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Miami Legend Ray Lewis Had Powerful Message for Kewan Lacy After Ole Miss' CFP Loss

Lewis put aside his allegiance to the Hurricanes for one inspiring moment to speak to a discouraged Lacy after the Rebels' loss.

Tim Capurso

Lewis (left) had some words of encouragement for Lacy (right).
Lewis (left) had some words of encouragement for Lacy (right). / Screengrab Twitter @therealbeadle
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Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy experienced joy and misery in the Rebels' College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Miami on Thursday night.

Lacy, the talented Rebels running back, breathed life into the Ole Miss offense with an explosive 73-yard touchdown scamper to get the Rebels on the board at the start of the second quarter. Unfortunately, Lacy's impact play also resulted in a hamstring injury, relegating the sophomore halfback to the exercise bike until the start of the second half, when he returned to action with a black sleeve on his right leg.

Lacy and the Rebels mounted a second half comeback, eventually taking a 27-24 lead with 3:13 remaining in the game, but ultimately falling just short after the Hurricanes responded with a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter.

As Lacy walked off the field and headed for the tunnel, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Hurricanes star Ray Lewis stopped the Ole Miss running back and shared an inspiring message.

Here is video of the powerful moment, courtesy of Adam Beadle on X (formerly Twitter).

Lewis shared what he told Lacy to ESPN's Heather Dinich.

“Sometimes, the battles sharpen you so that you can deal with them," Lewis said. "These kids, their hearts are broken. I grabbed him because I'm a fan of Lacy. I think he's dynamic. I watched him from the middle of the season all the way through it. But when you get to this point, you're like, 'Oh my gosh, my life has ended.' No, it's just beginning. Now, you got to learn something. Pick your teammates up.”

Lewis, who was in attendance at State Farm Stadium as an honorary captain for the Hurricanes, didn't have to take the time to share any words with Lacy. But the former Miami star and Super Bowl-winning NFL linebacker put aside his allegiances for a moment to offer some encouraging words to a talented player who was hurting both physically and mentally.

It had to mean the world to Lacy.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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