While Ray Lewis will first and foremost be remembered for his exceptional athletic ability and his impressive durability, when football fans think back on the former Ravens linebacker they will also undoubtedly remember his intensity.
Both on and off the field, Lewis never lost focus on his ultimate goal.
His determination was evident in his extremely popular pep talks, which he gave to his teammates as well as anyone else who would listen.
But if you've actually watched one of Lewis' pep talks in its entirety (which you can do here), you probably know that they're not always the most logical speeches.
Joe Flacco, the quarterback who teamed with Lewis to help the Ravens win the Super Bowl last season, admitted as much in an excellent profile by ESPN's Kevin Van Valkenburg.
"I love Ray," Flacco said, "and I love how he always spoke from the heart, but if you listened to those speeches, a lot of them didn't even make sense. He meant everything he was saying, but I didn't know what he was talking about 90 percent of the time."
Lewis projected tons of emotion, which was likely what motivated his teammates. The content of his words were important, sure, but perhaps they weren't the most crucial function of his speeches.
"Ray is the best motivational speaker anywhere," Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo told USA Today. "It's not just what he says, but how he says it. He gets inside your soul."
For everyone's sake, let's hope Lewis will make more sense in his next gig, as an analyst at ESPN.
