Ray Lewis received the Champion of Mentoring Award from MENTOR at its 35th Anniversary Gala in October, an honor he described as one of the most meaningful in his career.
Lewis, a Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee, discussed the award and its significance during an interview with TMZ Sports. “I think just that whole room, that whole aura around what does it mean to be recognized as a champion in the mentoring space, is what I live to do,” Lewis said. “So it was one of the greatest honors, I think, I’ve received in a very, very long time.”
The gala also included Bill Russell’s widow, Jeannine Russell, who accepted the Champion of Mentoring Award on behalf of her late husband. For Lewis, receiving this recognition was especially significant following the passing of his son, Ray Lewis III, in 2023. “I’ve been speaking openly about my son’s passing for the last two years, since he’s been gone,” Lewis said. “This was just another follow-up, and a way that I actually deal with it, losing a son, losing a child, you will never see life the same ever again.”
Lewis emphasized his ongoing commitment to youth mentorship through his foundation Ray Of Hope and announced plans for a new Locker Room Initiative aimed at connecting young people with influential mentors across communities. “We have to create those locker rooms, those ambassadors that you can call right later on down the road,” he said. “That’ll be an app that comes up,” he explained.
Lewis further stated: “I can’t go and have the same impact in Pittsburgh, but then [Ben] Roethlisberger, Jerome Bettis can, right? People like that. You go to the next one and you copy and paste that model to where you use influential capital which we’ve not used influential capital in a very long time.”
As he continues these efforts with Ray Of Hope and other initiatives designed to foster guidance for youth nationwide, Lewis remains focused on making a positive impact beyond football.
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