After a full year off the air, Ray Lewis has been given another chance to shine on cable TV.
Fox Sports 1 professional arguer commentator Skip Bayless revealed the hire during his show yesterday, saying the Ravens legend-turned businessman and philanthropist will be joining “Undisputed,” the daily sports talk program co-hosted by Bayless and ex-NFLer Shannon Sharpe. He acknowledged Lewis as “the reason that the Ravens beat the Giants at the Super Bowl” back in 2000, chiding his co-host who played with Lewis on that squad.
Excited to welcome 13-time Pro Bowler and 2x Super Bowl champion @raylewis as FS1’s newest NFL Analyst! pic.twitter.com/TPK05KTiQl
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) June 20, 2017
Lewis already has years of analyst experience under his belt. He previously worked for ESPN for three seasons, but was fired last May. Since then, he’s been running job-creation initiatives in Baltimore, launching his own whiskey brand and making viral cameos on FS1 (and then apologizing for) criticizing his old team’s quarterback.
“Ray is passionate, incisive and has the ability to ignite thought-provoking discussions,” said Whit Albohm, the network’s executive producer and vice president of daily studio production, in a statement. “We are fortunate to have Ray officially on our roster and look forward to him bringing the same passion and motivation he demonstrated on the field and in the locker room into our FS1 studio programs and digital platforms.”
Lewis, a 13-time Pro Bowler, two-time Super Bowl winner and defensive player of the year and one-time Super Bowl MVP, called the opportunity “a gift.” He said in a statement that he “can’t wait for the NFL season to start.”
He’ll appear regularly on “Undisputed,” as well as other sports talk shows like “The Herd with Colin Cowhered,” “Speak for Yourself,” featuring Cowherd and fellow agitator Jason Whitlock and FS1’s new show “First Things First,” coming out this September.
Lewis has a big year ahead. In addition to his new TV gig, he’ll be eligible to join the NFL Hall of Fame next winter.
