“The devil is always busy” – When ex-Ravens star Ray Lewis fought back on murder charges

On January 31, 2000, Ray Lewis and his entourage were involved in an altercation that resulted in two deaths. According to reports, the former NFL star and his friends had punched, beaten, and stabbed Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar at a nightclub in Atlanta.

Lewis and two of his friends were later charged with the murder of the two men. When the charges were announced, the then-Baltimore Ravens linebacker spoke to reporters and seemed to explain his innocence in the case.

"The devil is busy, always after God's children. He is always trying to get you one way or another."

However, a few weeks into the murder trial, Lewis and his attorneys agreed to a plea deal that dropped his murder charges to obstruction of justice, a misdemeanor. The football star was also required to testify against his two friends in the incident while being fined $250,000.

Despite the trial and outcome of the verdict, Lewis avoided prison. He also didn't get any suspension from the NFL and returned to the Ravens camp later that year.

However, in 2015, Lewis spoke to reporters and admitted that the Atlanta ordeal still haunts him. He said:

"You know, I hear people bring up Atlanta like, oh, Atlanta's supposed to scare me. Atlanta doesn't scare me. Atlanta wakes me up."

Ray Lewis' NFL stats and career honors

The Baltimore Ravens picked Ray Lewis in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. The linebacker went on to play 17 seasons with the team and won two Super Bowl titles, in 2001 and 2013.

Lewis racked up a whopping 2,059 total tackles, 41.5 sacks, 31 interceptions, and 17 forced fumbles. The player also holds the record for the most career solo tackles at 1,568. He earned 13 Pro Bowl honors and won two Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Lewis eventually retired from the NFL after winning his second Super Bowl ring in 2013.