We can say this isn’t Chargers related but we would be lying to ourselves. Football is set to lose a son, a warrior, and leader. Seeing as the Chargers are part of football, it only seems fitting to at least acknowledge this event. A player who would make the impossible seem possible and make the weak, stronger is an understatement of Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. One of the greatest players in general of all time is ready to set sail.

Personally Ray Lewis is my second favorite player of all time. Being a Miami Hurricane fan also helps push the cause. Linebacker is a position to that is easy to grasp, but extremely difficult to excel at it. Ray Lewis brought the pain day in and day out like no one has in the history of the game. You can bring up Lawrence Taylor but the truth is this man has surpassed the likes of “LT,” in my eyes. There aren’t many players you could say, “If I were to play with that man, I would die with that man on the field.” Ray Lewis to me is one. I remember sitting at a bar 4 years ago next to a friend of mine who said, “Ray Lewis is overrated. He has 2 years max left!” My reply was, “Few players were born with football glory in mind, even fewer would appear to embrace it, and only one will play until he can’t play another down.” That was my way of saying Ray Lewis had a full tank and won’t stop until he is physically unable to keep going. This might be that time.

Lewis tore his triceps this year and missed an extensive amount of time inside the chalk. Lewis wouldn’t stop on the field though. His words rang with thunder and his celebrating struck players like lightning! A man who can simply put on a pants and shirt in the morning and lead everyone into battle from the sideline is so rare that you must call him a dying breed. To say Ray Lewis will be in Canton one day is an understatement. It almost isn’t as deserving as what this man has done for the game of football as well as for lives outside the game on a personal level. One play could sum up how Ray played and it was against the Jets on a Monday Night season opener. 4th and long the pass was to Dustin Keller and Lewis sent Keller back to the 2nd grade to win the game.

Lewis has one more ride though. One last chance to reach the pinnacle of sports glory one more time. We can sit here and beg him to keep playing, but his mind won’t change. Family life calls and Ray will never let a phone go unanswered. Canton, Ohio is Lewis’ next stop in the NFL after this season… or is it? Hopefully we will get to see that snarl as a coach somewhere. Lewis simply knows too much about the game to let it go to waste. Who knows maybe one day he could be on a list for head coaching! So Ray let me be one of the firsts not to say good-bye, but see ya soon!

-Joey Nicks