Ray Lewis: Greatest Hits

After 17 tremendous NFL seasons, Ray Lewis has decided to call it quits. Many believe that Lewis is not only the greatest middle linebacker of all time, but also the greatest defensive player to ever grace a football field.

Lewis was revered among his peers for his passion, mental acumen and work ethic, but most of all, he was feared. Lewis was a menace to the opposition, unleashing hell on offenses across the league.

When you play over 200 games, you’re going to rack up your share of pulverizing hits. Here, we’ve collected some of his most notable ones:

Ray Lewis didn’t talk smack, he smacked talkers. The artist formerly known as Chad Johnson pays the price for running his mouth. Ray was flagged here, but he probably felt it was worth it to shut the mouth that roared.

With his penchant for cheapshots blindside blocks, Hines Ward became one of Lewis’ greatest rivals. Over the years, the two teams and men engaged in the NFL’s hardest-hitting rivalry. Lewis provides the endgame here, delivering a knockout blow to Ward and his career.

The always bombastic New York Jets felt especially confident coming into the 2010 season, so much so that their coach and linebacker Bart Scott began a war of words with their former team. Lewis’ response was simple. “The game ain’t played through tongues.” Dustin Keller paid for the sins of his teammates as Lewis obliterated him.

The mother of all Ray Lewis hits came against the Titans. Fullback Armard Hall caught a swing pass in the flat and turned up the field to run for a first down. Sensing that he was going to be a yard or two short, Hall leap into the air where he was met by Lewis. Wow.