Ray Lewis: ‘No Comparison’ Between My Legal Past, Ray Rice’s Situation

Shock waves ripped through the NFL on Monday after a disturbing video was released of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer, in the face.

Rice was immediately released from the Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL. On ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown,” the network called on a rather interesting choice to weigh in with his opinion — former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

Lewis was teammates with Rice for five seasons in Baltimore and, like the running back, had a major run-in with the law when he was charged with two counts of murder in 2000.

ESPN’s Suzy Kolber asked Lewis about the parallels between his own trial and Rice’s current situation, but he insisted there is “no comparison” between the two former Ravens.

“This is nothing about me, personally, me speaking with the owner of the Ravens today, Steve Biscotti, just moments ago,” Lewis said, via CBSSports.com. ” … One thing Steve made very clear, there is no comparison of me and Ray Rice. It’s night and day. It’s night and day of anything we’ve ever been through, and that’s why both situations are totally different.”

Lewis added that he was “disappointed” in Rice’s actions.

“This is personal for me, so I’m torn because this is a guy, a young man, that I really took under my wing and tried to mentor,” he said.

Photo via Twitter/@IzzyGould