Former NFL Player Ray Lewis on Success and Staying Grounded Learn about success and creating greatness from this sports legend.

By Lewis Howes Edited by Dan Bova

This story originally appeared on Lewis Howes

Lewis Howes

When people talk about sports legends, they mean the best of the best of the best -- names everyone knows, names that people don't forget.

I had the privilege of meeting one of these legends a couple months back. From his presence alone, I knew immediately why he had achieved such an incredible level of athletic success.

Ray Lewis is one of the most dominant defensive players in NFL history. He played his entire 17 year career with the Baltimore Ravens including two Super Bowl titles, Super Bowl MVP in 2000 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year twice.

Oh yeah -- he's also a NYT bestselling author, father of six and devoted philanthropist.

But I'm just getting started.

The wisdom Ray shared with me during our podcast conversation was deep, grounded, based on results, that I was hanging on every word. Be sure to listen to the last half (we went for a while because it was such a good conversation). Ray goes deep into the role of faith, love and respect in creating greatness.

Ray has not had an easy life. He's faced pretty much every challenge you can imagine. But his definition of what greatness and being a man really means is spot on.

I can't wait for you to hear the powerful perspective of this true greatness legend in Episode 415 on The School of Greatness.

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play or TuneIn.

Lewis Howes

New York Times Bestselling Author, Entrepreneur, Coach

Lewis Howes is a New York Times bestselling author of The School of Greatness and The Mask of Masculinity. He is a lifestyle entrepreneur, high performance business coach and keynote speaker. A former professional football player and two-sport All-American, he is a current USA Men’s National Handball Team athlete. He hosts a top 100 iTunes ranked Apple podcast, The School of Greatness. Howes was recognized by the White House and President Obama as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the country under 30. Details magazine called him one of “5 Internet Guru’s that can Make You Rich.”  Howes has been featured on Ellen, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The New York Times, People, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Men’s Health and other major media outlets.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Buying / Investing in Business

Former Zillow Execs Target $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Marketing

You Don't Need More Followers. You Need More of This Thing.

The rules of influence have shifted from what you know to who you know to who knows you. Today, we're in the trust economy, where what matters most is who believes you.

Making a Change

A One-Time Payment of $20 Gets You Access to 1,000+ Courses Forever

Curated, high-impact courses across business, tech, and more.

Money & Finance

7 Financial Pillars That Make or Break Growing Businesses

Most businesses don't fail from lack of demand — they fail because their financial systems can't support growth. These are the seven areas you need to fix first.

Business Culture

Mental Health Support Must Be a Business Priority — or Face Losing Your Best Employees

Health insurance and retirement contributions were once the gold standard for showing employees that a company cares. But in today's evolving workforce, one crucial area remains underdeveloped: mental health.