Ray Lewis Tells Baltimore Ravens Teammates He'll Retire After Season

There are many people out there who do not care for Ray Lewis. However, you have to respect how great the Baltimore Ravens linebacker has been. He has been a star for numerous years, but it appears his career is ending after the season. Take his word for it.

Ray Lewis told the team today “this will be my last ride.”

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 2, 2013

This move does not come as shocking.  Lewis wants to watch his own son play football and he has been bothered by injuries all season.  He was certainly not as effective this year, but he could still play some solid football.  If this truly is his last go around, he is going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

If you watched the Ravens play defense over the last decade, you saw #52 all over the field.  He was the man that made everything work for them.  He and Ed Reed were two of the most feared defenders in football for a few years there.  If you had a high octane offense, it was going to get shut down by the Ravens.  That was almost as constant as the sun coming up every day.

I’m a big fan of Lewis, so I hope he goes out with a bang.  The Ravens may not look like contenders right now, but they could get here this next month.  Sending Lewis out with another ring would be one heck of a statement.  Let’s see if he can get it and further add to his legacy.