Ethan Burke Went From Dressing Up As Ray Lewis To Following His Example To Become a Raven

The Baltimore Ravens' undrafted rookie and Maryland native used to don the jersey of the Hall of Famer and now has a chance to establish his own legacy with the franchise.

Jul 29, 2026; Ownings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ethan Burke (45) during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the most popular Halloween costume choices for kids who grew up in Maryland from the late 1990s to the early 2010s was Ray Lewis' No. 52 jersey for the Baltimore Ravens.

For the vast majority of them, the Hall of Fame inside linebacker either was or played a major part in their introduction to and indoctrination into football, and rookie outside linebacker Ethan Burke was no exception. His mother shared photographic proof on her Instagram story after learning that her son had made the Ravens' initial 53-man roster on Sunday.

"That was a jersey I wore a lot, and one of my favorite players for sure, so it's special," Burke said Monday. "That was a Halloween costume multiple years in a row."

Growing up in Pasadena, Md., two of his greatest loves were lacrosse and rooting for the Ravens, although it wasn't until his senior year of high school, after his family moved to Texas, that he fully committed to pursuing football, a path he doesn't regret.

"It was late, but I was doing well, and the opportunity arose, and I just went for it and took it," Burke said. "I am happy I did. [I'm] happy to be a Raven right now."

At one point, he was committed to return to his home state to play lacrosse at the University of Maryland (a national powerhouse) before choosing football and going on to attend the University of Texas at Austin instead.

The former Longhorn embodied everything his childhood idol stood for and preached throughout his legendary career. In order to make the Ravens roster, he outworked his competition and proved himself with his relentless work ethic and by consistently making plays on the field, first in practice and then carrying it over to games.

"There are tons of good players who didn't [make it] and have returned, so for me, I was just like, 'I have nothing to lose, [so] just go out there and play fast, don't overthink, don't overcomplicate things, play my best, play how I know I can play and how I've played in the past,'" Burke said.

Burke was one of the Ravens' brightest stars and most disruptive defenders during the preseason, totaling six total tackles, including three solos, a sack, two forced fumbles, two passes defensed and two quarterback hits.

Ethan Burke vs Vikings pic.twitter.com/YWPV4mnOGm

— 🏜️ (@SimplyAS10) August 22, 2026

As the fifth outside linebacker on the depth chart, he'll be predominantly seeing the field on special teams whenever he's active for games. His performance in that often-overlooked phase of the game is what helped give him the edge over players like 2024 third-rounder Adisa Isaac and second-year pro Kaimon Rucker when it came down to final cuts.

"When you look at particularly two phases of the game, I think he played really well on special teams, and he has been really consistent on defense with what he can bring to the table," Head Coach Jesse Minter said. "He's really physical, really rugged, but a really good rusher.

"He has had some really good days rushing the passer out here in training camp and also in the preseason games. I thought he has been dominant at times in special teams on the kickoff team in particular, so again, just a guy that kind of played his way onto the team."

Mission and mindset remain the same

Aug 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) is hit by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ethan Burke (45) as offensive tackle Ryan van Demark (72) attempts to block during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Just making the team took a lot of hard work and required beating long odds to make it come to fruition. Burke knows full well that there's a lot more work ahead in order for him to go from a nice summer story to becoming a staple on the team that can be counted on by his coaches and teammates now that games will really start mattering.

"I think they're happy for me, but [they emphasized to] keep going, [that] this is just the beginning of my journey [and] to never be satisfied," Burke said. "You have guys like Trey [Hendrickson] who are going into Year 10, and they're never satisfied with the results, and every day, they come to work. So, I want to implement that mindset and just continue to work and get better."

The Ravens media team captured the moments that he and his fellow undrafted rookie gem, quarterback Joe Fagnano, were informed by general manager Eric DeCosta himself that they had made the team and Burke admitted to being "a little stressed" in the hours leading up to final cuts and was relieved and elated when he got the good news.

"You just don't know what to expect," Burke said. "You just have to hope for the best. Know that you've put in the work, and that whatever happens, happens, and everything works out and everything happens for a reason."

Now that he's officially a Raven, Burke isn't any less hungry or determined to prove himself than he was prior to this past weekend. He doesn't intend to adjust his approach or mindset as it pertains to his pursuit of becoming the best player he can be and helping the team in any way he can to reach their ultimate goals.

"For me, I didn't want anything to change," Burke said. "I still have a chip on my shoulder and just continue to do my routine, work, stretch in the morning, work out just as hard, practice just as hard [and] be just as attentive in meetings. [It's] almost like nothing's changed, and [I'll] continue to fight to stay here."