Ray Lewis has no shortage of accolades to his name, but perhaps none more important than the Champion of Mentoring Award he was recently bestowed ... an honor he tells TMZ Sports was "one of the most rewarding things that I probably received."
We spoke with Lewis after MENTOR, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing mentors to kids across the country, honored him at their 35th Anniversary Gala in mid-October, with the Hall of Famer telling us he was shocked when he initially got the call.
"I think just that whole room, that whole aura around what does it mean to be recognized as a champion in the mentoring space, is what I live to do," Lewis said.