Nearly three years after losing his son, Ray Lewis is still carrying the pain of that loss close to him. The Baltimore Ravens legend recently shared an emotional birthday message for Ray Lewis III on social media, reflecting on the loss that continues to weigh heavily on him years later.

Lewis posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, a picture of his kids, with the caption, “Happy Birthday Son!! Long Live Ray!!! A family that prays together stays together, love you son. Today hurts, but I know you’re in a better place. I will honor you until I see you again.”

Ray Ray was the eldest of Lewis’s six children, and like his father, Lewis III, was a football player. He was a cornerback and played in his dad’s alma mater, Miami, before transferring to Coastal Carolina in 2015 and eventually finishing his career at Virginia Union.

In June 2023, his life was tragically cut short when Lewis III was found unresponsive at his home in Central Florida. Authorities later ruled his death an accidental overdose.

“The evidence and witness accounts show this incident to be a tragic accident,” the Casselberry Police Department said in a statement.

Close to a year after his passing, researchers at Boston University’s CTE Center diagnosed Lewis III posthumously with Stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a degenerative brain disease. One of the known causes of CTE is repeated blows to the head over a period of time, and it can only be diagnosed by examining the brain post-mortem.

While Lewis’ life came to an unfortunate end, his family has made it their mission to be an advocate for football safety awarness though a foundation in his honor: the RL3 Foundation, with a mission,

“To positively impact the lives of youth, aspiring athletes, and musical artists through the promotion of drug-free living and the education of best practices to promote safety, while providing access to resources and opportunities for success.”

Following her son’s posthumous CTE diagnosis, Ray Lewis III’s mother, Tatyana McCall, released a statement through the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

“Little did I know when I put my son in tackle football at age 5, I ran the risk of having to bury him 22 years later,” Tatyana McCall said, per the release. “I would have done something different now, knowing the risks. We need to wait until our babies are at least 14 to allow them to play tackle football. It also breaks my heart that you have to die to get a diagnosis for this disease.”

His father and Ravens legend, Ray Lewis, also addressed his late son’s diagnosis, adding, “We are proud to honor Ray Ray’s legacy by teaching our youth about football safety while sharing and supporting research on CTE.”

While the family continues to honor Ray Ray’s legacy and leave a positive impact in his name, what can’t be forgotten is the loss the family had to bear and the young life that was lost, as evidenced by Ray Lewis’s emotional post. And one sentence from Lewis post that’s particularly impactful when considering the incredible work RL3 is doing is, “I will honor you until I see you again.”