Ray Lewis III, son of Ravens legend, died of suspected overdose

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June 17, 2023, 3:29 PM ET
2 min read

CASSELBERRY, Fla. -- Ray Lewis III, the son of two-time Super Bowl champion Ray Lewis, died of a suspected overdose, according to a police report obtained Saturday.

Lewis' younger brother, Rahsaan Lewis, first posted about his sibling's death Thursday in an Instagram story.

Lewis died Wednesday after officers were called to a Central Florida home and found him unconscious in a bedroom, according to the Casselberry Police Department.

Lewis was reported to be 28 years old. He played cornerback at his father's alma mater, Miami, for two seasons before transferring to Coastal Carolina in 2015. He finished his career at Virginia Union.

"The evidence and witness accounts show this incident to be a tragic accident," police said in a statement.

A person in the home was attempting CPR on Lewis when an officer arrived Wednesday evening. The officer was advised by a second person that Lewis needed the opioid-overdose antidote naloxone, which the officer administered using Narcan, according to the police report.

The antidote and further life-saving attempts were unsuccessful. Police said Lewis was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead of a suspected overdose, pending an official autopsy report.

His coach at Virginia Union, Mark James, said his former player "was a great kid."

"He played hard and it was a pleasure knowing him," James told The Associated Press by phone Friday.

Rahsaan Lewis said on his Instagram story Thursday, "Really can't believe I'm even typing this, but RIP big brother."

James remembered Lewis as a level-headed young man who worked hard and never acted like he was above others despite his father's success as an NFL standout and a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

"I think by the time we got him, he was ready for the business of going to school and finishing and playing football and being an impact [player]," James said. "He was a hard worker."

At Coastal Carolina, Lewis played 12 games at cornerback with 19 tackles. He had 37 tackles for Virginia Union in 2017.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.