WASHINGTON — Ray Lewis, the longtime Baltimore Ravens linebacker will be heading to Canton after being elected to the NFL’s Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot.
But longtime Redskins offensive tackle Joe Jacoby will not be accompanying Lewis. Jacoby did not make it in his final year as a modern day finalist. He still could eventually get the call to the Hall of Fame as a senior finalist.
Lewis joins Randy Moss, Brian Urlacher, Brian Dawkins, Terrell Owens, Jerry Kramer, Robert Brazile and Bobby Beathard in the NFL’s Hall of Fame Class of 2018.
Lewis is widely considered one of the greatest middle linebackers, winning two AP Defensive Player of the Year awards and earning eight All-Pro selections. He anchored a dominant defense for the 2000 Baltimore Ravens in a season that ended with him winning Super Bowl MVP, then retired as a champion after Baltimore closed his last season with a title win over San Francisco in February 2013.
Lewis joined tackle Jonathan Ogden as the only Ravens voted into the Hall of Fame as both of the team’s first-round picks in its initial season of 1996 received the high honor.
Lewis’ career was also marked by legal problems off the field. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice after initially being charged with murder in connection with two killings following a Super Bowl party in Atlanta in January 2000. Lewis was also fined $250,000 by the NFL.
Jacoby will have to wait another year to make the Hall of Fame. He now moves to senior nominee status, which is for players whose careers ended at least 25 years ago.
Jacoby spent all of his 13-year career with the Redskins and was part of the vaunted “Hogs” offensive line that helped lead the Redskins to four trips to the Super Bowl three Super Bowl wins, each time with a different starting quarterback.
He was a two-time first-team All-Pro and was selected to four straight Pro Bowls from 1983-1986.