Former Teammate Says Ray Lewis Didn’t Earn Super Bowl Paycheck
By Josh Hill
Ray Lewis is a Super Bowl champion once again, which means love him or hate him, he’s still on the top of the sports world. But while Lewis has secured his legacy with his second Super Bowl ring, one former teammate is saying Lewis may have the ring but he hardly earned his paycheck for the game. Trevor Pryce, who played with Lewis for five years, told Jim Rome that while we think Lewis is finishing his career on the highest note possible, he actually may have played his worst game ever.
“Half of his playoff check should go to Dannell Ellerbe for making that last play on that last fade route,” Pryce told Rome. “The other half to Greg Roman, the 49ers’ offensive coordinator.”
Lewis finished the final game of his career with 7 total tackles and 4 all on his own, meaning he was the Ravens second leading tackler in the game. But what Pryce seems to be referring to is how Lewis didn’t show up or have his name called in any of the big plays that occurred on Sunday. From the big defensive stands the Ravens threw together, to the final play of the game, it seemed Jim Nantz and Phil Sims were only sentimentally calling Lewis’ name, rather than calling it because of big plays.
“I think he played with a case of the nerves. I think he had the yips. I really do,” said Pryce. “He had it bad; he didn’t look like himself, even his new self. Forget his old self, that guy’s gone, that guy’s named Patrick Willis. But even the guy he was last week, he wasn’t that guy. He had a case of it bad, badly. It was almost like he was just hoping let’s get this over with.”
Nevertheless, Lewis has his second Super Bowl ring and he’s solidified himself as one of the greatest players to ever have played the game of football. Some people may not like it, and the ride may have gotten awkward at times this postseason, but nothing can take Ray Lewis’ legacy away, even if some people want to do it to his Super Bowl paycheck.