[Music] I [Music] [Music] hey real quick um sorry I've lost my voice a little bit but we are raffling this off so it's an autographed Banner of Ray Lewis if you see our volunteers with the little baskets uh they are roaming around the room they've got their hands up right now so if you want to buy a raffle ticket to buy the banner I know we've got some hands over here on the left side uh if you want to buy some raffle tickets we will be raffling this off towards the end of the meeting so you can start now throughout the meeting just find one of our volunteers we'll be raffling this off towards the end of the meeting car [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] n [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] take [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] la [Music] [Music] for [Music] all right check check check check checko where's uh I need a I need a a Ray Lewis napkin to W off my sweat because I'm going to be sweating really I can tell right now here we go listen if Ray Lewis can use a sweat towel at his Hall of Fame induction I can use one today I'm not I'm not apolog yeah please turn on that fan I've already used my joke on uh Ry that uh yeah I used to be a linebacker now I'm a defensive lineman he agreed um it's all it's all good we're going to go and get started I know there's some folks still going through the line uh everyone is in for a treat today had a chance to visit with Ray a little bit earlier and I'm just going to tell you we have had some amazing guests here over the years the best of the best I mean last week was Brett Favre we've had pton Manning Mike dicka you know we've had so many but I'm GNA tell you Ray Lewis is going to be a hoot I want to try to get as much time as I can with him um I've tried to do as much research like I did for Brett fav Rex I think I'm probably a b b to a minus on Ray's book report if I had to submit it so uh and yes he does still look like he can play but he's a little bit younger than me that's okay he's already let me know that he threw the shot put further than me in high school thanks Ray amongst other things uh it is great to have everybody here this is week three did you guys enjoy Brett Favre last week did you think it was great so not only do we have uh Ray today we have Eric Dickerson next week and uh of course Eric Dickerson was doing nil before there was nil we all knew it we all knew it Ray we knew about that TransAm I knew it but I didn't play in the pros but I played in the pros again in college for sure um great to have you on our 20th season here at the touchdown club we can't do it without you guys people are talking about this touchdown Club all over the country saying you know how are they doing it they were doing it because you're showing up you're buying tickets you're our sponsors all the things together so it's going to be a fun day today and I hope you just enjoy I always talk about being in the moment being the moment I'm tell you you're going to be inspired from what you're here today I'm just telling you you're going to be Inspire from what you hear today it's going to be some really good stuff uh and plus Razer backs win 70 to nothing I mean my gosh I mean you can't do much better than that nothing against our good friends at uapb but that was a great way to go I think Debbie let's go ahead and do this right now you already have it all right Ray Lewis signed uh as you can see the picture over there Ray we've been doing this for 20 years and you have the most intimidating looking poster we've ever had or picture that we've ever had he signed that uh and we're giving that away as a raffle today the lucky winner is and this you just put it outside your front door and keep away all the bad people right um 973 268 973 268 do we have a winner 973 though listen that's that's why I want to hear some emotion yeah it's exactly right that's right congratulations uh before we bring up the pig skin preacher I did want to mention two weeks ago we lost darl Mason my old teammate who played for the Razer backs great tight end played at Park View played for a little bit in the NFL uh but now we lost Billy Moore and uh you most of you remember Billy Moore the only All-American quarterback Arkansas has ever had Reay you would have love Billy Moore you talking about a personality uh when he was a player back you know in in the old days and then even now as when he as an adult he was just the craziest good heartest guy one of the most unique personalities you ever met we we lost him at at age 84 died last Thursday so keep his family in your prayers and uh just what a neat person he was Rex you know just just really a one-of-a-kind kind of deal and Ray that's the kind of teammate listen I love playing with teammates who were different and fun and crazy and had confidence and he had it till the day he died he's really amazing guy so pixin will you come up listen a word of Prayer David might I say it's about time that you got a preacher on this lineup we got preacher Ray with us today not many preachers though with two Super Bowl wins and 2,000 career tackles but Ray glad to have you with us let's pray together father what a wonderful occasion it is to come together with family and friends and to be able to celebrate life in the wonderful world that you've given us and with the changing of the seasons we honor you and give you glory we're thankful father for the great game of football football for the lessons that are learned for the young men that strive and and uh are such a good example to us and father we're thankful for our speaker today that Ray could be with us we pray your blessings on his ministry his work and the many good things he does in the community father we're mindful of the mo family at this time as well with the passing of Billy we pray that you give them peace and comfort and and a special sense of your presence father we're grateful for the health that we have for the food that we've eaten and we pray your blessings on the further exercises of this meeting in Jesus name we pray amen pig skin are you okay with the Michigan uh close call with h Fresno State we're gonna get beat this week we're gonna get beat this week by Texas is what he said no we don't want that we don't want that um as I mentioned Ray Lewis uh and some of the greats we've had here in the past you know I mentioned Brett fav was one of the he was the first guy to go 70,000 yards I think he was the first guy to go 500 touchdowns first now some of those have been broken since then but our guest to my left is still right now the alltime in the history of the NFL the all-time tackle leader and individual tackles and combined tackles and Ray I don't think the only guy that that is even in it's even still playing is Wagner Bobby Wagner right now he's and he's he's 500 tackles away from you and I think he's getting ready to hang it up so you're looking at what could arguably be the greatest defensive player in the history of this game that we love so much so that's why I'm saying let's enjoy what we have today and appreciate it can't wait to hear what he's going to say and yes you do I think you're a reverend I think your mom's a reverend I think you know so we he may start preaching it today I'm not really sure we remind everybody to mute your phones uh you can tell everybody you can text everybody that can watch this on uh LR touchdown. comom my Arkansas pbs.com our touchdown Club YouTube page Facebook Twitter and 1037 the Buzz Live will be carrying Ray speech live across the state do want to acknowledge our sponsors real quick got a lot of great sponsors Simmons Bank Ray was over there talking with uh Freddy black and Chris White we couldn't do it without you guys could not do what we do without you thank you so much always brag to our guest speakers 27 billion in Assets in case you want to try to get a loan uh they got plenty to give uh so thank you the Simmons Bank had Freddy on the buzz this morning talking about the great tournament coming up in October um also Stevens want to thank Stevens for their sponsorship Rex this starting this Thursday morning Mayhem where's Roger we will be at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts with that F1 with the F1 card why listen they've never had a radio show like ours going to the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts uh but it's going to be it's called beyond the F1 circuit art art Artistry and speed with Williams Racing they actually have a racing car an F1 racing car Formula 1 as well as a a race suit helmet all the things they sponsor Williams Racing in Europe and so they're proud to bring it over here it's one of a kinds never been done before so it's September 5th through the 22nd we started off with morning Mayhem so we hope you join us and make it make put it on your calendar to get by there September 5th through the 22nd at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts thanks to Stevens for doing that also want to thank oaklan Hot Springs uh right off the bat I'm two of three on my first three picks follow me on the thank you follow me on the Sports app uh those stinking Ohio State Buckey were the only ones that cost me I won't I won't wager on them again but anyway it's going to be a lot of fun uh download the okl sports app in the Apple App Store the Google Play $1,000 bonus bets if you're a new customer so uh come along and be a part of that with me this year it's going to be a lot of fun thanks to the F folks here at oaklon appreciate Wayne and Zach and the boys uh for their support of the touchdown club right Lindsay and Jennings uh Antoine Phillips is here today A key member of their Sports law team uh one of only two agents in the state of Arkansas certified by the NB NBA Players Association highly respected litigator and also uh Rex he's a City Board member a director at large how about that Anton where are you at great to see you where you at there he's doing he's in court of course he doesn't show up where it go I just bragged on him for nothing thank you Antoine no he's really great great guy great attorney great great folks over at right Lindsay and Jennings thank you crane Automotive dealership I do want to thank the the crane folks last week you guys bought 500 tickets for kids to be a part of that game against uapb and I thought that's worth a round of applause yes thank you Christian crane did that that was a great idea and great to see all you guys here you managed to take time uh to be here today we appreciate you appreciate what you guys have had 20 dealerships across the state a th employees you know Crane's team's got them but thank you for that great gift you did last week Sissy's law cab been 54 years in the business Bill and Sher Jones Jim englehorn Pine Bluff Little Rock West Little Rock Jonesboro Memphis because life is too short for ordinary jewelry great to have you guys as always thank you for being here and supporting the touchdown Club double be Steve lle Ed light we appreciate that 3 34 locations throughout Central Arkansas I Ray Lewis wouldn't eat eat there but I would hot delies and pizza gas it grab it and go Summerwood Sports great to see the Hendrick family right here lot of exciting things happening there but we want to talk about Summerwood sports today one of the greatest sports complexes in America right there in Bryant your next practice training session or birthday party they do great work uh the Hendricks family is one of the best roller funeral homes ronard Jenkin berer we appreciate uh her support of the touchdown Club 24 locations across the state they do an amazing job with families at a very tough time Advantage Service Company Kevin Brooks our GM 35 years in the business they do HVAC Plumbing electrical needs you name it where's Kevin act great to appreciate Kevin and their support the aranso Democrat Gazette Wally Hall and Amanda uh Copley so we'll do our our first all Arkansas preps player next week do we know who maybe would be the uh who might be the winner for next week lot of good high school performances this past week we'll have that next week but thanks for the Democrat gazette's support the Hatcher agcy Twin City limo Greg Hatcher Elaine Hatcher Greg son got a chance to to visit with with uh Ray before he came in today much respect because I might y'all may not know this but Ray Lewis was a state champion wrestler and so yes exactly right state champion wrestler and Lan Hatcher he was a four-time state champion and um and you know what a difference that makes made in your life Ray and but thanks to Greg thanks to Lane appreciate the Hatcher family and uh what they do listen they do so much behind the scenes for the touchdown club we thank them and Twin City limo and popey for their work Simmons Bank Arena we got Dwight Yom on Friday September 13th Theo Von September 26 uh jelly roll and more you just need to go to the Simmons Bank Arena website Michael Mary and Janet George Michael should be happy because Mississippi State won well this won big this weekend but thanks to Simmons M Arina palaska County Farm Bureau Todd Dennis and Steven rer appreciate all their help I give them a shot at your business at uh for their for your business 75 years of excellent service War Memorial Stadium uh thanks to John latch and Mark Pike and the Gang it was fun to have a celebration of 70 to nothing war memorial the grand old lady and then come back the next night and have the salt bow there appreciate them Arkansas Urology uh Dr Caleb man is here representing archar Urology been there since 2004 appreciate their help guys go please go get checked please go get checked make it be a thing every year please get check checked thanks to Chris jip uh it's the 20th annual countdown to Men's Health so take advantage of what they're offering 1037 the buzz uh Ray just got a chance to visit with Justin AE and DJ WIlliams we appreciate them and my buddy Roger Scott appreciate the support of the touchdown club and just aore uh and the support they give as well as Josh Neighbors in the whole morning show and the whole station Terry Mayhan as well Arkansas uh ay media ay Magazine Arkansas money and politics we still have a few of these magazines really proud of these thanks to Heather Baker for her support thank you heather appreciate that so much uh Arkansas PBS Ray we're all over the state we're the only touchdown Club in America you know this is not one of those clubs you know a lot of times Ry will get speaking engagements that are big corporate deals but what this is this is a local deal Ray this is a bunch of local businesses coming together to be able to present these kind of awards at the end of the season recognize our high school and college players that's what we're here for and so uh and nobody streams all all the meetings like we do with Arkansas PBS we appreciate them are being on 1037 the bus and that's why everybody in America who talks to me and go how are you guys doing at the touchdown Club every day we try to get better R how can we do something that nobody else has done so we appreciate Arkansas PBS for what you guys do for us each week the Double Tree Hotel outstanding what they do in this room every week JF media in marketing Alicia Flynn Jeremy Flynn our social media is outstanding uh appreciate them and special thank to Patrick schik today behind the scenes Patrick uh really helped out you takes guys like Greg Hatcher and Patrick schik and Sims bank and Stephen everybody in here to to get a guy like Ray Lewis here so I want to say thanks to them let's give a big round of applause to all those sponsors I know it's a long list but Ray we got to have them you know Ray you got to have them man you can't do it without sponsors you can't do it without sponsors can't do without great teamwork Dwayne Duncan taking uh pictures for us for over 10 years Chris Kane and R.J Hawk at the head table the future of the touchdown Club Ray we have the best volunteer group in America nobody has as many people volunteering they get here at 9:30 and Debbie wman is our executive director let's give a big round of applause to Debbie and all of our volunteers and we're going to have an abbreviated weekend in revieww because not all the schools played but uh uh Ray wait till you hear this guy he may rival your energy he may rival your energy but uh it is great to have Ray back Rex back and he's excited about it all the GAC uh uh games will be next week but let's give it up for Rex Nelson everybody thanks David boy what a first great weekend of college football starting on Thursday games running all the way through last night it was really a fun week and how about being able to to see all four of our NCAA division one teams in person over a three-day period And I know all of you were at both games in person following my sermon last week so I'm just taking that for granted we're going to start in Jonesboro because that is a game that is going to be discussed and debated for years I'm so glad I was there uh just a remarkable last few minutes of the game in case you missed it Arkansas State blew a 2710 fourth quarter lead as uca's offense really came alive down the stret sh Derek pal rushed for 182 yards on 15 carries for the Bears in that game he went 82 yards for a score with 1338 left to cut that lead to 277 bear stop the red wolves and they cut the lead to 2724 as quarterback will melvan connects on a 23 yd touchdown with 1033 left the final UCA Drive begins at the red wolf 35 with 143 left after the Bears recover a fumble by asu's fine quarterback Jaylen rer and then pal completes a halfback pass great call down to the four Darius hail scores on the next play UCA leads 31-7 with just 55 seconds left in the game ASU starts at its 30 70 yards to go 55 seconds to get there they're down to possibly their last play fourth and four with 20 20 seconds left Rainer completes a 42 yd pass to Cory Rucker at the UCA 22 then jaquil cross catches a pass at the seven and then the play was it or wasn't it Rainer finds Rucker with three seconds left for the ASU win Rucker had nine receptions for 182 yards I tell you the skill people on both of those teams teams are great this is a UCA team that could go a long way in the FCS playoffs and I think ASU will be back in a bowl game again this year very very impressed and it was great for Arkansas to see two of our Arkansas teams play a game like that all right we'll back up to Thursday at War Memorial Stadium 7 to nothing Arkansas as David said 10 touchdowns in 10 possessions Bobby patrino is back ton green 3177 total yards and four TDS and that was just in the first half largest margin since a 73 to nothing 1928 win over what is now roads College in Memphis it's the first shutout since the 23 nothing went over Tulsa back in 2018 687 yards of total offense for the Hogs eight rushing touchdowns all of them by newcomers six different newcomers scored touchdowns on the ground now I want you to let this percolate for a second last season Arkansas had nine rushing touchdowns in 12 games they now have eight after one game just one behind that Arkansas seven transfer new comers started for the Hogs and we'll know a lot more after the game in Stillwater this week by the way Arkansas's alltime record now at War Memorial Stadium 15462 and4 alltime record in Little Rock 17168 and five and I know there are those who say uh boy you you just don't need to be playing in another city well there's something to be said for being unique and no no team in college football at any level has ever played as many games in another city as the Arkansas program has 244 games have been played here in Little Rock through the years it's a great tradition there are smarter people than me working on it but we need to see that tradition continue believe me all right let's get to the SEC this going to be quick quick run through SEC number one Georgia 34 Clemson 3 on Saturday in Atlanta a game away from their campus imagine that uh 34-3 over Clemson Carson Beck throws for 278 yards two touchdowns Georgia Leed only six to nothing at the halftime of that game but boy they look like number one in the second half another Thursday night game Saw Missouri beat Murray State 51 to nothing how about those canes Ray Miami 41 W Florida 177 in the swamp cam Ward through for 385 yards and three touchdowns in that game and you know I know it's still early but I got this sense that Billy Napier at Florida and Mike norell at Florida State may be on David's list of potential speakers for next year we'll see we'll see possibly on that list Texas 52 Colorado State nothing is Quinn ERS pass for 260 yards and three touchdowns Alabama 63 Western Kentucky nothing as jayen milro ran for two TDS and pass for three more oh miss 76 to nothing over Ferman as Jackson Dart threw five touchdown passes Notre Dame 23 Texas A&M 13 Aggies are going to be Aggies aren't they the go-ahead score for the Irish came with 154 left in that game Tennessee 693 over Chattanooga how about vanderbelt 34 to 27 over Virginia Tech in overtime South Carolina 23 Old Dominion 19 they had to struggle a bit Mississippi State 56 to7 over Eastern Kentucky Auburn 73 to three over Alabama A&M Kentucky 31 to nothing over Southern Miss Oklahoma 51-3 over Temple and USC in our Sunday night game that I know most of you watch 27-2 over LSU in Las Vegas Woody Mark scores on a 13 yd run with 8 seconds left to win that game for the Trojans now this week of course in the SEC we've got Arkansas at Oklahoma State that's the 11 a.m. game get up early on ABC South Florida at Alabama California at Auburn Sanford at Florida Tennessee Tech at Georgia South Carolina at Kentucky in the only conference game Nicholls at LSU Middle Tennessee at Old Miss Mississippi State at Arizona State Buffalo at Missouri Houston at Oklahoma Tennessee at North Carolina State and Texas at Michigan that's on Fox at 11:00 a.m. going to have to be flipping over from the hall game to check that one that should be a good game MC niece at Texas A&M and alorn state at vanderbel as David says our GSC home of the defending national champion in division two in Harding University they crank up on Thursday night games so you have an opportunity to go out and you really ought to do it here in the state we've got Southern Nazarene at Harding Southwestern Oklahoma at wash Oklahoma Baptist at Arkansas Tech and Northwestern okah Oklahoma at UAM Harding's number one in the preseason in division 2 wto's number 19 Henderson's getting votes Southern Arkansas getting votes so four of our six Arkansas teams either in the pole are getting votes D2 footballs at the best level I've ever seen it in our state and then Saturday we've got Arkansas Baptist at uapb and Tulsa at Arkansas State in Jonesboro in what should be a good game so you know what that means right games in Cersei Arkadelphia Russellville Monella Pine Bluff and Jonesboro no excuses get your butt off the couch and go out and see a college football game this week thanks everybody see Ray there's a lot of sweat between me and and Rex up here it's going to be really drippy up here uh all right uh I wanted to mention a couple of people real quick before we bring up re uh my buddy Don gam happy birthday over there to you my friend good to see you you're still a young man also too you know a majority in 20 years I've been booking guest here at the touchdown club we booked about 250 I I book about 98% by myself but occasionally I need some help uh like today with Ray Lewis next week with Eric Dickerson and there's a an agent here today that's a president of a direct Sports link I don't know where he's at right now but I want to give a round of applause to a guy that's helped us out he loves our touchdown Club get up for Ward heedley everybody where's W out you w are you somewhere in here he's out there he's he's he's probably working another deal Ray uh also Ray you have two friends that are with you here today two business associates two close friends first is uh Heather in uh Heather in angelis where's Heather at right there so Heather is a business partner with Ray and I won't we forgive her that she's a big Oregon Ducks fan uh but please welcome Heather and jealous everybody for being here with Ray and also uh uh one of your dear friends business partner you name it uh this guy is a three War veteran uh he had headline to finding Mi missions and in between the Gulf War Afghanistan and Iraq if that wasn't enough this guy comes back Ray in between those that those duties comes back and becomes a law enforcement official for Baltimore he's been in law enforcement for Baltimore for 15 20 years I'm tell you you can't get much more of a hero than that to fighting three Wars because I asked him today I said which is tougher the three Wars are coming back having to deal with people in Baltimore I don't know Baltimore very well I don't I don't know uh but what an amazing hero and I'm glad you brought him let's give it up for Larry Armwood everybody thanks for being here Larry yeah listen that's listen that is worth a standing ovation a guy who's fought three Wars here let's give it up for Larry Armwood everybody my goodness and he's a detective for the Baltimore Police [Music] Department all right it is time to uh to uh to bring up Ray really excited there's so much you know you get guys like P Manning and Brett Favre and a guy like Ray Lewis there's so many different directions to go because there's so many intrical parts of your life Ray that could have gone a different direction and uh but you said one of the things you always say God didn't make mistakes he doesn't make mistakes and uh listen you know you know you know he's number 52 and you know why he chose that right cuz 53 was already taken just saying I'm kidding I'm kidding he already had to shame me and say that he threw the shot further than me in high school so he's one up on me already today in in addition to a lot of others uh Ray listen you are one busy guy because you have he's doing so many things in the community and you're an entrepreneur doing so many business things so first of all you know you didn't have to agree to come here and I don't know what w said to you but but I we appreciate you taking time to be here today oh man thank you guys for having me seriously I told you I've been to Arkansas I think U quickly yeah very quickly Quick Trip in and out yeah all people were asking you know we had an experience with Miami versus Arkansas that nobody wants to remember at war memorial back in the'80s oh boy that was Jimmy Johnson paying back Frank bres for not hiring him we all remember that I think it was 57 to7 but you weren't part of that because you played at Miami from 1993 to 1995 um sometimes you have to ask Ry you got to think you know you're a kid that was born in BTO Florida grew up in Lakeland and here you are all these years later uh you're speaking in front of a group of strangers in Little Rock Arkansas uh your life you have to sometimes looking that go it's it is an amazing miracle that happened cuz we're going to we're going to sort of dive into how it started yeah I mean I think it's amazing um because of my mother like she was just so people ask me all the time like who's my hero you know Sports hero whoever I got one hero like my mom is my hero you know like she's the rock of the vision and never giving up and never giving in and and me traveling around the world to speak one of the ironies of that is I was as a kid I stuttered really bad so I was bullied a lot I know you look at me now I like nobody's going to bully him right back then I was bullied a lot you know and I us just stuttered so bad and I just couldn't get my words out and uh one of the first times my coach he was like you have so much to say say it and I was like I don't coach I can't speak in front of the team so I ended up speaking in front of the team and next thing you know it's kicks off it's like you got to speak every week you know and then I'm like okay great but uh yeah man I'm telling you like stuttering really helped me actually activate what I didn't know was available yeah yeah so that's yeah it's crazy uh I didn't think about this till I saw this graphic and you know I I didn't tip Ray off to this but I'm going to throw it out there and see if our audience the first to get it the city of Little Rock has a connection a really strong sports connection with the city of B Baltimore and what is it can you put that the graphic up there look at there so this was just I just happened to see this this is Baltimore's Mount Rushmore there's Ray there's Johnny Unitus there's K Ripkin Jr and who is that Brooks Robinson so I don't know if you ever got a chance Brooks Robinson's from Little Rock one of the greatest third Batman of all time but that's a pretty good Mount Rushmore yeah that's a really good Mount Rushmore I don't know how I get on that one yeah listen you deserve to be on there but I can I tell you Rex I just had really not thought about that but he's a legendary Baltimore Oro maybe the greatest of all time um let's go back to before we do that I didn't think it's funny we have a lot of speakers that we do headshots for uh I need to show some of the pictures that I was looking for head shot for Ray this is what I had to choose for that was one that's the one we chose that's the linebacker look at that there's another one yeah that's listen that's the linebacker yes and even at the hall of fame even at your Hall of Fame you're doing it you've got that crazy look even at the hall of fame uh but that's the way you play you play with emotion uh you're an emotional guy and and that's way you do it it's life yeah I don't think it's the game I think the game has his own fabric to it I think that is just the same kid that still lives in me to this day that that passion Never Dies man like I'm passionate in everything you know my mom says calm down when you talking to me Mom my mother says that too you hear that Mom I got an out here right because you said she says even now she says that to you like Mom you don't have to speak me like that you know um let's let's look at this picture you you were born on May 15th 1975 this is this is a baby Ray right here so this is one of you know I try to do my research and right off the bat Ray I was like wow this is an interesting story that your mom was was she 15 or 16 15 she was 15 years old when she had you uh Dad wasn't around while she was going through the pregnancy and and she was in the hospital didn't have enough money really to to take care of business and get youall out of there so she asked a a good friend of hers who happened to have the name of Ray Lewis yeah he was a military guy and asked if if if he would put his name for you yeah and maybe help you know be able to pay the bills getting out of the hospital and that's how you became Ry leou which something you didn't know for for many years yeah yeah put that picture back up right quick though let me tell you guys a little story about that picture put that baby picture back up so I was so ugly as a baby my mother actually used my son's picture oh that's that's not you that's not you I'm telling you my mom my mom would never show a picture of me as a kid is that right is that right I thought that was you my mom my mom hid me in bed she did she used she used your your son's picture I'm not I'm not supposed to tell that story so I'm going to get it when I get home trust me but my mom I was like M the first time I I said M that's not me she said I know that's not you I can't show nobody you so it broke my heart that's that's crazy no but it's uh you know I tell you what like you don't you don't realize like the value of a name until you don't have one you know and so long story short like you know he like ma why don't I have the name that the family has like why don't I have nobody else's name in the entire family and Pastor you know if you go biblical God changed certain names for a reason that he wanted to do something with them so God had plans for me way before me and so for me I wanted to go on this journey to find out okay where does my name where where where's where do I come from da D and I did a lot of homework most of my family is Nigerian I'm probably 73% Nigerian and then I started looking for my forefathers and I started looking for my grandfather looking for my father and looking for this and I never forget in 11th grade I was standing in the in the uh carport and my father my actual real father had changed my name to Ray Anthony Jackson but at this time I was living in a place of hate which is not a good place for us to ever Liv I was living in a place of hated and so I took the pit took the paper and I burned it and I was like I would never walk in his name a man that would never come back to see his son to hold his son to touch his son to love his son but I did make Ray Lewis that day and I shook Ray Le's hand and I told him thank you and I promise to make your name great so for me I took someone else's identity and created my own purpose through creating a god identity so no like the only the only bloodline that's connected to Lewis it's me and my five kids now that my son passed last year but me and my five kids and my two granddaughters so when I tell you when God recreates something you can't St in the storm sometimes because the storm may introduce This Disaster but on the other side of that God says well done my good and faithful servant you know so yeah yeah yeah well well sad so uh growing up your your mom has some more kids and she immediately makes you be the man of the house let's show a couple pictures of young Ray in the neighborhood here uh and I know that's Ray right there so that's man them short short my goodness um and then let's let's see the on surrounded by I think most of these are your siblings so that's Ray the top right and I I guess those are your siblings right May y That's my two twin sisters that's my baby sister in my hand that's my baby brother so I'm the oldest of five from my mom and then I'm the oldest of 10 from my father so I'm the oldest out of everybody but that's my mom's yeah L and your your mom basically told you I guess at age 10 maybe eight or nine or 10 it says because she was working multiple jobs she goes you're the the oldest I need you to be the man of the house at at age 8 nine 10 whatever yeah have to do everything for the kids yeah there's some old school mothers in this room that understand this and I think would love to appreciate this because their kids need to go back to this my mom took everything away from me and my mom told me don't ever go outside you can't go away from this yard you must stay in this house I'mma teach you I'mma teach you how to cook clean fold braid wash iron everything that you're not supposed to learn you're gonna learn right I don't I don't have time for you to be a child baby Ray I need you to be a man and I looked at her and I was like sounds like a lot so and and honestly like I've never in my entire life I've never told my mom no I've told her maybe but I've never said no and that for me was was what our relationship was it's what it is today that's why my mom lives with me to this day like what she gives me what she gave me then I promise you is the reason why I am who I am today right uh you mentioned yeah another words worth another round of applause so the first gentleman that stepped in Ray Lewis stepped in former military guy stepped in I'll give you my name name I have military benefits that'll that'll help your mom pay the bills the next gentleman I think really changed the course of your life and I know there's some people in this room I have so many much respect for these guys Ray because I talk about them because I'm not that guy but there was a uh your mom had told you you would not play play football and so one day you were at a a practice at at the uh the lake Lake City Lumberjacks Lakeland Lumberjack Lakeland lake I'm sorry Lakeland Lumberjacks and there was a guy named biscuit he was coach biscuit so coach biscuit came over and said hey man I want you to play football and and you told him really quick ain't going to happen because because your mom so tell tell us what happened with Coach biscuit and what he did and how he changed the trajectory of your life as far as sport of football yeah well you know when you're from the country like where I'm from you name your kids after foods and everything DN thing right and so my the the two coaches was named head and biscuit right so so uh I'm out there and every day I used to be out there you know Mom your at a rule you couldn't go but so far away from the house but the football practice was literally right across the street so when Mom would go in the house I would sneak over there and just sit outside the gate right and I would just sit there and just watch these practices practice after practice practice after practice and then the coach walks up to me one day and he says why why don't you play football and I was like ah how much does it cost he said $15 I said we do not have no $15 to play no football he he was like well you got a mom or dad I said n my mom he says can I speak to your mom I said heck no you ain't going to speak to no black woman who broke like we broke like we have nothing you don't want to talk to her and then he was like no let me talk to her so man I'm telling you I walked him in the house and literally I sprinted back out of the house I was like I don't want to hear nothing like I don't know how this is going to go so I stayed outside about two hours just playing in the front yard and then he came back and he was like your mom said yes and I'm going give you the $15 and my mom came out she came on the porch she said and you still got to take your brothers and sisters to the nursery you still got to do this you still got to take CH I said Ma how I'm gonna do all that and play football well you're not playing football I was like okay I'll do all of that she said okay you can play football that's not only did he I think I I I saw where play the 15 bucks I think your mom has said he's got to drop you he's got to pick you up after practice and drop you off every she she did nothing so my mom my mom and when I say nothing like she she made it a point this is not my job this is what you want to do you got to take care of it so my mom actually made it to one game my entire childhood um we had a my mom had a tough time raising five kids she had a tough time and uh so the first game we ever played in um I got a reverse and I ran the reverse back 85 yards I got the last jersey they had number 85 the numbers was tall off anyway and uh but I was so grateful and I always just have it and I wore up under I wore it up under my shirts every day like literally every day to school because that's the only shirt I had and then I remember running with the ball and I remember giving the ball to my mom and the ref was like we're gonna need that you know I'm sorry you know I thought this is what we do and uh and and then you know every then ever since then um from from 1985 since I was 10 years old my mom worked three jobs and she always just said baby do your best I can't make it and and then so I was like okay and then my mom came to me a few years later and she was like she was like Junior baby I can't afford you like I just can't like you got to go stay with your grandmother I said mom please don't put me out please don't don't she was like I got to so I jumped around years from like from 10 to like 16 17 until my mom got back on her feet I stayed with my great-grandmother I stayed with my grandmother and I would get picked up every weekend by my uncles they would pick me up just to drop me off at Midway point and I mean literally I was doing this with one pair of shoes one shirt one one pair of cargo pants and uh but I never I never lost faith in what my mom always told me she used to always say it's going to be better it's going to be better and so while I was going through all of that I was like the difference I think the difference of me and and what I tell people about pain or distractions or detours is you still have a choice inside of each and every one of those you have a choice and it's your choice to choose and if you choose the path that's that's giv to you then okay you can choose it but then if you want to change it change it so mentally I was I was the person that wanted to change it I wanted to break the stereotypes of selling drugs or or or becoming a gang member or or disrespecting your mom I've never disrespected my mom in my life it's always been yes ma'am no ma'am yes sir no sir and so then when I finally got to 15 16 years old my mom says I can afford you again she said you can come back home and I was like all right go back home man shoot a year later I was like m i I got a vision and this is where I tell kids if you have a vision you have to explain this Vision to your mom and your parents you can't just go live the vision because without them knowing it it's a very hard thing without having their prayers to back you so I wanted my mom my mom's a pastor been a pastor most of her life and she SE SE life one way you come to my mom with a problem I don't care what it is Mom I'm broke ask Jesus mom I'm hungry ask Jesus mama I want something I want to ask you ask Jesus I'm like ma this ain't Jesus conversation this is us like can we talk you know it's like but and and you know and I think honestly like the difference and this is kind of what I said on the radio the the difference of of understanding what Integrity actually represents or character it's not what you have it's not what you can give it's actually what you can actually push through and when you get on the other side of that my mom was waiting for me on the other side of that which gave me a certain pass to never worry about failing so I stopped thinking about failure I stopped saying I can't and I will when I do it so everybody around me at this time 16 16 years old they was like this boy crazy like I'm telling you this boy has lost his mind he has this Vision that he's going to make all this money and he's going to be in in the NFL and I was like I'm crazy for thinking this so I come in the house and I tell my grandparents and I tell everybody I'm done eating fried foods I'm done eating sugary drinks you know what they told me you a starve great but seriously it became a lifestyle so when I started to do what I do from from 10 to 16 I'm 49 years old my partners to tell you I got the same routine that I had then because every young athlete that's in this audience Sports will end one day but life as a man is always continuing and what you want to be and who you want to be and how you want to be defined that's that's based off what you actually come through everybody's been through many storms and so for me man I stopped I stopped being the bully I stopped letting people bully me right so this last guy never forget this last guy it was so bad but this last guy he just wanted to fight me so bad and I was like bro I don't want to fight so he like punched me three times in the mouth you know and I'm like just taking it Taking It taking it and when I tasted that blood the last time I was like man this is so bad like what I'm about to do to him but I'mma make it like really quick so when I start slamming him on his head then I was like okay I'm done fighting forever yeah well that's the interesting because you go through those years as a kid seeing your mom go through some domestic abuse you you you did that and you contined to mature as a young man and all you get to high school yeah uh Kathleen High School right Kathleen High School show the picture of uh of of Ry uh if we can Anita uh let's see I think it's there he is so that's so that's young Ray right there is starting to fill out that's the football player that could do a little bit of everything yeah and then also show the wrestling photo if you have I think that's uh photo number 10 so you told me I said I thought your record was 80 80 and 10 but you were correcting me see you said 89 and 10 yeah I'm always being keep going so you found out your dad had had all the state records or all the records at school and you had that was a motivation that you were going to break every record he had cuz he wasn't around yeah and so you you had that you had that going for you wrestling and then you were ready to to make it happen in football yeah so I had to live in the garage because the the man my Mom married was he hated me so I had to live in the garage and so on the garage I found out that my father was the best wrestler athlete at my same high school and I'm like wow really and so my sophomore season is when the guy by the name of Tober Bane he was my father's coach but ended up being my referee in the matches and he walks up to me as soon as I walk in and he said boy you will know what to do with this because I've hold held this for years the moment I heard about you and I grabbed the book and I opened up the book and the book was 1975 it was the year I was born and I open up the book and my father's picture is in this book and every record was under my father's name and I'm like what the freak he was that raw like God and I never forget my cousin marce Franklin said you have to wrestle and I was like let's do it I didn't know nothing about wrestling like whatsoever so I quit basketball because I thought basketball still do think it's the softest sport ever but that's just me that's just me ain't got nothing person to do with nobody's fabric of a man but I just thought you know I got kicked out because they was like you can't file people hard you know I was here them like this that hurt a little bit okay that's I wanted to feel you make sure was good but when I quit when I quit basketball I was like I'm walking out of the gym I'm like man I'm done with this man y'all crying and stuff I'm broke I I'm hungry and everybody fussing so then next thing on my wrestling coach was standing outside the cafeteria that day and he says come over here he said look in this room and I looked in that room and there was a bunch of guys in the cafeteria where we eat on sweaty wrestling mats and I'm like man I'm never doing that what are you talking about heck no and then next thing know a year later six months later my mom hit a rough spot went to stay with my grandmother and the district I address was in that District so I had to stay in that district and then I started wrestling and then I think within the first three weeks my coach said to me Stephen p I brought him to the Hall of Fame and and fathers and coaches and brothers I'm telling you if you touch more men like physically touch them and give them a word they will use it they will use it and I remember him grabbing me and he said to me I have never seen this before in my life he says you have something that nobody else has and I was like what like what is that he said you won't quit so I went through my whole sophomore season realistically I'm telling you I didn't know not one skill on wrestling I just went out there straight effort I push people so hard to just and and and my guy who we met in the back the four time quarterback the four time MVP he understands like when you go on that mat and you push a man and you push a man he got to push you back and you got to keep pushing and what somebody got to give out a breath soon right but then when you get to that point where the breath doesn't matter to where you like no I don't care about breath bro like I'm telling you I'm G to do what I want to do to you and my sophomore year I got I got all the way to State and got in the championship against State and once again it's a learning it's a learning curve and this guy hit me with a head and arm and I'm looking up at the ceiling and in our ceiling it says if you're reading this sign you're are being pinned so I was like oh my season is over then you know we got to start this again right and so I never forget the inspiration for me wanting to go at wrestling so hard um one day um I always ran home from school like I said my mom couldn't never get me from school so my coach saw me getting ready to run home from school and he says let me I'll take you home and I said okay Coach so he takes me home and he says why you he said you shivering I said coach I ain't ate in three days and he said um he said what you want to eat and I said you know coach just you know anything you know and he said okay and I went and got a 21 piece shrimp box from Chicken and Fish Country Chicken fish we called it 21 piece shrimp rocks double fries no celery applesauce on the side to remember remember it and after I got done he says where you going I said I'm going home coach you know sit in my room and I said could I go to your house he was like yeah I went in when I enter coach's house we stayed in one room for almost eight hours and he taught me everything it was to learn about wrestling on the matap and every technique and every submission hole and I became a walking weapon my junior year and I went back to wrestling and it was I had the vision of what I wanted to erase every one of my father's records until to this day without going through a longer story everyone one of his records fell to you to me about my name replaced that yeah but I but I know we're also we're also talking we're also talking about a lot of like the things that I didn't have from my father but I will tell you this my father did become my best friend before he passed you know me and my father we made that right you know so yeah so Ray Lewis becomes a state champion first ever State wrestling champion in in Kathleen High School history uh he's he's the last player offered by Dennis Ericson at Miami in 1993 he was they were there to see another player play saw Ray dominate we don't have time to get to it now but he's returning kickoffs he's running the running back they offer him a scholarship by Miami the last one should like Brett Favre last week we found out that Southern Miss was the last school to the only school to offer Brett fav scholarship and it was because somebody had changed their mind and so you get that offer to go to Miami uh and that work ethic that you heard about Lewis it didn't take long for that to be seen and I ran across this Ray this is a clip of uh your old teammate one of the the biggest movie stars in the world Dwayne Johnson otherwise is known as The Rock uh was talking with pton Manning and Eli Manning on the Manning cast and listen what he says about uh Ray Lewis and seeing him his freshman year and then after that there's a clip that that uh the rock used in his TV show called young Rock the sometimes remember if you lose your job to me you may not get it back you know he bring me up there if he want to all right the rock here's that I love it uh so you go on you're you're drafted uh obviously by the Baltimore Ravens at that time you're like who in the heck is Baltimore you know they they just they just gotten their name like three weeks before in a three weeks before yeah so aie knew some calls me we're sitting in the Miami Dolphins stadium and we're sitting there and they're like you supposed to go to 20th pick you're going to Miami going to Miami five linebackers come off the board and I'm like there's no way that these guys are better than me what the freak is going on right so I'm freaking out my agent is like trying to calm me down and next thing you know Green Bay calls and Green Bay says if you know the story about Green Bay bill bellich was at Green Bay at the time he had me the number one person on his board to take so Green Bay comes down and Green Bay says I mean Bill Bell was in Cleveland to take me on the board Green Bay calls and says we're going to take you at the 27th pick so I'm geared up I'm like I'm going from Miami to Green Bay that's tough that's tough and next thing you know I'm like sitting there just itching itching oh guys I'm telling my mom I'm like Mom we fa to go we FNA go we fa go and next thing you know Baltimore call and it was aie Newsome and aie was on the other line and he says Ray Lewis congratulations we GNA take you at the 26th pick with the Baltimore with Baltimore and I said Azie who is Baltimore I said you guys don't have a team the they just moved back to literally just moved the trucks had just arrived in town right didn't have right so I'm like we don't have a logo we don't have no colors we don't have nothing so I'm like oie you sure it's a team like he was like no no we're the old Cleveland Browns with a new Ravens to and man when I got on the phone I never forget um because Jonathan oon went the fourth pick of the draft um one of the greatest tackles of ever um and so we got we got off the plane into Baltimore and Jonathan says where did we get drafted from where like Ray like what the freak what are we doing and I never forget he he tells this story all the time I looked at him that day and I said imagine if if we're the beginning of something that lasts forever can you imagine that bro he was like no I cannot imagine that and Ray listen it took only six years later you guys win the Super Bowl fifth year the fifth year you're you're the MVP yeah and uh so you know all the things we saw in in college came out to be true proved everybody wrong and um not really wrong you were all American but but those five four or five linebackers went before you but this was something I thought was really cool too you win the Super Bowl you're the MVP uh five I think either five or six of the defensive coordinators that coached you at Baltimore gotad coaching jobs in the NFL probably because of how good your defense was in you one of them was your hero Mike single ter who we had at this club and uh the NFL I think it was NFL Network interviewed uh all these coaches and one of them was Mike single ter because Mike wanted to get into coaching so he's trying to decide should I go to Baltimore because you've already won the MVP you've already done everything and so how cool is that that you still he still had that hunger even though you had already been NFL player of the year you know Super Bowl MVP but when you got a chance for your idol to come in you wanted to absorb even more no man it was the greatest moment I think of my life as a man I would say that like it I think it done something for me as for as a man because you can achieve a lot of awards people can Crown you right right but it's it's it's something different when you're searching for the fabric of a man the essence of a man like what does that mean and I wanted to hear that from Mike singer I wanted to hear like like one of the things he if we kept going in that clip like he was screaming at me on the sideline because I knew to play right and I wanted to override the defensive coordinator you know and he was just like look at me look at me you know and I'm like I'm looking right and I'm like he was like Ray your voice you can never speak to somebody a certain way as a leader you cannot do it so then we leave the Jets game and that Monday we come in and I'm sitting in the meeting waiting for him and he's like okay listen I know I shouldn't have yelled at you but you know I thought you lost I said coach I'm not here for that I say would you would you have B Bible study with me like can you teach me how to read the bible teach me what you know I just want to be a better man I just want you to coach me on on the smallest things ever and that was my thing with Marvin Lewis that was my thing with Rex Ryan that was my thing with Coach Mike singer M Nolan now as you see I'm calling out a lot of guys who became head coaches I did not get a carrying fee from none of them but it was it was this them that I tell young guys and tell young men and my sons who I tell the most if you have an opportunity to speak to someone to grab Knowledge from them that's your duty to do that and so for me it became this thing that I wanted all knowledge that every coach had stored in their head I wanted to know everything I wanted to know every check I wanted to know every player I want to know every position I want to know why you called this why you call this on second down why you call this on third down give me all of it and Man by the time we got to the half of the year he says I'm serious if I was ever as serious in in the game than you was he said I thought I was a student of the game until I actually started to see how you see the game and so the game was starting to become so slow to me ladies and gentlemen that I started to started to see things that wasn't even happening I had to make it happen yeah what a comp what a compliment for him yeah one of the greatest of all time to say that to you uh obviously ray goes on and wins another Super ball his last game of his career and um a couple more things we'll let you go one is let's go to U photo 20 uh you had a chance to play against a lot of great players one was Tom Brady talk you talk a little talk a little smack right there it looks like what was it like playing against Tom this when I'm going to go into my Jesus mode because if I went the other route then Pastor you wouldn't feel good about me right now no I oh man let me be careful look I love war when it comes to pton Tom and those guys TB knows this so I'm not telling you nothing that Tom doesn't know himself on the football field I just didn't I don't like Tom you know I and and it's not it's it's not personal but it's just me telling you if the game is played the way this is the Integrity of the game now like this is the Integrity of it you get your best team I get my best team but don't cry for nothing cuz you can't cry I put my leg I put my pants on one leg at a time just like you do and so that's what I'm saying referees have we've robbed defensive players right and in in today's game my gosh you can't hit nobody right I'm telling you we five years we we are playing flag football no I'm telling you straight guys that's where we are right okay how many people in this room honest about raise the hands when you used to get up on Saturday mornings or Sunday mornings all you was going to the game for was to see a big hit 1,00% because you knew somebody was going to get knocked out today right that's not a bad thing like we make we we make knocking somebody out a bad thing that's not a bad thing boxers do it all the time that's right know what I'm saying but it's it's it's what came from those battles right Peyton man's wife never forget at the Pro Bowl she's running to me full speed I mean she's at a full speed angle like walking into Hawaii at the Pro Bowl and I'm like this cannot be good a white woman is running full speed of me it's tough this gonna be tough what in the hell gonna come from this right and then she gets up to me and she was like oh my gosh you have no clue like you're my favorite of all time and I'm I'm Ashley Manning and I'm I'm like so you're PID man's wife she's like yes my husband knows everything about you I'm like what do you mean he built a room in our house and the whole room is about Ray Lewis Ray Lewis Ray Lewis and I'm like really so I called my financial advisor I said I need a freaking film room in my house right now but I built the film I literally built the film room in my house because Brady and Tom Tom and Brady Manon or Peyton they were two different people Peyton is something else Tom is something else but when you go to Brady and Manning bro those are strategist I'm telling you you have to be so Keen in to the smallest detail and that's why I think the rivalries that we had I mean you you caught a clip a few months ago Brady said he hated playing against me why because I knew where the ball was going and although you may complete the pass somebody going to pay for that you may get it you know what I'm talking about Big Daddy Big Daddy you know what I'm talking about right you can complete the P but I'm telling you somebody mama won't like me today right that was my goal my goal was to make sure somebody mama was mad at me like you know how many mothers out of had walk up to me and say don't you ever hit my child like that again I was like but that's my job but but but with them I'm telling you my game elevated because of playing against the bradies playing against the times because they say quarterbacks are the smartest I beg the differ I really do because if you think from a mental on what we have to do from a defensive side to react right and then we turned coming from not only reacting I made I made us the dictator ERS by knowing every intricate thing about defenses and and offenses so man look I those battles to me Brett Brett will tell you when I walked up to Brett I know he was here last week I watched his little video you know I just wanted to make sure was anything said you know what I'm saying cuz see they done retired I ain't retired yet you I'm still waiting for one more round but but it's it's it's you're always looking at the greatest to ask yourself how does he see me yeah and that's what I wanted to give everything I have so that when the Brady's the mannin the whoever speaks about me it's only a certain thing they speak about and and they do uh sure that's worth a round of applause three of the three of the greats of all time all right so what we're going to do we're going to wrap things up here um because Ray's going to do some pictures for a little bit but before we go we're going to play a 90 second clip and I think this sort of captures the spirit of Ry and then we're going to put a picture up to close it out on the back side I think we all will appreciate how about that the great Ray Lewis whoa and uh we'll end with this Ray we'll end with this so you know we went through a lot there went through a whole lot you know I know this got to be fatiguing because you've done so many of these interviews but let's end with photo number 23 sort of where we started Anita if we can so that's your mom mom D that's your hero Mom Dukes so all this stuff that gold jacket you got on it all started with a mom who uh sacrificed and um and you had to play a role in that too but that's where it all started yeah yeah that woman right there man Jesus like she's she's incredible like she's something that yeah like she's different she's different well that's that's where it all started ladies and gentlemen how about this the one of the greatest of all time Ray Lewis everybody give it up so great job Ray Eric Dickerson next week no autograph just quick pictures we need uh sponsors first 50 yard line members next we'll get as many photos as we can [Music] I [Music]