Ray Lewis, born on May 15, 1975, in Bartlow, Florida, is an iconic figure in American football.
Having commenced his professional journey at just 16 years, he played most of his career as a linebacker and was feared by not only his opponents but his team members as well.
Despite facing personal hurdles in his life such as absentee father, Lewis managed to earn a spot as one of the highest-paid NFL players.
During his career he amassed a fortune of $200 million, including salaries and endorsements.
However, he faced financial difficulties post-retirement due to unwise spending habits and was almost broke, retaining a net worth of $50 million as of 2023.
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Despite the financial difficulties many still perceive him as a potential coach.
At the age of 47, Lewis stands as an embodiment of passion and perseverance, demonstrating that hardships, whether financial or personal, can be surmounted with determination and grit.
I have listed below some of the best Ray Lewis quotes.
Best Ray Lewis Quotes
Success is one thing, impact is another. ~ Ray Lewis.
I don’t train for football; I train more for a lifestyle. ~ Ray Lewis.
All I know is grind. ~ Ray Lewis.
When something goes wrong, smile, cause there’s always a next play. ~ Ray Lewis.
Whatever you want to do, go do it. ~ Ray Lewis.
You have to be honest about who you are. ~ Ray Lewis.
My pain is my badge of honor. ~ Ray Lewis.
Let me explain my job very simply: My job is to line up five, seven, 10 yards in front of a man and run into him at full speed. ~ Ray Lewis.
The only thing that follows work is results. ~ Ray Lewis.
Regardless of how well you can be offensively, if you have a great defense, you can deal with any offense. ~ Ray Lewis.
Before anything great is really achieved, your comfort zone must be disturbed. ~ Ray Lewis.
There is only one way to win, one way to play. All out, all the time. ~ Ray Lewis.
Now I spend most of my time chasing wisdom, chasing understanding. ~ Ray Lewis.
Whatever your path is, that’s your path. ~ Ray Lewis.
And I love Evander Holyfield to death! ~ Ray Lewis.
Adversity defines true character. ~ Ray Lewis.
Every day, we’ve got to do something physical. It’s mind, body and spirit. ~ Ray Lewis.
Bottom line, your body is a temple, and you have to treat it that way. That’s how God designed it. ~ Ray Lewis.
Let your name be worth more than your bank account. ~ Ray Lewis.
I just came out of the gym from three hours this morning. I got five hours of sleep. That’s it. Every day of my life, I’m trying to find a different way to get better. ~ Ray Lewis.
Who knows what the future holds? It’s all on parenting, one way or another. I don’t care what level it is, it comes back to people learning how to deal with people. ~ Ray Lewis.
Greatness is a lot of small things done well. Day after day, workout after workout, obedience after obedience, day after day. ~ Ray Lewis.
I’m pissed off for greatness. Because if you ain’t pissed off for greatness, that just means you’re okay with being mediocre. ~ Ray Lewis.
Famous Ray Lewis Quotes
All the cops are just workers for the one percent, and they don’t even realize they’re being exploited. ~ Ray Lewis.
Everything I got, I’m willing to sacrifice. ~ Ray Lewis.
The refs are so confused themselves because there’s so many rules. It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh I’ve never seen this many rules in my life.’ And everybody’s trying to govern this and justify that. ~ Ray Lewis.
There’s no “I” on the football field. We have a total commitment to each other when we’re out there. There is no doubt. It doesn’t matter. The wins and losses of the game don’t resonate with us. What resonates with us is how much effort would you give for the man next to you. ~ Ray Lewis.
You got to be willing to walk in a storm. That’s what I tell people all the time. ~ Ray Lewis.
Pain is only temporary, no matter how long it lasts. ~ Ray Lewis.
I’ve always said to the refs to not be the ones to decide the game. Let the players dictate the outcome. ~ Ray Lewis.
I like to see honesty out of people. People who are trustworthy. I like to see people who are involved with The Lord. ~ Ray Lewis.
The hardest thing to do is work hard when no one is watching. ~ Ray Lewis.
Life is about being a versatile athlete and training in all realms of life. ~ Ray Lewis.
I’m a prideful person when it comes to competition. ~ Ray Lewis.
I honor God that much in the way I play. That’s why I never believe in getting tired. I don’t even know what that word means. ~ Ray Lewis.
Don’t let your alarm clock, be the only reason you wake up. ~ Ray Lewis.
I’ve always had a problem with the things that people would say out of their mouths to other people. I’ve always had a problem with that, because a lot of people, they don’t have enough information to speak to people a certain way or speak about people a certain way. ~ Ray Lewis.
I love watching the Serengeti, the way lions live. The only way the king lion loses his crown is by somebody physically defeating him. ~ Ray Lewis.
Inspiring Ray Lewis Quotes
I prepare so no one can take what is mine, no one can replace my mind, my heart. ~ Ray Lewis.
I love passion. I love for a coach to be passionate. ~ Ray Lewis.
I’ve been a fan of video games since the old school, I even have a lot of the old school arcade games at my house. ~ Ray Lewis.
You don’t have to win it, just don’t lose it. ~ Ray Lewis.
One of the things I’ve always said is that if you’re given the ability to coach kids, then you’re really given the ability to be a father or parent of some sort. ~ Ray Lewis.
Any game that you step on, you can get beat. ~ Ray Lewis.
I fight for the man next to me. It don’t matter about me, what matters about me is sacrificing for you; for the ultimate goal which is us. ~ Ray Lewis.
I like college football a lot, because it’s the dream that you’re chasing. The dream of one day possibly making it, with the harsh reality that only one percent make it. ~ Ray Lewis.
In any war who pulls their general out? No one. ~ Ray Lewis.
Daddy wasn’t there for me, so I had to grind every day. ~ Ray Lewis.
There’s a spirit that grabs me, and it’s in every one of you guys, but the questions is, how much time are we wasting? ~ Ray Lewis.
To be the best and stay there, sweat is necessary. ~ Ray Lewis.
Don’t walk through life just playing football. Don’t walk through life just being an athlete. Athletics will fade. Character and integrity and really making an impact on someone’s life, that’s the ultimate vision, that’s the ultimate goal – bottom line. ~ Ray Lewis.
Even Rod Woodson will tell you his best year he had as a professional was when he was 36 years old. If you think about why, you’re much wiser. ~ Ray Lewis.
The game will fade one day. I realize that success is one thing; impact is another. I live to impact people. ~ Ray Lewis.
Nothing surprises me, Jennette, so we can dispense with that. ~ Ray Lewis.
Man believes in the possible, God believes in the possible. ~ Ray Lewis.
There’s one secret to hitting hard, and that is to completely dedicate your body. That’s the difference between a man going forward and a man going backward, no matter how big he is. ~ Ray Lewis.
To come into camp and have my defensive coordinator say you won’t be touched, I feel like a kid all over again. ~ Ray Lewis.
I don’t know a man on this Earth who can outwork me. ~ Ray Lewis.
Man doesn’t dictate what you do or how you do it. If you believe in God, believe in God; have your faith in him. That’s where my faith lies. ~ Ray Lewis.
The more you know about your opponents, the more you learn how to beat them. Where the holes open to run through, blocking schemes, even down to player tendencies and what hand they like to carry the ball with. ~ Ray Lewis.
Some of these kids are spending more time with the coaches than they are with their parents. The coach is supposed to be raising these kids, not belittling them and talking to them like the world is coming to an end. ~ Ray Lewis.
Top Ray Lewis Quotes
What’s the difference between you and the man sitting beside you? It’s one percent. In my business, only one percent makes it. If everyone had the same dream, only 1 will make it from this crowd. Who will be that one? ~ Ray Lewis.
Watching the season for me is about watching the chess matches. ~ Ray Lewis.
And that’s my honor, that’s what my goal is, to always keep my mum’s name ringing, because I know what sacrifices she went through for me. ~ Ray Lewis.
God has never made a mistake. Ever. ~ Ray Lewis.
I don’t care where we’re going; I’m gonna wear a suit all day, every day. ~ Ray Lewis.
My game is me. I didn’t try to pattern my game after nobody. ~ Ray Lewis.
No coach who is coaching kids should ever curse a kid. ~ Ray Lewis.
You can’t take no breaks. ~ Ray Lewis.
Will you be remembered, how would you be remembered, why wouldn’t you fight for the greatest achievement ever? ~ Ray Lewis.
If tomorrow wasn’t promised, what would you give for today? ~ Ray Lewis.
The greatest opportunity in the world is found here today… We already know what yesterday has got for us. It’s already gone. Tomorrow, too far away. What about right now! ~ Ray Lewis.
Only a fool trips on what’s behind them. ~ Ray Lewis.
There’s some things you can cover up. And there’s some things you can’t. ~ Ray Lewis.
I’ve got kids that are always watching and I taught them to always finish something you started. ~ Ray Lewis.
It’s simple: when God is for you, who can be against you? ~ Ray Lewis.
Popular Ray Lewis Quotes
You have to find that place that is very quiet in your head, and anytime I read it, anytime I come across it, my Bible, the first Scripture in there is Psalms 91. ~ Ray Lewis.
Coaching is something I’ve been a part of my entire life. One of the things I’ve always been very passionate. ~ Ray Lewis.
With the mindset that I give everything I’ve got for the man that’s next to me, not me, cause I know what I got while I’m by myself, but when I step on the field, when I step on the turf, what am I willing to sacrifice? ~ Ray Lewis.
Parents needs to spend more time with who they’re trusting their kids with. That’s one of the nuggets going forward. Find out who these coaches are. Figure out their environment and what kind of problems they have, and see if you want your child involved with that. ~ Ray Lewis.
In an era that’s run on free agency, everybody’s going where the dollars are. They go after the dollars and they forget that the game will always come down to brotherhood. ~ Ray Lewis.
Don’t waste talent. No matter what you do, don’t waste talent. ~ Ray Lewis.
Sometimes I have no idea what’s going on. ~ Ray Lewis.
It’s a bad place when you see sometimes how coaches treat people. I don’t even want to say players. I want to say people. They’re people before they become a player. ~ Ray Lewis.
When you think about Peyton Manning, you think about numbers. When you think about Tom Brady, you think about championships. ~ Ray Lewis.
I wasn’t the biggest, the fastest, the strongest, and then I bought into something called work ethic. ~ Ray Lewis.
We’re in a tough place in this world. There are a lot of kids giving up very early. Scripture says it takes a village to raise one child, and that’s what these coaches are going to have to go back and understand. ~ Ray Lewis.
My experience tells me that well over 50%, well over, of people who volunteer for anything, the attrition rate is that high. ~ Ray Lewis.
Inspirational Ray Lewis Quotes
I didn’t like where I once was, so I promised myself I wouldn’t be back there. ~ Ray Lewis.
I have so much respect for people that are my elders. You aren’t going to hear me cursing around people that are 60 and 70 years old. ~ Ray Lewis.
With all the things I’ve been through, the No. 1 thing that I’ve learned is that we’re supposed to help people through this world. ~ Ray Lewis.
Wins and losses come a dime a dozen. But effort? Nobody can judge that. Because effort is between you and you. ~ Ray Lewis.
I’ve never stopped loving the game since day one. If it were a job to me it would be very hard for me to get up in the morning. And why leave something that you can never come back to? Realistically, whether you accept it or not, you only get one wave in this journey. Run at it as hard as you can. ~ Ray Lewis.
You gotta be hungry for it. You’ve got to put everything you got on it. Everything! Every second. You have to be the first one in line. That’s how leaders are born. ~ Ray Lewis.
What makes you grind? You have to always be chasing something. ~ Ray Lewis.
No matter the circumstances that you may be going through, just push through it. ~ Ray Lewis.
Outside of these doors, it is the real world. Someone tries to get you to do something wrong, run. ~ Ray Lewis.
The only way to defeat pain is to recognize pain exists. ~ Ray Lewis.
I would prefer to talk about what I think, not what I felt. ~ Ray Lewis.
Memorable Ray Lewis Quotes
It’s poetry to watch the game when the game is left alone, when there’s not a bunch of flags on the ground. ~ Ray Lewis.
The locker room talk is always that about who can beat who. ~ Ray Lewis.
In any war, you put your back to mine, I put my back to yours, and let’s do what we gotta do. ~ Ray Lewis.
You don’t care if I’m guilty or not. You gonna make sure I go to jail for life. ~ Ray Lewis.
Nobody’s as serious about health and fitness as me, and staying fit is my top priority. ~ Ray Lewis.
Every day of my life, I’m trying to find a different way to get better. ~ Ray Lewis.
Do whatever you got to do to make sure you chase your legacy every second of your life. ~ Ray Lewis.
When I step on the field, it’s on. I know it’s time to go to work. ~ Ray Lewis.
I figured something out. And it is no secret what I figured out. Whatever the majority of people were doing, I found myself doing the opposite. I wanted to chase something great. ~ Ray Lewis.
Effort is between you and you. ~ Ray Lewis.
My thing about camp is to come in and be who I am, which is the most dominant player in the game, that’s who I am, and that’s what I’m here for. ~ Ray Lewis.
My goals were clear. My actions were in line with that goal. ~ Ray Lewis.
We get one opportunity in life, one chance at life to do whatever you’re going to do, and lay your foundation and make whatever mark you’re going to make. Whatever legacy you’re going to leave; leave your legacy! ~ Ray Lewis.
One thing about God’s will, you can never see God’s will before it happens. You can only see at the end of it. ~ Ray Lewis.
Motivational Ray Lewis Quotes
You can talk about what you see from the outside; it’s hard to tell me who I am when you’re just looking at me with a football uniform on. That’s a totally different person. That’s my job, that’s it. ~ Ray Lewis.
When you try to help people become a better person, you’re going to have to find out what’s really going in their world. ~ Ray Lewis.
If you clean your body out so that it is not fighting against you, you rest better, think better and you’re always light on your feet. ~ Ray Lewis.
If there’s something in your life that you know needs changing, make sure you change it before God’s got to change it. Because if God’s got to change it, you ain’t going to like it. ~ Ray Lewis.
When you see tears in my eyes, you see it’s not about the wins or the losses, It’s about the opportunity. ~ Ray Lewis.
A leader puts himself last then he sticks out. ~ Ray Lewis.
Some people take certain things and they try to forget what that pain felt like. I don’t. I take that same pain and I chase it every time I walk in a weight room. ~ Ray Lewis.
So these were the 120 top Ray Lewis quotes and sayings about life, being fearless and football.
If you like these quotes and sayings, then you can also read my other posts on Ida B Wells quotes and DaBaby quotes.
