Ravens 25th Anniversary Season: Jonathan Ogden, Ed Reed, Ray Lewis Best To Ever Wear Purple & Black
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- This year marks the Ravens 25th anniversary season, and throughout the course of franchise history, there have been plenty of memorable players to put on the uniform.
Terrell Suggs knew how to get the crowd going, while Joe Flacco always kept a calm demeanor. Jamal Lewis was the definition of smashmouth football, while Haloti Ngata was the anchor of the team's defensive line for so many years. And who could forget the roar of "HEAP" every time Todd Heap got his hands on the football. And of course, there were none quite like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Johnathan Ogden, three of the greatest Ravens to have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Here is a look back at some of the greatest moments from three of the greatest players to ever put on a Ravens uniform.
Jonathan Ogden, Offensive Tackle, 96' - 07'
Jonathan Ogden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013 after a 12-year career in Baltimore. The Ravens used their first-ever draft pick, fourth overall of the 1996 NFL Draft, to select Ogden out of UCLA.
Ogden was the anchor of the Ravens offensive line throughout the course of his career. He was an 11-time Pro Bowler and six-time First-Team All-Pro. He helped paved the way for running back Jamal Lewis in 2003. That year, Lewis became the fifth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Ogden, who was named the NFL's Offensive Lineman of the Year by the NFL Alumni in 2002, was not just a strong run blocker but also a highly touted pass protector.
Ogden announced his retirement in 2008. Four months after he announced his retirement, the Ravens inducted him to their Ring of Honor.
Ed Reed, Safety, 02' – 13'
Like Ogden, Ed Reed was a first-round pick. He was taken 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Ravens out of the University of Miami. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019 after a 12-year career, 11 years of which were spent in Baltimore.
Reed was a vital part of the dominant Baltimore defenses throughout the course of his career. In his rookie season, he racked up 85 tackles, five interceptions, one sack and one fumble recovery. He led the Ravens in interceptions as a rookie and seven of his 11 seasons with the team. Reed was a nine-time Pro Bowler, named All-Pro six times and received NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2004. He earned a Super Bowl ring in 2012 when the Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers. In that game, Reed had five tackles and one interception.
In 2015, Reed retired as a Raven after he played for the Houston Texans and New York Jets in 2013. He signed a one-day contract with the Ravens and was inducted to their Ring of Honor on November 22.
Ray Lewis, Linebacker, 96' – 12'
Ray Lewis, Baltimore's fan favorite, was the 26th overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft. He was taken by the Ravens out of the University of Miami. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 after a 17-year career.
Lewis was a two-time Super Bowl Champion and was named Most Valuable Player in the Ravens' 34-7 victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. In his first Super Bowl win, Lewis had three tackles, two assists and four passes defended. He became just the second player in NFL History to earn NFL Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP honors in the same season. Lewis was a 12-time Pro Bowler and selected to the NFL All-Decade Team of the 2000s.
"Wins and losses come a dime a dozen," Lewis said during his induction speech. "But effort? Nobody can judge that. Because effort is between you and you."
Lewis rode off into the sunset as a world champion after the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. In his final game in the NFL, he had three tackles, two assists and four passes defended. Lewis was inducted into the team's Ring of Honor in 2013.
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Ogden, Lewis and Reed were the longest-tenured Ravens to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson and Shannon Sharpe are among other former Ravens to be inducted.