Unvillifying the Black athlete

Over the years, the Black athlete has been the subject of both popular and scholarly examination. Nothing has changed the face (literally) of professional sports in America like the Black athlete. While the Black athlete has been lauded for his prowess, he has also been vilified for many of the same reasons. Whites speak of Black athletes’ speed and brute strength. It is not uncommon to hear announcers refer to certain Black athletes as ‘freakish’ as if they were some kind of superhuman being. In the minds of some Whites, Black athletes owe their talent not to hard work, but to God. The notion that Black athletes work hard to hone their craft is unfathomable to some Whites. Black athletes, unlike White athletes are hardly referred to as intelligent, hence the reason for many years Blacks were discouraged from playing the thinking man’s positions such as quarterback and middle linebacker in football, point guard in basketball and pitcher and catcher in baseball.

In the aftermath of President Barack Obama’s reelection to the White House, vilifying the Black male (that is Trayvon Martin) is still commonplace in many quarters of American society. Hence, it is important to combat that insidious effort by showcasing Black males who have overcome adversity and, in the process, become models of inspiration, leadership and perseverance; traits that Whites try hard to dissociate from Black males. Of course, the art of vilifying is a political act done by those who seek to keep Blacks consigned to an inferior position in society. A close read of many of the reputable public opinion polls such as Gallop, Pew Trust and others is evidence of that as they show that when Whites think of criminals they think of Black males: when they think of deadbeat dads they think of Black males, when they think of athletes who mismanage their money only to end up broke they think of Black males. Some even attempted to vilify young Trayvon Martin because he wore a hoodie the night he was shot and killed by a non-Black neighborhood vigilante who longed to be a police officer. Wearing a hoodie suggested that he was attempting to conceal his identity while he plotted his next move, which was not to walk home (which is what he was doing), but to commit some sort of sinister crime. This was the thinking of George Zimmerman, the overzealous and possibly racist neighborhood crime watch guy who saw Martin as a threat. In Zimmerman’s warped mind, the hoodie concealed Martin’s ominous Black face, rather than the boyish face of a seventeen year old teenager who only wanted to enjoy his skittles on his walk home. Vilifying Black males makes it easier to subdue them or repress them or kill them.

As the 2013 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, neared I (the second author) thought of Trayvon Martin for some strange reason, perhaps because the one-year anniversary of his senseless death was nearing also. Could Martin have been the next Ray Lewis? Like Lewis, Martin was a Floridian. Like Lewis, Martin was relatively small in stature. And like Lewis, Martin loved football. Whether Martin could have been the next Lewis we’ll never know.

Lewis was a middle linebacker, the brain trust of the defense. Although Lewis was selected in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft, he was a late round draft pick as many considered Lewis undersized for a middle linebacker. He was not very athletic and without top end speed, even for a linebacker. What Lewis lacked in height, however, he made up with heart. What he lacked in weight, he made up with toughness. What he lacked in athleticism, he made up with smarts. And what he lacked in speed, he made up with determination.

After Lewis announced his retirement following the 2012 NFL regular season, we began reflecting on what his departure would mean to the National Football League. Few would argue that Lewis is one of the three greatest middle linebackers to ever play in the NFL and among the five greatest linebackers, ever.

When considering tackles, sacks, interceptions, forced fumbles, and passes defended, Lewis sits at the top of the list statistically of all-time greatest linebackers in history. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith calls Lewis ‘the greatest leader in the history of professional sports.’ Lewis was a charismatic leader and a game-changer. With more than 2,000 tackles, 41.5 sacks, 31 interceptions, 13 pro bowl selections, 7 All-Pro honors, and 2 Super Bowls (he was the MVP in 2000), five years from now Lewis will undoubtedly be inducted into the Hall of Fame, sports greatest individual honor.

Lewis is no saint. Like many athletes, in his younger years, mistakes were made; there were lapses in judgment and moments of irresponsibility. He matured as he grew older. He learned to put God first as was evident in his pre and post-game interviews during the playoffs. Following his team’s upset win against the Denver Broncos in January to advance to the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, Sal Paolantonio caught up with Lewis whereupon Lewis exclaimed ‘Nobody gave us a shot, nobody, but you still have to play the game Sal . . . No weapon as a team formed against us shall prosper no weapon. Man can’t control what God has already blessed and destined . . . we claimed victory, victory is our’s.’ The following week after the Baltimore Ravens pounded the Patriots into submission, Lewis exhorted, with tears in his eyes, to a mesmerized Sal Paolantonio, ‘when you sacrifice something for God, he will give you anything your heart desires as long as it aligns with his will . . . anytime you trust in God, man can’t tell you what you can’t do.’

Resentful of Lewis’s good fortune, in an attempt to vilify him, some accused him of using performance enhancement drugs while others lamented his penchant for biblical references. The embittered wife of a New England Patriots player even tweeted something about Lewis’ six children as if to conjure up the image of a philandering and irresponsible Black father. Fortunately, the attempts at character assassination failed as fans (of all races) rallied around Lewis, drowning out the naysayers while rooting for him to win his second Super Bowl as a member of the Baltimore Ravens.

Lewis’ season may have been story-book, but it was not without tumult. He missed ten games due to a torn triceps muscle. His return was unlikely. Some opined retirement for Lewis, but Lewis himself would be undaunted. There were injuries to other players as well, but none more important than Lewis. The Baltimore Ravens lost four of their last five games to eke into the playoffs. He willed himself back to health just in time for the playoffs, which in turned rejuvenated his teammates.

Will the 2013 draft produce another Ray Lewis? Few players in any sport have inspired his teammates to heights that some of them thought were unattainable. Always upbeat and quick to offer encouragement to those in need players and non-players alike feed off of his energy. Lewis work’s tirelessly in depressed communities in Baltimore and elsewhere mentoring kids. One story has it that upon seeing an older man pass something along to a kid that looked like a drug transaction Lewis leapt from his vehicle and chastised the older man. In an era when it is fashionable to vilify Black males and to feature prominently the Black man’s plight, let us be equally vigilant about calling attention to those Black men who belie the worldwide stereotype; those Black males who are a template for hard work, impeccable leadership, unwavering perseverance and God-fearing service. EPSN’s Stephen A. Smith calls Lewis the greatest leader in sports history. The facts speak for themselves. The only defensive player on the Baltimore Ravens 2012 squad that remains from the Baltimore Ravens 2000 Super Bowl Team is Ray Lewis. Understatement may not be Stephen A. Smith’s strong suit, but at the same time his observation may not be entirely off-base. When it is all said and done, Lewis’ greatest impact may not be on the field, but rather his refusal to be vilified by those who see Black males, especially Black athletes for their so-called freakish and God-given athletic ability rather than as hard workers whose success is predicated determination and intellectual acumen. If there is any modern day athlete whose life belies the image of the Black athlete in the White mind, it is Ray Lewis.

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