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Ravens remember fallen teammate on what would have been 24th birthday

Eric Edholm

Tray Walker, who would have been 24 years old on Friday, was remembered by many of his former Baltimore Ravens teammates less than five months after his death.

Anthony Levine (left) remembered his former teammate, Tray Walker (right), who died in March (Getty Images).
Anthony Levine (left) remembered his former teammate, Tray Walker (right), who died in March (Getty Images).

Walker, a fourth-round cornerback out of Texas Southern in 2015, played in eight games — mostly on special teams — as a rookie last season. In March, he died in a motorcycle accident in his hometown of Miami.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was so distraught at hearing the news that he wrote the members of the organization a heartfelt open letter with his thoughts.

Walker’s former teammates are still feeling the hurt. Many of them posted memorials on social media on what would have been his birthday.

It’s clear that Walker’s spirit remains strong around the team. His No. 25 jersey has not been issued to another player, and the Ravens plan to honor him with a memorial on a wall inside M&T Bank Stadium near where the players enter the locker room.

Many of those teammates, many of whom saw Walker as a “little brother” or sorts, spoke — via ESPN.com — about how they’re carrying on Walker’s memory.

Tray Walker, who died in March, would have been 24 on Friday (AP).
Tray Walker (center), who died in March, would have been 24 on Friday (AP).

“Every day, before I go out to practice, I see him and think about him,” defensive back Anthony Levine said. “I miss him a lot.”

Added safety Lardarius Webb: “I just can’t believe it. He was here one day and gone the next. He was such a good guy.”

One of the Ravens who has taken the news the hardest has been safety Terrence Brooks. He has reminisced about the time they spent together at home and on the road in their short time together, less than a year. Still, Walker made a profound impact on Brooks and still does to this day.

“I know he’s looking over me,” Brooks said. “I pray all the time to him and pray to God. It’s always a tough thing realizing that he’s not here and not seeing him on the locker room. When times get hard, I always think back and think, ‘If Tray was here, how would he do it? What would he want me to do?’

“That’s really what been keeping me pushing, even when these days are hard. I come out here and think about Tray. I’m doing it for Tray, too.”

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!