Ray Lewis and Shannon Sharpe were teammates with the Baltimore Ravens for just two seasons, but that was enough time for both men to gain a deep understanding of one another.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what gave Sharpe the ability to offer an impassioned defense of the embattled star linebacker in 2011<\/a> as he was dealing with legal issues.<\/p>\n However, that\u2019s also what gave Lewis the ability to critique Sharpe over the way he\u2019s apparently changed since his playing days.<\/p>\n Lewis was a guest on a recent episode of The PBD Podcast, hosted by Patrick Bet-David. While the episode in question appears to have been deleted from the podcast feed (presumably it was initially the August 21 episode, recorded two days prior<\/a>), a clip from the show has since gone viral. It\u2019s unclear whether the podcast episode was deleted due to these comments or for another reason.<\/p>\n Ray Lewis says fame changed Shannon Sharpe<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m shocked at his content\u2026 We went our separate ways. You\u2019re gonna take that route? I can\u2019t go that route!\u201d<\/p>\n (\ud83c\udfa5: Valuetainment\/YouTube)pic.twitter.com\/B8fDZxq4vT<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) August 30, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cI\u2019m not surprised,\u201d Lewis says regarding Sharpe\u2019s podcasting and TV success (transcript via PFT<\/a>). \u201cI\u2019m shocked at his content\u2026 I kind of started to watch him, and then we kind of went our own separate ways, because I\u2019m like, \u2018You\u2019re gonna take that route? I can\u2019t go that route. Never can go that route.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n As for the \u201croute\u201d in question, Lewis sees a discrepancy with the teammate he played with and the way Sharpe handles himself today.<\/p>\n \u201cThat route is to become so worldly that you\u2019ve become popular because you\u2019re talking about ignorance,\u201d Lewis said. \u201cA lot of times a lot of these gossip conversations that they\u2019re having and bringing up all this stuff, I\u2019m not gonna do that to nobody. I\u2019m not in the business for that. I\u2019m in life to try to teach people what does it mean to be a better man or give back to the kingdom.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd a lot of times, like, and a lot of guys get in trouble with these podcasts and things, man, because everybody wants the follower. Everybody wants to be popular. Everybody wants to make money. But that\u2019s a tightrope into what you call influence and popularity. The devil has the ability to make you popular. God has the ability to give you influence that when people see you, they see an image of him.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s the thing for me that started to switch with not just Shannon, but just a couple of people. I\u2019m like, \u2018Wow, you will switch out like that? Really?\u2019 And I would never, ever. Why? Because of the respect that I have for my mother, my daughters, my granddaughters, life, period.<\/p>\n \u201cI think men, given these new platforms, we\u2019ve overrode what the platform is actually for. The platform is supposed to help somebody find a new direction. We don\u2019t help. Everybody\u2019s just gets on. Like everybody\u2019s talking now. Everybody got a podcast. Everybody is the new marriage coach. Everybody\u2019s the new relationship coach. And ain\u2019t nobody coaching themselves, because if you were coaching your yourself, when it says, \u2018Power of life and death is found in the tongue,\u2019 then go back and check out a couple of your episodes and ask yourself, \u2018Do you give life, or do you give death?\u2019 And that\u2019s why me personally, yeah, I kind of do my own thing, Stay in my own lane.\u201d<\/p>\n While Sharpe has risen the sports media ladder in a hurry over the last few years, he\u2019d had his fair share of controversies as well. Last year, he accidentally livestreamed a sexual encounter<\/a> over Instagram. He recently settled a\u00a0$50 million lawsuit<\/a>, accusing the 57-year-old of \u201cassault, sexual assault, battery, and sexual battery\u201d when she was 19. In the wake of that lawsuit, he and ESPN parted ways, ending his ascent<\/a> as one of their rising stars.<\/p>\n\n