NFL

Ray Lewis Delivers A Eulogy Of Ray Lewis Proportions At Art Modell’s Funeral (Video)

With words almost as powerful as his crushing linebacker’s blow, Ray Lewis certainly knows how to rouse a crowd. He’s been doing so as the captain of the Ravens’ defensive unit for the better part of two decades, yielding mostly excellent results. Today, he took his rhetoric and emotion to Art Modell’s funeral, delivering a stirring eulogy before quite a few current and former NFL players, coaches, executives.

Unfortunately, there’s no embed code for the video, so you’ll get no implant here. Lucky for you however, my ears and fingers still work as well as the day I got ‘em, so at least you’ll get a transcript. You might want to click through for the full effect though.

There’s no Baltimore Ravens if there’s not a Mr. Modell’s vision. So the question that he leaves us today is: “If you did nothing else in life, what will you fight for? What legacy will you leave that when your children look back at their father, they can say ‘My father stood for a great name. My father stood for change.’” When we come into this Earth, we’re supposed to mourn. When we leave this Earth, we’re supposed to rejoice. This man lived a life that should make every person in this room smile and find a different way to impact somebody along the way. Because once it all settles, and we all have to lay here one day, what will your legacy be? A legend, leaving a legacy of commitment, of sacrifice, of obedience. A vision, to honor a great man.

Watch the video for long enough and you’ll also find a choked up Roger Goodell, delivering a few words of his own. You get the feeling from the two of them that there is a world outside of Cleveland, where Modell is revered and praise for all the good he did for the NFL.

We should all only be so fortunate to have a Ray Lewis of our own to speak at our funerals. That guy knows how to talk.

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