Ravens’ Lewis Emerges as Top Defensive Player

BALTIMORE — Ray Lewis fought for his life against murder charges, then became the most dynamic defender in the NFL as he led the Baltimore Ravens to the playoffs.

After the most trying year of his life, and perhaps his most productive on the field, Lewis easily won the Associated Press defensive player of the year award announced Tuesday.

The centerpiece of the Ravens’ record-setting defense feared he never would be selected by the nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover pro football because of what happened away from his job.

“It’s like a fairy tale, or a movie, where there’s a bad start and a beautiful ending,” Lewis said. “But it’s real life.”

Lewis was accused of a double murder in Atlanta after a post-Super Bowl party last January and spent 15 days in jail. He was cleared of the murder charges in exchange for a guilty plea to obstructing a police investigation, and was fined $250,000 by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, the largest player fine in history.

The case sullied the images of Lewis and the league, and placed tremendous pressure on the middle linebacker to produce an even better season than the three previous Pro Bowl years.

The results: a team-high 184 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions on a defense that set an NFL record for fewest points allowed (165) during a 16-game season.

“After I fought for my life in Atlanta, everyone said, ‘He might not be the same again. He might not get 100 tackles. Ray Lewis will never be the player he was.’ Well, they were absolutely correct,” Lewis said. “I’m not the same player. I’m better.”

So good, in fact, that teammates and opponents readily acknowledged his preeminence at his position.

Lewis, 25 and in his fifth NFL season, fretted that his involvement in the Atlanta case would eliminate any chance for winning the award. Instead, he took it in a landslide.

Lewis, who earned 30 votes, easily outdistanced New Orleans Saint tackle La’Roi Glover, who had 11. Tackle Warren Sapp of Tampa Bay, last year’s winner, got four, while Buccaneer linebacker Derrick Brooks and New York Giant tackle Keith Hamilton each received two votes.

“I never thought it would happen,” said Lewis, the first Raven to win the honor. “If someone said to you last January, ‘You know what? Ray is going to go through pure hell and by the end of the year he’s going to be defensive player of the year,’ you would go, ‘How?’ If you read it in a book you wouldn’t believe it.”

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Best Defense

Voting for the 2000 NFL defensive player of the year as selected by a nationwide panel of the media:

Ray Lewis, Baltimore 30

La’Roi Glover, New Orleans 11

Warren Sapp, Tampa Bay 4

Keith Hamilton, N.Y. Giants 2

Derrick Brooks, Tampa Bay 2

Jason Taylor, Miami 1

Past winners:

1973 Dick Anderson, Miami

1974 Joe Greene, Pittsburgh

1975 Mel Blount, Pittsburgh

1976 Jack Lambert, Pittsburgh

1977 Harvey Martin, Dallas

1978 Randy Gradishar, Denver

1979 Lee Roy Selmon, Tampa Bay

1980 Lester Hayes, Oakland

1981 Lawrence Taylor, N.Y. Giants

1982 Lawrence Taylor, N.Y. Giants

1983 Doug Betters, Miami

1984 Kenny Easley, Seattle

1985 Mike Singletary, Chicago

1986 Lawrence Taylor, N.Y. Giants

1987 Reggie White, Philadelphia

1988 Mike Singletary, Chicago

1989 Keith Millard, Minnesota

1990 Bruce Smith, Buffalo

1991 Pat Swilling, New Orleans

1992 Cortez Kennedy, Seattle

1993 Rod Woodson, Pittsburgh

1994 Deion Sanders, San Francisco

1995 Bryce Paup, Buffalo

1996 Bruce Smith, Buffalo

1997 Dana Stubblefield, San Francisco

1998 Reggie White, Green Bay

1999 Warren Sapp, Tampa Bay

2000 Ray Lewis, Baltimore