Kentucky wide receiver Rahsaan Lewis caught his first collegiate touchdown in a 27-17 win against Mississippi State Oct. 15, and the son of Ravens legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis is looking to finish his college career on a high note after overcoming plenty of adversity.
The 5-foot-11, 187-pound senior has not quite found his footing at the collegiate level, only amassing seven receptions for 56 yards during his career. Lewis did not record a reception until his third college season, when he caught two passes for 4 yards with Kentucky. He has started to see more action as a senior this year, catching a 10-yard pass against South Carolina and racking up four receptions for 42 yards and that touchdown against Mississippi State.
Despite the lack of playing time throughout his career, Lewis is still confident in himself that he can continue to produce this season and in the future. To Lewis, it is all about the journey.
“It’s a journey,” Lewis said on Glenn Clark Radio Nov. 2. “My pops and my mom always told me you always got to keep going. Things don’t always go your way, but your time will always come.”
“So throughout the journey, the injuries, the position changes, just the different situations, you have to find what keeps you going,” Lewis added. “And then when the opportunity comes knocking, which doesn’t come often, you got to make the best of it. That’s all I was trying to do.”
Lewis — who had numerous injuries before college, from broken bones to torn tendons to a surgically repaired right knee — has worked through a lot to get to where he is now. The Orlando, Fla., native played at UCF his freshman year in 2018 before transferring to FAU ahead of the 2019 season. He finally found his home at Kentucky (2020-2022).
Despite the name on his back, Lewis knows what work he has put in and always has confidence in himself.
“I always know myself,” Lewis said. “I know what I’m capable of and I know I’m behind some great players and great teammates [at Kentucky]. So I just knew if I got the chance to show what I can do and I feel my team believes in me and does the same thing, when the chance happens we all … knew what was going to happen.”
A basketball star in high school, Lewis was unsure if he was going to pursue football or basketball in college. Lewis described basketball as his “first love” but decided to go the route his father took, picking football.
“I still have a lot of passion for football,” Lewis said of his choice to pick football over basketball in college. “I feel like I can pursue [football] and be successful in it, so I chose it. It was the hardest decision I ever had to make, very shortly before signing [with UCF].”
Lewis admits his father’s status has its benefits. There are some definite advantages to having a Hall of Fame father, but Lewis says there are some negatives too.
“Everybody tries comparing me to [Ray Lewis] with the expectation that I am him,” Lewis said. “But I just try to make it known as best as I can that I’m my own person and try to make Rahsaan Lewis known. So as much as I love the respect, I’m still my own human being.”
Lewis is also consistently approached about his father by teammates and strangers alike. He has learned how to deal with this and knows what Ray’s legacy means to people.
“Honestly, the funny part is, I never know what to say,” Lewis said of people asking him about Ray. “Because it’s like, they come to me and say different things. I always say I appreciate it or I’ll laugh.”
“But I handle it well,” Lewis added. “When I was younger it bothered me more … [but] once I realized and grew up and understood who he was and his effect on people, it makes it easier to handle because people come to you, [and] you understand why they feel that way. You understand because of who he was to other people.”
Rahsaan has adopted Ray’s mindset of always competing, but there is one major difference between the way Rahsaan Lewis plays and the way Ray Lewis played, aside from the side of the ball they play on. Unlike Ray, who was known for his banter with opponents on the field, Rahsaan takes a different approach, staying quiet when faced with trash talk.
As Lewis continues to produce more on the field, he is satisfied with the work he has put in to get to this point and hopes football will continue to be a part of his life.
“Football is the future plan,” he said. “But as we all know, we don’t control how life goes. So if it does work out, then great. If it doesn’t, then great, because I can say that I gave my all and I’m OK with that.”
For more from Lewis, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credits: Courtesy of Kentucky Athletics