The Tragedy Of Ray Lewis Explained

Since its inception, the National Football League (NFL) has created some of the most recognized and lauded figures in the sports world –– including the likes of Tom Brady, Jerry Rice, Peyton Manning, and Reggie White. One player that has left an unforgettable mark on the NFL and the sports industry as a whole is Ray Lewis. Hailing from Florida, the popular middle linebacker first made waves when he was drafted to play football at the University of Miami. In an interview with ESPN's "The Herd," Lewis revealed that his recruitment for the team happened by chance. "I had no offer on the table," he explained. "Dennis Erikson of Kathleen High School called four days before signing day, and I walked into the office, and he was crying, and he looked at me, and he said Miami just gave you a full scholarship." 

Following three years at the Florida-based school and a lauded performance track record, Lewis was given another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when he was drafted in 1996 to play for the NFL Baltimore Ravens — who were going into their inaugural season. "I will say this, and now that I look back on it to be the beginning of something, it's really special," he said in a video for the Baltimore Raven's YouTube account. While Lewis' professional football career was full of extraordinary accolades, the Super Bowl MVP honoree has also been subjected to tragedy. Join us as we take a deep dive into some of his most challenging moments.

Three years after Ray Lewis was drafted into the NFL, the middle linebacker made headlines when he was indicted on murder charges in January 2000. According to Sports Illustrated, the former NFL star and his friends –– Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting –– were accused of "punching, beating and stabbing" Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar near the Atlanta nightclub Cobalt Lounge. "The devil is busy, always after God's children. He is always trying to get you one way or another," Lewis told The Baltimore Sun shortly after the charges were announced. Although Lewis and his legal team were adamant that the football player wasn't directly involved in the altercation, prosecutors claimed they found blood in his limo and hotel room. 

However, halfway through the trial, the murder charges against the Super Bowl MVP were dropped after he reached a plea deal with prosecutors. The New York Times reported that under the agreement, Lewis pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing justice as a result of his lying in his initial police statement. He was also required to testify against Oakley and Sweeting and fined $250,000. While the former football star avoided prison and a suspension from the NFL, the ordeal has continued to follow him. "You know, I hear people bring up Atlanta like, oh, Atlanta's supposed to scare me. Atlanta doesn't scare me. Atlanta wakes me up," he told NPR in 2015.

Aside from his 2000 murder trial, Ray Lewis has also dealt with tragedy close to home. On June 15, 2023, the football player's oldest son, Ray Lewis III, unexpectedly passed away at age 28. The news was confirmed by his younger brother Rahsaan, who uploaded a heartbreaking tribute post to his Instagram story. "Really can't believe I'm even typing this, but RIP big brother," he wrote. "A true angel. I pray your at peace now because I know how much you was really hurting. ... I don't and I won't ever have the words man, 'cause this pain right here." Ray's sister Diaymon echoed similar sentiments describing her sibling as the "definition of a quintessential brother" in a tribute posted to Instagram. "To the most genuine and talented person I know, go get your rest baby, and I'm glad you're at peace. Fly high baby," she wrote (via E! News). 

While Ray's cause of death was initially kept under wraps, a police report obtained by Associated Press revealed that the former college athlete passed away from a suspected drug overdose. "The evidence and witness accounts show this incident to be a tragic accident," the report said. Responding police, who found Ray unconscious in a Florida home, were told by a bystander that he needed Naloxone –– a medication used to reverse opioid overdose. "Our officers used his issued NARCAN on Lewis, but no change to his condition," the Cassellbery Police Department told ET. As of this writing, the NFL legend has yet to release a statement about his son's death.