Super Bowl Champion Ray Lewis Joining ESPN
BRISTOL, Conn. – Two-time Super Bowl champion and Miami Hurricanes legend Ray Lewis is joining ESPN as an NFL studio analyst, the Worldwide Leader in Sports announced Wednesday.
Lewis, who concluded his 17-year NFL career with a Super Bowl XLVII ring, will appear on Monday Night Countdown, Sunday NFL Countdown, SportsCenter and will contribute to ESPN’s annual Super Bowl coverage. Lewis will start August 1.
“ESPN is such a big part of how fans watch and experience sports, especially the NFL, so I’m excited to join their team,” Lewis said in ESPN’s release. “I’m ready to bring the same level of passion to this next phase of my life as I brought to the field during my years as a player. I can’t wait to work with my new teammates, many of whom I’ve already known for years.”
Lewis spent his entire 17-year NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens, leading the franchise to Super Bowl XXXV and XLVII titles. His 12 Pro Bowl selections are tied for the fifth-most in NFL history and most by a linebacker. He is also one of only six players to earn the AP Defensive Player of the Year Award multiple times (2000, 2003).
Named to the 2000s All-Decade Team, he played in 228 games during his career, amassing 41.5 sacks and 31 interceptions. The second draft pick in Ravens history – the No. 26 overall selection in the 1996 NFL Draft – Lewis is the franchise’s all-time leader in many categories, including tackles (2,643), fumble recoveries (31), seasons (17), games played (228) and playoff games (11).
Lewis is involved in charitable activities, motivational speaking and mentoring. He started the Ray Lewis 52 Foundation, a non-profit corporation which provides personal and economic assistance to disadvantaged youth. In May 2010, a portion of Baltimore’s North Avenue was renamed “Ray Lewis Way” in honor of his charitable work; similar honors include a 2006 JB Award (named for CBS broadcaster James Brown) and an “Act of Kindness” Award for his community work.
A native of Lakeland, Fla., Lewis was a two-time All-America and All-Big East linebacker at the University of Miami. He finished runner-up for the Butkus Award as a junior with 160 tackles and led the Big East in tackles his final two seasons. In all, he accumulated the fifth most tackles in Hurricane’s history despite playing only three seasons.
