One game changed Ray Lewis’ life

RAY Lewis is an NFL legend, following an illustrious career. But if not for one high-school football game, things could have been very different.

Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens during his career.

RAY Lewis is considered one of the greatest to play in the National Football League.

He’s a 13-time Pro Bowler, 10-time All Pro, and considered the greatest Baltimore Raven of all-time.

But Lewis’ life could have turned out very different if not for a defining moment in high school.

Players the calibre of Lewis are often swamped with offers from College programs, handing out scholarships to play football for them.

But none were interested in Lewis. That was until his final ever high-school football game.

Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates following a Superbowl win.

“My last high-school game was against Jammi German — which at that time was the number one recruit in the nation, Fort Meyers, Florida,” Lewis told Fox Sports’ The Herd.

“The University of Miami came to see him play against me in Lakeland. We had a finals game, the second game of the playoffs against them.

“They beat us, they beat us. They punched us up, really bad. But I had an incredible game.

“I remember falling on my knees and I cried, because I didn’t know what my future was. I didn’t know nothing.

“When I got back from Florida State, four days before signing day, I had no offer, nowhere on the table.

“Derick Erickson called Kathleen High School four days before signing day and the coach called me to the office. This moment really changed me life. I walked in and he was crying, and he said ‘Miami just gave you a scholarship’, and I was like ‘what’. ‘University of Miami just gave you a full ride scholarship’. I was like ‘Coach, are you serious?’.

“They saw you play your last high-school game. The way you played got you into college.”

Ray Lewis was known for his hard hits.

A scholarship was the only way Lewis was ever going to college. The former Raven admits his family did not have the money to fund his education and he left for Miami with little more than a drive to make it.

“No we didn’t have any money to get in. My mum was gone, she was living in Tennessee. This was my life,” Lewis said.

“I got in the car, I had one pair of jeans, three white T-shirts, one pack of number two pencils and I had two folders.

“That’s what my grandmother dropped me off with, with $20 of food stamps. She said ‘that’s all I can do’. I said ‘I’ll make it’.

Lewis was an almost instant hit at the University of Miami. He became a starter late in his first season with the Hurricanes, before earning All-American honours the next year. He was runner-up in the Butkus Award, given to the best linebacker in the college system. He finished his junior season with 160 tackles, the second highest in the history of “The U”.

TV personality Ray Lewis watches warm-ups before a game.

He would eventually forgo his final year of college to enter the NFL draft, where he was taken pick 26 by the Ravens.

The NFL legend credits his college roommates for getting him through his early days in Miami. Lewis said they gave him everything, when he had nothing.

“That’s why my roommates, Trent Jones, Rohan Marlin, them boys, they took me in like you have never seen nobody taken in,” Lewis said.

“I didn’t have no clothes, so I had to share clothes, ask them to wear their clothes.”

Lewis finished his NFL career with two Superbowl triumphs, a Superbowl MVP award, NFL defensive player of the year honour and a likely Hall of Fame appearance to come.

Things could have turned out very different, but one game put Lewis on the path to stardom.

“One pair of jeans, 3 white t-shirts, one pack of #2 pencils... and $20 worth of food stamps.” —@raylewis on his first-day w/ @CanesFootball pic.twitter.com/kyDVRHegG7

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 4, 2017

Originally published as One game changed Ray Lewis’ life