Ray Lewis struck an emotional note when he eulogized his son over the weekend.
Less than two weeks after 28-year-old Ray Lewis III’s death due to an accidental drug overdose, his father gave a stirring speech to mourners who gathered Saturday at Calvary Orlando Church in Florida.
“We will see you again,” Lewis, an NFL Hall-of-Famer who played 17 years with the Baltimore Ravens, said. “28 years, watching my first-born child… the referees thought I was crazy running up and down the sideline.”
“Everybody that’s here in this room today for my son, from the deepest corners of my family’s heart, thank you.”
“My son used to always say to me, ‘Pops, let’s make today a good day.’ And today, now that I finally see my son’s physical body, you will make today a good day,” Lewis said, clasping his hands together and gesturing toward the sky.
Other family members have already paid tribute to Lewis III in a similarly heartfelt fashion.
Lewis III’s sister, Diaymon, wrote on Instagram that he was the “quintessential brother.”
“brownie, i love with all my heart. you will always be my first love and truly are the definition of a quintessential brother,” she wrote.
His younger brother Rashaan also posted a touching message.
“A true angel. I pray your at peace now because [I know] how much you was [really] hurtin. I don’t and won’t ever have the words man cuz this pain right here …. I love you I love you I love you.”
Ex-NFL star Michael Irvin shared images and video from the funeral, showing his support for the Lewis afamily.
“NO FATHER should ever have to bury his son! My heart bleeds for my brother @raylewis and his family,” he wrote. “There is NOT anything, anyone can say to ease this depth of pain. Just know this MY BROTHER, we love you and God has you.”
Lewis III was a star running back in high school at Lake Mary Prep in Florida, scoring 20 touchdowns and 1,898 yards his senior year.
He played college football at Miami, Coastal Carolina and Virginia Union, also playing in seven games for the Wyoming Mustangs of the Champions Indoor Football League during the 2021-22 season.
A blue pill called Alprazolam, the generic name for the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, was found near Lewis III’s body, as well as a used needle and a small plastic bag inside an empty beer can, according to a police report cited by the Orlando Sentinel.
