Lewis won't stick to HOF speech time limit, says he'll stay under 25 minutes
Aside from football, Ray Lewis' greatest talent is his gift of the gab.
The ex-Baltimore Ravens linebacker will get to use that skill on Saturday when he gives the traditional speech while being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Usually, players are asked to limit the length of their speeches to around 15 minutes. However, Lewis admitted on Friday there's no way he's hitting that mark.
"Let’s stop that now," Lewis said with a smile when asked of the time limit, adding that he expects it to come in between "22 to 25," according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.
Lewis warmed up his vocal cords by holding court with reporters for nearly an hour:
Ray Lewis spoke for about 50 minutes to reporters today in a media session that touched upon his feeling of awe being around so many Hall of Fame players, his love for the city of Baltimore and his unlikely rise from a challenging childhood pic.twitter.com/cxq7CBy49m
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) August 3, 2018
The two-time Defensive Player of the Year played his entire career in Baltimore, making a deep connection with the city.
Lewis said the buzz caused by his induction into the Hall of Fame has recreated the positive energy from his playing days.
"When I played, crime went lower in Baltimore," Lewis said. "It's like, nobody needs to be mad now. It's like everybody wants to be happy and celebrate."