Browns RB Jamal Lewis has told reporters that he is planning to retire after the end of the 2009 season. This is a sad situation, mainly because he's on a Browns team that couldn't beat my son's Pop Warner team. But also because Lewis has a place in my heart from his days as a Raven.

The former 1st rounder of the 2000 draft, Lewis was a great asset to the Ravens, and was a key player in his rookie season as the Ravens won Super Bowl 35. Lewis was a bruising, down hill runner, pounding the rock for over 1,000 yards in all but 1 season during his tenure with the Ravens. Fans remember Lewis' remarkable 2003 season in which is rushed for 2066 (the 2nd highest in NFL history) and had a single season record game of rushing 295 yard game against the Browns. I remember a guy who played hard and was hard to tackle every time he got a hold of the ball.

Lewis , who just turned 30 in August, has always been injury prone, having 2 major knee surgeries by his sophomore season with the Ravens. And as recent as this season, has had groin problems which held him back in playing in games. With his style of running, it's no surprise that Lewis is ready to hang up his cleats for good.

While Lewis didn't really leave Baltimore with the best of terms (he made comments regarding the team and offensive line once he signed with Cleveland), what he did as a Raven will always be held in a high regard to me. In my opinion, once Lewis retires he should definitely be placed in the Ravens Ring Of Honor. Had Lewis not been the focal point of the offense during his record breaking season, the Ravens would have easily been 5-11 and no playoff hopes. He deserves to be acknowledged for what he has done for this team, he was a great player during his time here, and I'm sure the Ravens organization will pay great homage to Lewis.