1. Ray Lewis
Ray Lewis is terrifying, both physically and psychologically. Every home game in Baltimore, he would turn his pre-game routine into a theater performance- doing his dance out of the tunnel and then yelling his pre-game speech for all to hear. He came back in 2021 for a special appearance in the Sunday night matchup with the Chiefs, and even Patrick Mahomes was into it.
On the field, there was no one meaner, or more intimidating, than Ray Lewis. Whether it was in the backfield stuffing run gaps and stopping running backs in their tracks or hitting receivers over the middle, Lewis did it more often and with more force than anyone. On three separate occasions, he led the NFL in tackles.
Lewis was a 12-time Pro Bowl selection and a seven-time All-Pro. Lewis’ hard-hitting earned him two Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2000 and 2003. Lewis was the leader of the Ravens 2000 defense, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenses of all time. He is a member of the 2000s All-Decade team and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.
Lewis is one of the best linebackers of all time. He was the heart and soul of the Ravens for 17 seasons, and is the hardest hitter in NFL history.