As Ray Lewis prepares to take his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, teammates, coaches, opponents, family and members of the media reflect on the legacy of the legendary Ravens linebacker with their favorite memories and never-before-heard stories.
Ed Reed
As told to Glenn Clark
Ed Reed played safety for the Ravens from 2002–2012.
I know one of the first times I hung out with him, he was having his birthday party at his house. It was a very nice party, and they had a bunch of people there. I can’t remember half the celebrities that were there.
I wasn’t even in the league, I wasn’t even drafted. I was visiting Baltimore at the time, and Ray told me, “Hey man, I’m having a party, you should come by.” And I wind up going over there. It was a great party, though.
I do remember the end of that night, I’m leaving, and he and I are sitting in his living room right by his front door, and we’re just chopping it up, talking. And he was like, “What do you want from this? What are you looking for from the league, from football?”
And basically, I was like, “I want it all. I want a championship, it’s the ultimate goal. I won one in college, and that was the ultimate.”
And he was like, “Just do the little things. Drink water, drink gallons of water, make sure you’re getting your rest, make sure you’re taking care of your body and you’re eating right, and you’ll have a career.”
Twelve years later, he and I stuck to the plan, worked out together all offseason and all that type of stuff — and we won back-to-back Defensive Players of the Year. And there’s a reason why. It’s because I listened to him and put that work in.
To read all 52 memories of No. 52, visit PressBoxOnline.com/Ray.