It's A Man's Game!

Caution: Unauthorized Biography Alert!

"Football is a man's game," so says Ray Lewis of the NFL Baltimore Ravens. He's a hard hitting Super Bowl MVP linebacker. He was selected All-Pro twelve times in his fourteen year career. Few would argue against his analysis. You could say he's an expert on the subject.

He's also the prototype of someone who has faced tragedy and overcame devastation. One year before his MVP game on the NFL's biggest stage he faced double murder charges. He's a father who had to explain to his son why he was in jail. That's a gut check.

He was only twenty-six. Lewis had to overcome the firestorm, endure the constant criticism, and survive the fallout. He was acquitted of the charges, but plead guilty to obstructing justice. Ray Lewis has put that terrible time behind him. He grew.

Today, Ray Lewis is still number 52. He still plays Hall of Fame caliber football for the Ravens, the same team that drafted him fourteen seasons ago. He's a Christian, a businessman, a philanthropist, an activist, a leader and a dad.

I don't know him except what I see on game day. But, I suspect even though he's exulted as a player with the heart of a lion and as much passion for the game as anyone who ever buckled a chinstrap his greatest moments are the ones he spends being a dad. I admire him for that most.