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Ray Lewis: Pro Athlete and Criminal
Chad Cossette
Exercise Science
Mr. Brannagan
December 17, 2003
He was born Ray Jenkins on May 15, 1975 in Lakeland, Fla., to Ray Jackson and
Buffy Jenkins. ... His father had his sons name changed to
Ray Jackson when the boy was an infant. When Ray was a child, his father abandoned
the family and Ray grew up in a single-parent home. When he entered Lakelands
Kathleen High School, he took the name of the man his mother was dating at the time,
and became Ray Lewis (Carter, ESPN). Lewis took on the role of a caregiver at a young
age; he helped to take care of his brother and three younger sisters (Court TV Online 3).
Many people who were close to Ray have died. ... Lewis also wears a t-shirt under his shoulder pads with a picture of
Marlin Barnes, former Miami teammate and best friend who was slain a week before the
NFL draft (Rosenthal 1). Ray Lewis has been glorified with on-field triumphs and
plagued with off-field troubles; as a result it is difficult to get a clear picture as to who he
actually is. ... These difficulties are ultimately what have shaped Ray Lewis
into who he is today, which could range from a very strong and heroic person to a
heartless cold-blooded murderer. ... Cossette 2
However, Lewis has had a difficult life but he has been able to do some very
productive things. In high school Ray was an outstanding athlete; he played
football and was also a wrestler. Ray’s father previously attended the same high school
that Ray did and held most of the wrestling records there. Lewis made himself into an
outstanding wrestler for the sole reason to erase any legacy or records that his father left
at the high school (Rosenthal 2). Lewis was able to do this and in the process made
himself the 189 pound state champion. After high school Lewis was heavily recruited by
many colleges to play football. ... Ray attended the University of
Miami where he was a three-year starter who came out after his junior
year(RayLewis,52). ...
Lewis was able to earn a starting position at middle linebacker for the final five
games of his freshman year. During his sophomore and junior year Lewis was the
Hurricanes leading tackler. ... After an unbelievable junior year Lewis decided to move on to the
NFL. ... The Ravens gave Lewis a signing bonus of $1. ... Lewis was
able to very quickly make a name for himself as the greatest linebacker in the NFL. ... Cossette 3
good fortune, Lewis was able to purchase his mother and siblings a house in
Randallstown, Maryland, which is a suburb of Baltimore. ... Lewis had two children with Tatyana Mc Call, which he
takes care of with his girlfriend Kimberly Arnold. The names of his children are Ray
Lewis III and Rayshad (Rosenthal, 1). Lewis spends the off-season in Florida with her
and the children and during the season they come up to be with him in Baltimore for all
of the home games (CourtTV Online). ... In just five seasons in the NFL, Ray has
been selected to four consecutive Pro Bowl teams and was named to USA Todays all-
Rookie team in his first season. In 1997, Ray received the John Mackey Award (voted by
his peers as the AFC’s best linebacker). In the 1997, 1999 2000 and 2001 season Ray was
named Ravens MVP. In 2000, Ray was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year and
MVP of SuperBowl XXXV. In 2001, Ray was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Ray has led the Ravens in tackles in each of his six seasons, and he also led the NFL with
210 tackles in 1997. ... "Ray might not understand that he is
not going to be understood by the majority of the people because he has a greatness about
him. ... Cossette 4
Ray Lewis’ good image that he portrays, however, may not be a true
representation of himself. Lewis has been involved in many situations that do not
support his good family-man image. In college Lewis was involved in a fight between
his current girlfriend, Kimberly Arnold, and Tatyana McCall the mother of two of his
children. Both of the women accused Lewis of physical abuse. Campus police were
called about the fight, but Lewis was not convicted of a crime (Court TV Online 13). ... The charges were dropped after a witness said that Lewis might not have been
near the alleged victim (Rosenthal 1).
Approximate Word count = 3780
Approximate Pages = 15.1
(250 words per page double spaced)
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