Hall Of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe and Ray Lewis have been friends for over a decade, so it was a simple decision for Sharpe to call Lewis after the linebacker found out he had completely torn his tricep.
According to USA Today, Sharpe said he was surprised by the Lewis he heard on the other line.
“I was surprised by how good his spirits were.”
“I was expecting him to be down. When I broke my collarbone, I cried like a baby. That was not the case with him.”
Lewis was officially listed out for the season after a MRI on Monday determined the extent of the tear.
“He knew on Sunday night,” said Sharpe.
“I could tell in his voice.
“I’m like, ‘Where’s your head at?’
“He says, ‘I’m good, bro.’ ”
“He surprised me again, by how calm he was about what happened,” Sharpe said. “He pretty much said, ‘It happened, so I’ve got to deal with it.’ ”
“He said, ‘Right now, I need to stay positive for my team.’ “
Sharpe would not speculate on what Lewis might do regarding his future and retirement.
“What he does is up to him,” Sharpe said. “It’s his call. He’s earned the right to walk out on his own terms. I’ve never told any player when he should retire, except for my brother (Sterling, whose career was cut short due to a neck injury), because the risk outweighed the reward.
“Everybody wants to go out on top, like John Elway, Jerome Bettis and Michael Strahan, where you win the Super Bowl and ride off into the sunset. But that doesn’t happen very often. Ray understands that, and he also knew that this was a chance to do something special this year.”