Ray Lewis III, the son of two-time Ravens Super Bowl champion Ray Lewis, died from a suspected drug overdose Wednesday, according to a police report.
Officers responded to a central Florida home and found the 28-year-old unconscious in a bedroom, according to the Casselberry Police Department.
“The evidence and witness accounts show this incident to be a tragic accident,” police said in a statement.
A person in the home was attempting CPR on Lewis III when an officer arrived Wednesday evening. The officer was advised by a second person that Lewis III needed the opioid-overdose antidote naloxone, which the officer administered using Narcan, according to the police report.
The antidote and further life-saving attempts were unsuccessful. Police said Lewis III was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead of a suspected overdose, pending an official autopsy report.
Lewis III followed in the footsteps of his father, who is credited with forever changing the position of NFL middle linebacker throughout his 17-year career with the Ravens that ended with his retirement from football in 2013.
Lewis III attended Lake Mary Prep in Florida, rushing for 1,898 yards and 20 touchdowns as senior, according to MaxPreps, and telling The Baltimore Sun in 2010 that he had a dream of playing in the NFL, as well as aspirations of “making a difference in people’s lives outside the football field.”
His younger brother, Rahsaan Lewis, said on an Instagram story, “Really can’t believe I’m even typing this, but RIP big brother.”
Lewis III played cornerback at his father’s alma mater, Miami, for two seasons before transferring to Coastal Carolina in 2015. He finished his career at Virginia Union.
His coach at VUU, Mark James, told The Sun on Thursday night: “Ray was a tremendous young man who played with the spirit of a lion. He was a great asset to the Virginia Union family. He will always be a Panther. May God bless his family.”
At Coastal Carolina, Lewis played 12 games at cornerback with 19 tackles. He had 37 tackles for Virginia Union in 2017.
The Associated Press and Orlando Sentinel contributed to this article.
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