Colts/Ravens news, notes

Ego74 · Dec 19, 2004

Freeney, Ogden have mutual admiration

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</TD></TR><TR><TD>Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney (93) has 13 sacks this season, including three in each of the past two games. -- Matt Kryger / The Star
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#cccccc><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=10 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#eeeeee>Related content

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• Notebook: Freeney, Ogden have mutual admiration
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• Johnson's faith plays big role in NFL career, then and now
• Message board
• Ask the expert: Mike Chappell
• More Colts
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#cccccc><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=10 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#eeeeee>The peoples' choices

Fan voting ends today for the Feb. 13 Pro Bowl in Honolulu. The AFC and NFC squads will be announced Wednesday. The overall top 10:

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=sanstext>Votes</TD><TD class=sanstext>Player, team</TD></TR><TR><TD class=sanstext>968,157</TD><TD class=sanstext>QB Peyton Manning, Colts</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD class=sanstext>896,101</TD><TD class=sanstext>QB Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia</TD></TR><TR><TD class=sanstext>829,624</TD><TD class=sanstext>QB Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD class=sanstext>819,595</TD><TD class=sanstext>WR Terrell Owens, Philadelphia</TD></TR><TR><TD class=sanstext>726,736</TD><TD class=sanstext>RB Tiki Barber, N.Y. Giants</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD class=sanstext>725,855</TD><TD class=sanstext>RB Shaun Alexander, Seattle</TD></TR><TR><TD class=sanstext>654,454</TD><TD class=sanstext>WR Marvin Harrison, Colts</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD class=sanstext>635,224</TD><TD class=sanstext>TE Antonio Gates, San Diego</TD></TR><TR><TD class=sanstext>633,548</TD><TD class=sanstext>TE Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#cccccc><TD class=sanstext>622,537</TD><TD class=sanstext>QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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By Mike Chappell
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript></SCRIPT>mike.chappell@indystar.com
December 17, 2004

Dwight Freeney is accustomed to facing big challenges.

Sunday night, the Indianapolis Colts' Pro Bowl defensive end faces his biggest: Jonathan Ogden.

"He's so large," Freeney said of the Baltimore Ravens' left tackle. "He's so massive."

Freeney isn't. He's 6-1, 268 pounds. Ogden checks in at 6-9, 345.

Each player is at or near the top of his position. Ogden, the fourth overall pick in the 1996 draft, has been voted to the past seven Pro Bowls. Freeney, selected 11th overall in 2002, earned his first Pro Bowl trip last season.

Freeney rates Ogden as the best left tackle in the NFL.

"By far," Freeney said. "He's everywhere. He has technique and the experience level. He can make mistakes and still be there."

Ogden possesses similar admiration for Freeney, who leads the NFL with 13 sacks, including three in each of the past two games.

"He may be the fastest person off the edge in the league right now. Either him or (Philadelphia's Jevon Kearse)," said Ogden, who has missed three games with a hamstring injury and another with a knee injury.

Despite Ogden's presence, Baltimore's pass protection has been spotty. Quarterback Kyle Boller has been sacked 33 times, once for every 12.1 drop-back attempts.

By contrast, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has been sacked nine times, once for every 47.4 drop-backs.

Buy a ticket

If he could be in two places at once, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis would be in the RCA Dome stands Sunday night.

"When you get in late December and have the Colts' offense against our defense, I'd pay to watch this myself," Lewis told Baltimore media.

Lewis looks forward to matching wits with Manning, who constantly makes adjustments at the line of scrimmage with hand gestures and oral commands.

"Yeah, it's going to be funny," Lewis said. "When he points out, I'm going to point, too. People are going to think that we're just pointing at each other."

Another sellout

The Colts' Dec. 26 game against San Diego at the RCA Dome is a sellout and will be broadcast on local television.

It marks the 47th sellout in the team's past 48 regular-season games dating to the start of the 1999 season.

No passing zone

Manning needs three touchdown passes to eclipse Dan Marino's record of 48 set in 1984. He's passed for at least three TDs in nine of 13 games this season.

The Ravens, though, have yielded a league-low 10 touchdown passes this season and have allowed three or more passing touchdowns in only 10 of the 100 regular-season games during coach Brian Billick's tenure. Cincinnati's Carson Palmer passed for three fourth-quarter TDs in leading the Bengals to a 27-26 victory at Baltimore on Dec. 5.

Baltimore's defense ranks No. 4 in points allowed (15.8) and has given up only 104 total points in the first three quarters this year. The Ravens have allowed one offensive touchdown or less in eight of 13 games and no more than three in any game.

Etc.

The Colts signed rookie defensive back Jarrell Weaver to the practice squad. He fills the spot vacated by defensive back Deandre' Eiland, who was signed by the Dolphins to their active roster. . . . Safety Gerome Sapp (ribs) returned to practice and might be available for Sunday's game. . . . Rookie safety Bob Sanders (knee) will not play Sunday but might return Dec. 26 against San Diego.

Ego74 · Dec 19, 2004

Billick defensive about his position

</TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#cccccc><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=10 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#eeeeee>Related content

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• Bob Kravitz: Talk of asterisk for new record simply nonsense
• Colts' James, Ravens' Lewis prove there is NFL life after tearing an ACL
• Colts and Stokley agree on new 5-year contract
• Billick defensive about his position
• Size, speed make Heap a threat at tight end
• For the record
• Game notes
• Message board
• Ask the expert: Mike Chappell
• More Colts
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#cccccc><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=10 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#eeeeee>By the numbers

[size=+1]0[/size]
Passer rating for Peyton Manning's brother, Eli, when N.Y. Giants played Baltimore on Sunday

[size=+1]28[/size]
Where Baltimore quarterback Kyle Boller ranks in the NFL with a 73.4 passer rating

[size=+1]178[/size]
Turnovers forced by the Ravens since 2000, which ranks No. 1 in the NFL

[size=+1]10[/size]
Touchdowns allowed by the Ravens' defense over the past 36 quarters, while the unit has scored five itself </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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By Phil Richards
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript></SCRIPT>phil.richards@indystar.com
December 19, 2004

As offensive coordinator at Minnesota from 1993-98, Brian Billick oversaw a unit that produced three 1,100-yard rushers and 11 1,000-yard receivers, helped the Vikings to five playoff appearances and in 1998 set an NFL record by scoring 556 points.

Tony Dungy knows. He served as Minnesota's defensive coordinator from 1992-95. The Vikings led the NFL in total defense in 1993, were No. 1 in rushing defense in 1994, made three playoff appearances and over Dungy's four seasons had an NFL-high 95 interceptions.

Dungy went on to Tampa Bay, where as head coach from 1996 through 2001he built the defense that won the Super Bowl after the 2002 season. Dungy now is coach of the Indianapolis Colts, who lead the NFL in scoring and are threatening the Vikings' 1998 scoring record.

Billick's career path took him to Baltimore in 1999, where he built one of the best defenses in NFL history. The Ravens allowed 165 points, a league-record low for a 16-game season while winning the Super Bowl following the 2000 season.

"The football gods clearly have a sense of humor," said Billick, who brings his Ravens to the RCA Dome to play the Colts tonight. "To give Tony that offense and me this defense when you know Tony would like to shut out every team, and I would want to pass every play . . . "

Baltimore tends to struggle on offense, Billick's specialty. The Colts have had their lapses on defense, Dungy's primary area of expertise. Like Billick, Dungy shakes his head at the irony of it all.

"I never thought it was going to go like that, for sure," Dungy said. "It's something I'm sure he had to get used to a little bit and I've had to get used to. I think as coaches you try to tailor the team and structure it to win."

Ego74 · Dec 19, 2004

Stokley always had skills

Peyton Manning knew long ago that former Raven receiver Brandon Stokley would fit in perfectly with the Colts.

By JEFFREY MARTIN
Daily Record/Sunday News
Saturday, December 18, 2004

It began as a hunch, a suspicion that the scrawny but fast white kid on the other end of hundreds of his spirals might be special.Given his brilliance this season, it's clear Peyton Manning is a passing savant. But even back then, when he was an All-America quarterback at the University of Tennessee, during the early years of his family's summer football camp, there was ample evidence of his acumen.

And he sensed something in that kid, Brandon Stokley, a wide receiver who was toiling at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, a former Division I-A in-dependent so obscure it now goes by the name University of Louisiana-Lafayette and belongs to the Sun Belt Conference.

Their chemistry, their rapport was too much to ignore.

"I remember just when he was in college, I was thinking it would be great to play with a guy like that," said Manning. "He and I, for whatever reason, just have no trouble developing timing."

It would have to wait, though.

Manning was the No.1 draft choice overall in 1998 by the Indianapolis Colts, embarking on a career that might ultimately result in an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

As for Stokley, the beginning wasn't as promising. Despite finishing his college career with every receiving record in school history, he couldn't shake the small-school stigma.

Stokley, 5-foot-11 and 197 pounds, was selected in the fourth round of the 1999 draft by the Baltimore Ravens, who were intrigued by his speed, his toughness and his pedigree — his father, Nelson, was a former quarterback at LSU and coached Stokley at USL.

It seemed like a perfect fit — a team desperate for playmakers and production, perhaps not in that order, adding someone capable of both in one draft pick — but it never quite meshed.

In four seasons in Baltimore, Stokley managed just 60 receptions for 913 yards and seven touchdowns. He was active in only 33 of 64 games, starting 11. There were highs, such as blowing past New York's Jason Sehorn for a 38-yard touchdown in the Ravens' 34-7 victory in Super Bowl XXXV, but those were always overshadowed by the lows, specifically all of his injuries.

Ankle in 2002.

Foot in 2002.

Knee in 2001, and there were probably more.

Ultimately, Stokley's failure to remain healthy cost him a spot with the Ravens, who wanted to retain the unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2002 season but chose not to match the offer presented by the Colts.

Manning, who seemingly never forgets anything related to football, pushed the front office to act quickly.

"When I got to the Colts, I remember saying Brandon would be the ultimate slot receiver in this offense," said Manning. "Obviously, when he became a free agent, (team president) Bill Polian jumped on that opportunity. He's just been a perfect fit for our offense."

It took a year — because of more injuries — but Stokley has begun to fulfill his potential. With an assist from Manning, Stokley is enjoying his finest professional season.

Through 13 games, he has nearly eclipsed his four-year totals with the Ravens. His 58 catches for 936 yards and nine touchdowns are career highs, and with three games remaining — including Sunday's prime-time clash with Baltimore on ESPN — Stokley is far from finished.

"It feels good," said Stokley. "I can go out there and play and show my ability, show that I belong here. It's been a while and I think being healthy, I can show everybody what I can do."

All he's done is thrive in his role as the Colts' slot receiver, basically the third option when Indianapolis opts to use three wide receivers. The first option is All-Pro Marvin Harrison, who will likely accompany Manning in Canton. The second option is the emerging Reggie Wayne, a former University of Miami star who draws comparisons to ex-Hurricane and Dallas great Michael Irvin.

With those two drawing much of the attention, and the focus on containing running back Edgerrin James and tight ends Marcus Pollard and Dallas Clark, Stokley has taken advantage of any and all open spaces in the defense.

"He's a very technically, mechanically sound wide receiver," said Polian. "He runs routes well enough that he can spin a defensive back around. If he gets a mismatch on a linebacker or a safety, for example, that's the kind of situation he can exploit tremendously because he has moves and footwork and fakes that will allow him to leave the guy in the dust."

Baltimore cornerback Gary Baxter, a starter who moves inside to cover the slot receiver in the Ravens' nickel package, will attempt to shadow Stokley.

Not many defenses have had success in slowing Stokley, or the other two receivers. All three are on pace for 1,000-yard seasons, which would make the Colts the fourth team in NFL history to accomplish that feat, joining the 1980 San Diego Chargers, the 1989 Washington Redskins and the 1995 Atlanta Falcons.

With Manning as the quarterback, it's not a shock.

But the fact that Stokley, listed as questionable for Sunday's game with a sore groin, has avoided injury and is one of the three, might be.

None of his old coaches or teammates are surprised, though.

"It's great to see Brandon doing what he is doing and staying healthy," said Baltimore coach Brian Billick. "Obviously, that was the issue here. (He) had an injury history, as will happen with young players. Brandon is a great young man, and I am thrilled that he has stayed healthy and is doing well over there."

"We knew he had talent when he was here," said Baltimore running back Jamal Lewis. "He did all of those same things. I don't think he got as many balls, but it's good seeing him out there, doing (well) in a scheme that really fits him."

And Manning certainly isn't surprised.

Then again, he had a clue.

"I've always had a really good relationship with him," said Manning. "It's been an easy transition. Some receivers, it takes a while to get that timing. Stokley and I, maybe because we've known each other for a long time, have thrown together every summer for 10 years now.

"He's done a heck of a job for us."

Ego74 · Dec 19, 2004

Colts' James worries Ravens

Peyton Manning has been amazing, but Edgerrin James makes Indianapolis go.

By JEFFREY MARTIN
Daily Record/Sunday News
Friday, December 17, 2004

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — As great as Peyton Manning has been this season, the Baltimore Ravens aren't suffering through any sleepless nights on his account in anticipation of Sunday's ESPN-televised game with the Indianapolis Colts.They're more preoccupied with the man who, according to Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy, is truly responsible for all of the Colts' success thus far, running back Edgerrin James.

"I think Tony realizes that the big reason that Peyton is on the big run that he is is because of the presence of Edgerrin," said Baltimore coach Brian Billick. "Maybe the last two years, he wasn't there, but that has probably been brought into a little more clarity because of that. Peyton will probably tell you the same thing."

During a conference call with the media, Manning never addressed the issue.

But his coach, Dungy, did, proving Billick right once again.

"I think that (Edgerrin) is what's really made us this year," said Dungy.

So, it's come to this: in a game that Manning, just two touchdown passes shy of Dan Marino's single-season mark, could conceivably establish one of sports' all-time records, his aerial assault might be overshadowed because of the attention generated by and given to the NFL's leading rusher.

In prime time, no less.

"Not taking anything away from Peyton Manning, but I understand football," said Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis. "You're not going to have a great passer like that unless you have someone who's establishing the foundation, and that's what Edgerrin James does. Yeah, Peyton is up for the record, but this man is the leading rusher in the NFL.

"If you short that to say why the team is winning, I think you're missing the point."

The fun, it seems, is in the run.

And it's not just restricted to one team, either.

Jamal Lewis, last season's league-leading rusher with 2,066 yards — the second-best total of all-time — is healthy, or as healthy as he's going to be at this point of the season. After missing two games with a sprained ankle, Lewis carried eight times for 32 yards last week in a 37-14 rout of the New York Giants.

On Thursday, he pronounced himself ready to go — even if the Ravens are still uncertain.

"I don't know yet what my status is going to be," said Lewis.

He was asked if he could handle the full load, meaning 25-35 carries, and Lewis didn't hesitate.

"Yeah, if that's what called upon," he said. "Thirty, 35 times — I can do it. There's no problem as long as I can stay in there and stay hot. I'll be fine."

That's probably the last thing the Colts wanted to hear.

Indianapolis boasts the top two pass rushers in the AFC in Dwight Freeney (13 sacks) and Robert Mathis (10½), but the Colts' defense is a little soft against the run, allowing 120.8 yards per game. By comparison, the Ravens typically give up about 100 a game.

If Lewis is given anything more than 25 carries, it could be a disastrous scenario for Indianapolis.

"Hopefully we can get ahead and take him out of the game that way," said Dungy. "He can do some unbelievable things for a back his size. If he gets 30 carries, it's going to be a tough day for us. Hopefully we can put him in some longer yardage situations and hopefully we can get ahead to hold him and let the circumstances hold him under 25 carries."

He's still feared, despite being sidelined for all of or parts of six games in 2004, including two as a result of a suspension for his federal plea-bargain for using a cell phone to broker a drug deal in 2000. His meager season totals of 167 carries for 683 yards and five touchdowns are almost embarrassing.

But Lewis still harbors hopes of another 1,000-yard season, his fourth in five years, and more importantly, a playoff berth.

"It really hasn't affected me mentally," said Lewis. "Things happen. I've missed about five games. That's football."

His counterpart, James, has been brilliant, coincidentally in a contract year. He'll be a free agent at the end of the season, and some team will break the bank to secure his services.

Without the distraction of nagging injuries, James has resumed his role as one of the league's top all-around backs. In 2001, he suffered a season-ending knee injury after just six games. A year later, he played in 14 games, finishing with 989 yards and a career-low 3.6 yards per carry. In addition to recovering from reconstructive knee surgery, James was hampered by two ankle ailments, a rib cartilage injury and also a balky hamstring.

Fully healed, he's back this year. His 1,395 yards is 315 shy of a career-best. James is ripping off 4.6 yards a carry, displaying the same smooth, slashing gait he did during his first two seasons in the league.

The former University of Miami standout is more of a finesse runner.

At least when compared to Lewis, who is unique.

"He's a downhill, physical guy," said Kansas City coach Dick Vermeil. "He's a bulldozer."

On Sunday, he'll be a burden for Dungy.

As for Billick, he has his hands full, too.

And he's not worried about Manning setting any records. James has his attention.

"That's one of my bigger concerns," Billick said. "We'll match up and do how we do, but getting so focused on the passing game — Edgerrin James, that's probably the one thing that concerns me the most."

Ego74 · Dec 19, 2004

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 15px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0pt; PADDING-TOP: 0pt" vAlign=bottom width=409>Ray Lewis' images
seem to conflict
Ravens LB ferocious on the field,
but has tender side off of it
Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis may be a beats on the field, but he's cultivating a sweet image off of it.
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By Camille Powell

Updated: 10:50 p.m. ET Dec. 18, 2004

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=349>Ray Lewis is pacing inside the tunnel that leads to the football field, his helmet off, his tongue out, his face splashed across the giant end zone video screens. On this day, the Baltimore Ravens are playing the Cincinnati Bengals and the all-pro linebacker is dancing, screaming and throwing his arms to the sky as he is introduced before a frenzied crowd of nearly 70,000.

<TABLE style="PADDING-LEFT: 15px" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=textSmallGrey vAlign=top align=middle>advertisement
http://g.msn.com/0AD00012/659458.1??PID=2353815&UIT=G&TargetID=1000925&AN=1819&PG=NBCSMS<SCRIPT src="http://amch.questionmarket.com/adsc/d185014/4/185377/randm.js"></SCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Some three and a half hours later, the player who is a whirl of intensity on the field dresses slowly and meticulously in an almost-empty locker room. Lewis puts on lotion and cologne, slips into a long black coat and hangs a diamond-encrusted cross around his neck as a group of reporters waits to record his thoughts on the just-finished game.

The two game-day faces of Ray Lewis don't seem to mesh, nor do other images of the ninth-year veteran. The football player who is so often described in the rawest, most emotional terms on the field is rational and studious off of it. The man who pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in connection with a double murder in Atlanta in 2000 is one of 32 finalists for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, an NFL honor that recognizes off-the-field community service as well as playing excellence.

The football player — the man who will take the field against the Indianapolis Colts tonight — is easy to define. Defining the man is more difficult.

Lewis, 29, was named the NFL defensive player of the year in 2003, becoming the sixth player in NFL history to win multiple times. He was the most valuable player of Super Bowl XXXV in 2001. According to assistant coaches' film reviews, Lewis set a franchise record a year ago with 225 tackles and led all linebackers with six interceptions. This season, according to coaches, he leads the Ravens with 174 tackles.

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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=boxB_3176006 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=152><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>• Redskins coverage
• NFL coverage

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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>"My passion on the football field is simple," Lewis said. "I believe, by any means necessary, not the win or loss of a game, but just the true opportunity that God has given me to say, 'I put something in you, and that is dominance. I gave you a dominant gene.' . . . I will not let a man, I won't let anyone dictate how I am going to go out and play, whatever circumstance."

Lewis is the unchallenged leader of the Ravens, watches hours of game film on his own at home each week and regularly consults with coaches about the team's defensive game plan. He has the respect and loyalty of his teammates. Yet many of his actions seem calculated to ensure that he is always in the center of the spotlight.

Lewis is very involved with his charitable foundation, which assists at-risk youths in Baltimore. Last week he helped host a gift drive for 200 Baltimore area children, and last month he provided Thanksgiving turkeys to 440 families.

Yet, there are those who remember Lewis most for an incident that took place outside of an Atlanta nightclub hours after the Super Bowl ended in the city in January 2000. Lewis and two other men were charged with murder in connection with the stabbing deaths of two men, but the charges against Lewis were eventually dropped. He pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and was placed on a year's probation; he also testified against his co-defendants, who were both later acquitted.

The Atlanta murder case — which came two months after Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth was charged in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend — focused the NFL's attention on off-field violence by its players. Lewis, who was fined $250,000 by the league but was not suspended, rarely talks about the incident now.

"If you understand the way God works, you won't ask yourself why people don't understand me," Lewis said. "I'm not here to please man, by no means. . . . I'm not hear to be liked. You ain't got to like me. . . . I want God to view me a certain way. If you don't like the way God views me, I ain't here to please you."

'Controlled Rage'
Since the Atlanta killings, Lewis has solidified his reputation as one of the league's most dynamic and aggressive linebackers who exults in the controlled, sanctioned violence of a professional football game. "My passion on the field is totally different than my passion off the field," Lewis said. "When we speak about controlled rage, controlled rage on the field because it's a contact sport. It's a battle every time you step on the football field."

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• Ask the NFL Expert
• Interactive: Eagles vs. Patriots
• The top coaches
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• More coverage

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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>During pregame warmups, Lewis stalks around the end zone, dances to the music pouring from the stadium speakers, pounds his chest. After he makes a tackle, he'll kick his leg out or flex his right arm and point to his biceps.

"He's a full-speed guy from the time he comes out of the tunnel warming up till the end of the game," New York Jets Coach Herman Edwards said. "He sets the standard for that defense, and he makes those guys accountable. The way he plays, his passion for the game. . . . Does he talk about how good he is? Yeah, but he backs it up, too."

Former Chicago Bears star Mike Singletary doesn't remember the first time he saw Lewis play, but he remembers his initial impression. He saw a player with so much energy, who had the will to not only make every play, but then celebrate or congratulate a teammate after every play as well.

"I think in all honesty, a lot of people wish they had [that kind of energy]. I know I did," said Singletary, who is now the Ravens' inside linebackers coach. People may have their opinion about whether it's authentic. To me, it's unique."

Some of Lewis's actions come across as self-centered, such as his tendency to refer to his teammates as "my players" or "my defense," or his elaborate pregame dance. At home games, Lewis is the last player to be introduced, and the rock music that plays as every other starter on the Ravens' defense is announced abruptly stops and switches to a rap song when he approaches the field.

But in other instances, Lewis demonstrates his concern for the team. He called linebacker Terrell Suggs every week during the offseason to make sure that Suggs — who was coming off of a season in which he was named the league's defensive rookie of the year — was working out. The first call came toward the end of February which, Suggs admits, was a little earlier than he had planned to start working out. The calls increased in frequency as minicamp drew closer. Suggs listened to Lewis.

"I'm still kind of the little kid that's still in awe that I'm on his team," said Suggs, who leads the Ravens with 9.5 sacks. "Every time he called, I'd let my boys know, 'Hey, this is Ray right here.' I'd put him on speaker so the homeboys could hear."

Lewis gave his phone number to John Garrett at the end of minicamp and told the rookie free agent linebacker that he should call if he needed anything. Garrett got stuck while watching film on his own one day, so he called Lewis, who explained exactly what Garrett should have been looking for.

"People tell you before you leave that veterans aren't going to help you," said Garrett, who was among the first round of cuts at the end of training camp. "That's a big thing that I like about [Lewis], he's always open to help."

Different defensive players meet at Lewis's house during the week to watch film or hang out. Lewis and cornerback Deion Sanders are particularly fond of the game Taboo, in which players have to get their partners to guess words without using certain clues. "When we get together with him, he sees a different eye view than we see," safety Will Demps said. "He thinks, 'Why can't you always cover that route?' But then we get in there and we explain it to him, and he explains to us what he sees. I think that's what you don't really learn when you're with the coach because the coach is not out there on the field playing with you."

Singletary knows that Lewis and fellow inside linebackers Ed Hartwell, Bart Scott and T.J. Slaughter watch so much film on their own that they don't need to spend much time studying film together in position meetings. So the Hall of Fame linebacker sends his players straight to the marker board and instructs them: "Tell me what you know. Teach me as if I know nothing."

Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and Lewis talk throughout the week. Nolan, who has spent 18 years in the NFL and has been the defensive coordinator for four teams including the Washington Redskins, said the give-and-take with Lewis is unique.

The only time Lewis goes to Nolan's office is when the coach invites him. Occasionally, one calls the other on Tuesday night to talk about the game plan. They meet in the hallway following meetings on Wednesdays, and they seek each other out on the practice field on Thursdays and Fridays. Every so often, Lewis asks if he can see Nolan's call sheet, and he offers his opinion as he runs down the list.

"I've never had as much confidence in a player in the past, nor have I felt that I needed to put that burden or load on them," said Nolan, who coached Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor while with the New York Giants. "In Ray's case, it's just the opposite. I don't think it's a burden or a load because he has such a great insight on the game. The general in the action, the leader on the field as Ray is, there's a thing going on on the field that's different than what's going on in the [coaches'] box."

Said Singletary: "It's almost like a dad, when your kids asks for the [car] keys. You're not going to give the keys unless you know that they have taken the time to ride with you, to drive with you, and you know that they're responsible. That's kind of how it is with Ray."

Making Mom Proud
When Lewis left the University of Miami following his junior season, he promised his mother, Sunseria Smith, that he would one day get his degree. This past May, Lewis graduated from the University of Maryland-University College after completing the final 24 credits he needed to earn his degree in business administration.

Lewis managed to keep his return to school a secret from his mother. He wanted to surprise her, so he didn't fill her in until it was time for the graduation ceremony. Smith was shocked and thrilled, and she cried her way through the ceremony. "What I'm most proud of with Ray is the man he has become, the man he is now, and the wisdom and knowledge that he has, putting God first in his life," Smith said. "He has matured where he gave up the limelight, the going out, the partying. He has changed so much in his image, the right image he's supposed to have. I know that four or five years ago, I couldn't have done this interview the way I'm doing it now because he wasn't living the life he was supposed to."

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Lewis and his mother spent over two hours in the small gym of a Baltimore elementary school, handing out turkeys, along with everything else needed for a full Thanksgiving dinner, to needy families, an annual event for his foundation. Lewis wore a buttoned shirt and dark slacks, nothing that would identify him as a football player — because, he said, he was not a football player on that day. He wouldn't sign autographs, but he gave a hug to anyone who wanted one.

A young boy, maybe 10 years old, did a spot-on imitation of Lewis's pregame dance, everything from the shaking hands to the final scream. A teenage boy in a Deion Sanders jersey handed Lewis his cell phone so he can prove to a friend that he really did meet Ray Lewis. A teenage girl, after hugging Lewis, shrieked and walked away, fanning herself.

Lewis acknowledged afterward that it is difficult for him to escape his image as a football warrior, an image that he has helped cultivate. But he said he won't stop trying.

"Passion on the football field is because it's a contact sport, your mind has to go somewhere and say, okay, I can be physically harmed," Lewis said. "Off the football field, your passion is just to say, how can I make sure that people view me — not that I look for their approval — how can I make sure they don't view me just as a pure gladiator? I'm not going to walk in with a big jersey on, number 52, because that does not tell you who I am."

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