fumbles, 79 passes defended, 28 sacks, 12 fumble recoveries, and 23 interceptions in 148 total games. Credited with 1838 career total tackles according to Baltimoreravens.com. Lewis has been selected to seven NFL Pro Bowl games in the nine years where he was eligible (ineligible in 2002 and 2005 due to injury) and has been named a starter in six. Lewis led the NFL in tackles 4 times (1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003) and led all linebackers in interceptions with six in 2003. Named an NFL AP All-Pro 1st team in the years 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004. Also named NFL All-Pro 2nd team in the years 1997 and 1998.
Despite his accomplishments on the field, Lewis' public image was tarnished following a Super Bowl party on 31 January 2000, when he was arrested (along with his friends Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting) for the murders of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar. Baker and Lollar were stabbed and killed outside a nightclub during a fight in the Buckhead district of Atlanta.
To have murder charges dismissed, Lewis pled guilty in a bargain to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice, and agreed to testify against Oakley and Sweeting, who were each charged with murder. Oakley and Sweeting went on to hire the very high priced legal representation of noted Atlanta criminal defense attorneys, L. David Wolfe, Bruce Harvey, and Steve Sadow. Though all were acquitted in June 2000, the Atlanta Police Department and District Attorney's office believe Lewis' associaties to be guilty. No other suspects have ever been arrested for the crime.
On 29 April 2004, Lewis reached a settlement with four-year-old India Lollar, who was born shortly after the death of her father Richard. The settlement (reported by The Baltimore Sun to be at least US$1 million) pre-empted the civil trial scheduled for 14 June from going forth. The suit filed by the Baker family was also settled. The terms were undisclosed.
Tip: Ray Lewis' younger brother, Keon Lattimore, is currently a running back for the University of Maryland Terrapins. He has 7 children by five women.