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The dean of the Ravens D retires
Ray Lewis ends his NFL career
During week five’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, Ray Lewis
suffered torn triceps and ESPN commentators began using those dreaded
three words: “season-ending injury.”
In Lewis’s case, those words were even worse than usual because
“season ending” meant “career ending.” Several weeks later, the veteran
linebacker—the marquee star of the Ravens roster since the team’s 1996
inception—announced he would be retiring from the game. But never doubt
the will of a champion.
Lewis battled back from his injury and played in his final home game
against the Indianapolis Colts—a 24-9 win—and Coach John Harbaugh sent
Lewis onto the field to be the last line of defense in the victory
formation.
After Joe Flacco took a knee to end the game, Lewis got one last
opportunity to do his signature pre-game “squirrel dance” in the middle
of the field at M&T Bank Stadium.
Of course, as it turned out, this wouldn’t be Lewis’s last hoorah
moment, as he helped lead his team to a Super Bowl victory and was able
to parade through the streets of Baltimore, Lombardi Trophy held high.