As Jets jack-of-many-trades Tim Tebow gains weight to prepare for the additional punishment he’ll absorb this year, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis has opted to go lean.
Gantt points out in the one-liners that Lewis is lighter than 240 pounds. So how much lighter?
Lewis won’t say. He could be at 230 or less, and he looks noticeably thinner in a video posted at the Baltimore Sun website.
Lewis attributes the adjustments in his body to the adjustments in the sport. “[T]he game is changing,” Lewis said, via Matt Vensel of the Baltimore Sun. "[A]in’t no more 250, 260-pound fullbacks and the offense running the ball 25, 30, 40-plus times.”
Lewis said that coaches have told him over the years that it’s important to get lighter as a player gets later in his career.
His goal is to be able to keep up with the Gronkowskis of the world, as passing offenses rely on versatile tight ends to attack the middle of the field that Lewis previously has patrolled in search of tailbacks. If Lewis can’t run with the tight ends, he could be chased off the field.
While the reduced weight could make Lewis more mobile, it also could make him more susceptible to injury. And it could cause 2012 opponents that have potent running games to run right at Ray.