Sports Radio Interviews

Ray Lewis Remembers Steve McNair

Steve McNair was laid to rest this past Saturday in his home state of Mississippi. Quite a few former coaches, teammates, as well as of course family and friends, gathered to pay their final respects to McNair, who was tragically murdered on the 4th of July. One such former teammate and friend was Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. The 8-time Pro Bowl and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Award winner was actually selected to speak at McNair’s funeral and he joined The Michael Irvin Show on ESPN Radio Dallas last Friday on the day before McNair was to be buried.

On what his thoughts were before speaking at McNair’s funeral, which happened this past Saturday in Mississippi:

You know, Mike, I got so much in my heart and at the same time, there’s already been so much that I’ve shared with God, so that when I do speak to the family at the funeral tomorrow, I speak as a father, as a son, just as someone who understands what it means to lose someone very close to you. But there’s a reward, there’s a reward if you’re able to look towards the skies and understand that God never has made one mistake. Never one mistake. When you’re talking about Steve McNair, you’re talking about a conqueror, a king, a servant, a brother. All of those things he was. Then you walk alongside him, you compete against him, you do all of these things, then you realize that it was all for these moments – these moments in life that we slow down to know that one day, we will all have to be strong, to bring a brother home, but only to a place where we’re all ultimately trying to go. But it’s always disappointing when someone leaves too early before we tell them how much we love them. The relationship that we shared, love was everyday of our life because it came from respect. When love is created through respect, then it’s a different type of love. And that’s why to walk alongside that man, as a man, there’s no greater reward that God could have given me. Steve McNair to me was a friend, a man who’s done the work he was supposed to do while he was here. Now his time here is done. And hopefully someday soon, when my eyes are closed, we can see him again.”

On his thoughts about how the media has handled the criminal case involving McNair’s death:

“You know, it’s easy to get caught up in all of what the outside wants you to do. But I haven’t. I haven’t from the day I got the text I haven’t. I spent more time with God; I just didn’t want to no nothing. All I wanted to do was remember his legacy and the words and encouraging things he once told me. And all of the great things he was as a man and the times he stood beside me and times that he handed out turkeys to all these homeless people and the times that he helped kids to just brighten their day. That’s what my tears of joy have been about – his legacy as a king. My whole family and I were at my house for the 4th of July and they would tell you when I got the news, we was already looking at the ocean, saying how simple life is when you’re able to slow down just enough to realize how powerful God really is; to recognize how simple a wave crashes in to the ocean; these are the things that have been on my mind – that a buddy, a pal, a king is gone. So you ask yourself, ok God, what are you trying to tell me? Tell me, speak through me, help me. And it ain’t about what people are saying. It ain’t about what everybody want to report. It ain’t about none of that. It’s about that time and that day was his time.”

Listen here to Lewis on The Michael Irvin Show on ESPN Radio Dallas

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, ESPN Radio Dallas, Michael Irvin Show, Ray Lewis, Ray Lewis speech at Steve McNair's funeral, Steve McNair's funeral