Lewis endorses hiring of Reed as chief of staff

CORAL GABLES – Miami Hurricanes legend and NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis on Monday strongly endorsed UM’s hiring of his former Baltimore Ravens teammate, Ed Reed, as chief of staff.

“Two things you can guarantee he brings: Experience and probably the best safety to ever play the game,” said Lewis of Reed, who is also a Hall of Famer. “From experience, I think you can’t pay for experience. What Ed has done, the path he took, coming from the University of Miami, being who he is, coming to Baltimore — thank you for coming to Baltimore — to know that Ed comes back, the kids gain so much.”

After spending 10 seasons together and winning a Super Bowl with the Ravens, Lewis hopes Miami players listen to what Reed has to say.

“They have to really be willing to speak to him too, right?” said Lewis, who is on the 2021 ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame. “Because you got to be willing to listen to those lessons, and a lot of those lessons take a long time. Ed, he’s wise way beyond his years, so I think he brings a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge, as well.”

Lewis, speaking at UM on Monday because he and Toast Distillers, Inc. were donating personal protective equipment (PPE) to Hurricanes athletics as they bring athletes back on campus for summer workouts, is hopeful of a turnaround after Miami went 6-7 in coach Manny Diaz’s first season at the helm.

“Every time the season starts, I’m excited to see the Hurricanes play,” Lewis said. “We’ve always been that culture of football that it’s just beautiful to see. I’m ready to see that this year. I really am. I am really optimistic that everything can change.

“We’re there, but getting on the other side of that, it’s just — I call it swagger — that’s what we started it with. But it’s a swagger through execution of togetherness. We were so dominant here because of what we did together and how we communicated. To start to see that come back to the U, definitely on the football field, is what I’m waiting on.”

Lewis and Dieuveny “DJ” Jean Louis, founder and CEO of Toast Distillers, donated 384 gallons and 500 eight-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer, 1,200 face masks and 100 face shields on Monday.

He said it was important to him to take action to help college athletes safely be able to return to campus for voluntary workouts, as UM began to do last week. He wanted to start with his alma mater.

“I think it’s better to be safer,” said Lewis of returning from the pandemic. “I think it’s better to understand the routes we have to take to tackle this thing, and everybody has just got to stay in their own lanes.”

In addition to Toast Distillers and Miami Distilling Company, the delivery of PPE and supplies was made possible by Lewis’ motivational brand, No Excuses.