NFL Star Ray Lewis Helps NY Boy After Mom’s Suicide Plunge
- Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:23pm by
Scott Baker
- Print »
- Email »
AP
NEW YORK (AP) — NFL linebacker Ray Lewis is helping a 10-year-old New York boy whose mother drowned herself and three children by driving a van into the Hudson River.
AP
The surviving child, La’Shaun Armstrong, was to attend a Manhattan fundraiser of the United Athletes Foundation on Saturday night. Some of the proceeds will go to him, including scholarship money.
The Baltimore Ravens star says he reached out to the child as soon as he heard about the April 12 tragedy. The boy escaped through a van window after the car plunged into the water in Newburgh, N.Y., and was rescued by a passing driver.
La‘Shaun’s 25-year-old mother, Lashanda Armstrong, reportedly was distraught over an argument with her boyfriend.
La’Shaun told the Daily News that meeting the 35-year-old linebacker was “awesome.”
Lewis says the boy needs mentoring from a father figure. His biological father, Todd Johnson, is in prison on a robbery conviction.
As soon as he heard news of the accident, “I was like, ‘I need to find him,’” Lewis told the newspaper at a Manhattan bowling complex earlier this week, when the boy arrived with his grandmother and another relative to meet the NFL player and get some bowling tips from him.
“Nobody is supposed to walk through life alone with that, especially being 10 years old,” said Lewis, who is vice chairman of the United Athletes Foundation.
The nonprofit was created in 2008 by a group of professional athletes whose aim is to improve the lives of athletes and their communities.
The president of the nonprofit, former NFL cornerback Reggie Howard, took La’Shaun shopping for clothes earlier this week.
The foundation plans to help La’Shaun well into the future.
“I don’t want to come into his life for a phase,” Lewis said. “I want to be in his life forever.”
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 710 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 562 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 383 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 375 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 364 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 375 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 383 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 312 Comments- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 149 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 302 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 375 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (84)
German-AmericanSS
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 4:17pmyea well i aint buyin it. hes still a murderer
Report Post »IMPrepared
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:39pm…from the underinformed…
Report Post »Food4Thought
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 9:29pmNice job instigator!! Why take a decent story and crap all over it? If the judge allowed it to be settled out of court what business is it of yours?
Report Post »malp1022
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 4:16pmGreat to see Ray lewis step up to the plate. Yes he has made some very poor choices in the past, but it is not up to us to condem him. What he has done in the past is between him and God.
Report Post »angelcat
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 4:16pmThis is what it is al about – people helping people without the government forcing them to do so.
Report Post »NC_Steve
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 3:46pmYes, Ray got in trouble a number of years ago. He settled with the family and paid his debts. Since that time, I have heard nothing bad about him. I have also not heard any flashy things about him either, things like trying to reconstruct his image. I think he and his fellow players are going to do their best for this boy. And I solute him for doing so. We all make mistakes in our lives. He who is without sin can cast the stone, otherwise, give the man a break.
Report Post »crystalinwi
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 3:21pmAwesome, also, the boy must be quite an athelete to have escaped and survived like that, God Bless him.
Report Post »WeRunDCnotThem
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 3:18pmA TRUE hand UP! Good for you Ray.
Report Post »vegtech
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 3:08pmEverybody needs to know what a hero is and learn why their a hero. It’s amazing where they originate from.
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 3:07pmThis, Ladies and Gentlemen, is what a good man looks like! Ah, were there more like him in our inner cities, we would not have ghettos any more. All our children would move upward and not toward prison or the morgue.
BZ! (Navy for great job!) Mr. Ray Lewis! This is the best “play” of your life!
Report Post »DonnaA
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 3:01pmGood news is prayers answered. Thanks Blaze for sharing!
Report Post »trooper
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:55pmHe not doubt wanted to quite the mom up before she told the press that he was doing what he was doing with the little boy, (***).
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:49pmGreat for the young man. Perhaps Mr. Lewis could help out the Lollar & Baker families. I’m sure there were tears shed in their families too.
Report Post »Thetruthhasnoagenda
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:35pmInspiring beyond words.
Report Post »clipper
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:26pmRay Lewis had a lot of baggage when he first came into the NFL and because of that I never had any respect for him.What he does on a football field speaks for itself. I hope Ray is serious and stays in this boy’s life forever. This just may change a lot of people’s minds, mine included, about Ray Lewis.
Report Post »jimjonjr
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:19pmWell, It appears prison CAN rehabilitate. Take that conservatives!
Report Post »8jrts
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:31pmI thought it was probation. http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/sports-athletestrouble/9/
Report Post »trooper
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:12pmHe’s guilty in the death to some degree, Sounds like (***), let’s wait and see.
Report Post »Deyo_
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:06pmAwsome!
Report Post »HookedM
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:59pmremember when Ray was a bad-guy …
Report Post »Nobamazone
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:59pmWe all have a past, some more colorful than others, but no one is perfect or without fault. Mr. Lewis taking this boy under his wing is exactly the type of change in this boys life that can make all the difference, Our children need mentors now more than ever, as someone pointed out above, this boy was born to a 15 year old, his father is in prison, his mom tried to kill him,
Report Post »Can you just imagine how much this child has been through? He is one of many, sadly, there are thousands of them out there just like him.
IowaWoman
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 5:59pmIf Ray Lewis is sincere he will reap the rewards of years of giving. If it is a photo op, I hope the boy’s life is better off for it. Let the focus be on the boy in need. He does need a good father figure, I hope he gets a great one.
Report Post »Not SO Old Yet DI
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:18pmGood news for a change…touche’. Only question is, was he as comforting to the family of the man in that murder he was involved in and skated on? Just wondering…redemption is a good thng.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:20pmLet’s see — That was back in 2000. He had a year’s probation. He was off probation ten years ago. Gee, you think the judge should have ordered Lewis to be crucified for something that no one could prove he did? The e4vidence points to the fact that Lewis tried to break up the fight.
Get a life!
Report Post »Not SO Old Yet DI
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 7:28pmYea right…ande OJ didn’ do it either.
Report Post »Chicago Ray
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:17pmPerhaps Lewis can adopt the young man if he cares so much. I give him credit for this but any celeb can throw ONE fundraiser and disappear using the photo op‘s on their Facebook fan pages and the Team DO GOODER centerfold of the yearly TEAM program showing ’not all NFL players are accused of manslaughter and get away with it by signing some big big checks?’
oh wait, wasn’t Lewis one of those, I thought? Indeed he was/ In fact Google this interesting headline: Ray Lewis Pays Off Murderd Man’s Family
Report Post »Chicago Ray
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:24pm“Ray Lewis was sentenced to one year of probation for obstructing justice in the stabbing deaths of two men following a Super Bowl party in Atlanta. ”
http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/sports-athletestrouble/9/
Report Post »TRUTH
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:03pmI don‘t know if you’re a Christian, but if you are, you’re a bad one. Here‘s a guy clearly changing his ways and you don’t want to acknowledge that.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:10pmThey could not pin it on him. The prosecution could not prove that Lewis participated in the fight other than try to break it up. No one could identiry the attackers in a line up. The judge approved the settlement.
What’s your point?
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:11pm@Truth ~
Report Post »I stand with you!
jimjonjr
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:53pmI, too, stand with Truth. Ray, I live in Chicago too. Seems to me what folks have done in their past don’t always define them. Maybe if you had a forgiving heart you could get past the hostility.
Report Post »RavenMaven
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 5:21pmWell, I knew I would not have to read too many comments before some idiot threw out the “murderer” stuff again. If you knew anything about that incident, or if you knew anything about the life of Ray Lewis and what he has done for the City of Baltimore, It’s less fortunate citizens, professional football players past and present, the communities around Tampa, Florida where he grew up, or the myriad of other un- heralded charitable acts of love and giving, you would never even think of saying those disgusting things. You would know that he is a man of God and an inspiration to all who know him. Why do you think every NFL player looks to him with such reverence?
Report Post »RapiCane
Posted on May 2, 2011 at 4:05amchicagoray does not have one-tenth the character that Ray Lewis has in his jockstrap alone.
chicagoray, what fundraiser did you organize to help this poor young boy? When did you ever step up and help to save at least three separate communities as Lewis has done?
The answer is, you’ve done none of those things. Yet you come on a public forum like this and attack my Brother Hurricane for something he allegedly did (but probably did NOT do) more than a decade ago?
You’re just another zero internet sniper who completely missed again.
May God bless this young boy, Ray Lewis, The U, and everyone who devotes themselves to random acts of kindness, both big and small.
Report Post »Hank919
Posted on May 2, 2011 at 7:46amYou Your City and Your President Suck!
Report Post »tersky
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:08pmDang. 10 year-old kid, 25 year-old mom, dad in jail… Kid needs a lot more than one football star unless this guy is going to adopt him. So sad, and WAY too much of this kind of thing going on. Poor kid.
Report Post »Dale
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:52pm““I don’t want to come into his life for a phase,” Lewis said. “I want to be in his life forever.”
Report Post »——————————–
I believe you will be.
MikeinIdaho
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:05pmGood job, Ray! You are awsome, on and off the field!
Report Post »Billsocal
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:04pmI am glad to see Ray Lewis step up in real life like he does on the football field.
Report Post »IAMNOTKNOWING
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 12:57pmYou recongnize Ray Lewis’ talent on the football field. I never rooted for him because he doesn’t play for my team.
Report Post »At this point though… I’m a HUGE Ray Lewis fan.
Whiplash
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:08pmHere, here! Good on Ray Lewis.
http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/63611/snidely_whiplash.html
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:32pmI’m not as football fan, and I had never heard of Ray Lewis. I’m still not a fan of football, but Ray Lewis? That’s “a whole ‘nother story!” He almost made me cry because of his kindness, caring, and generosity. In fact, I still might cry!
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 3:40pmThank you Mr Lewis .
Report Post »GOD Bless .
The_Rev_In_Co
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 6:25pmSame here! Lewis has gone up several rungs on My good person ladder.
Report Post »LadyLiberto
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 12:52pmAmen Brother!
Report Post »CatB
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 12:58pmNIce to hear about an NFL player doing good …. thank you Mr. Lewis!
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:05pmThis is one of the greatest things to hear of, people helping other people in need of help, in any way they are able to do so.
Best wishes to the kid for the future, and may the Lord guide him and sustain him in the time ahead.
Report Post »thunder4570
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:09pmThis young man will get more out of this than any goverment program could ever provide! If more people could get involved like this, we would be a better nation. unfortunatly Big GOVERMENT thinks it is the solution and gets in the way.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:16pmThank you, thank you UAF, for stepping up to the plate (yes, I know it’s baseball) on behalf of this young man. He will have a long road but with mentoring from such strong men, hopefully his life will come back together and he will survive this tragedy. God bless.
Report Post »GEW
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 1:42pmHow wonderful. Thank you sir.
Report Post »Cemoto78
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:03pmGood for them, and I hope the best for this poor kid.
Report Post »AzDebi
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 2:19pmHow wonderful is this? Thank you, Sir!
Report Post »True2The_Word
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 3:00pmLewis has just shown us all that the “American Spirit” is still alive! This is a millionare reaching out and sharing not only his fortune, but his time and personal world with a total straqnger, a young boy in need. That’s the America I love!
Report Post »thegrassroots
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 3:04pmGod Bless You, Mr Lewis, For Stepping Up To Make A Difference!
Report Post »Mainer forever
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 3:46pmO.K. who else was crying while reading that one? Such good news in an awful time in this kids life. Sometimes good things do happen. There are good people out there. Nice story Blaze!!
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 5:31pmClass act..
Report Post »jhaydeng
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 10:32pmI live one town over and it was really an awful event! Good to hear that people are reaching out to this kid from other parts!
Report Post »TulsaYeeHaw
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 11:43pmCHARITY. We will be the key. That man is an inspiration. (and his old spice commercial is hilarious)
Report Post »thebarbarian
Posted on May 2, 2011 at 12:40ama heartfull patriot :)
Report Post »grandma7
Posted on May 2, 2011 at 12:51amThis is an incredible story. Bless both of them. So beyond a charitable contribution. This child is, blessed to have Lewis in his life. Hope the father stays away and lets the young man thrive.
Report Post »W. Forever
Posted on May 2, 2011 at 12:21pmNot to throw cold water on everybody. But sometimes celebrites do good things for attention, or to “better” their reputation. Don’t automatically assume this is a nice guy because of 1 action. Remember his past. From Wikipedia: Following a Super Bowl XXXIV party in Atlanta on January 31, 2000, a fight broke out between Lewis and another group of people, resulting in the stabbing deaths of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar. Eleven days after Lewis and two companions, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting, were questioned by Atlanta police, the three were indicted on murder and aggravated assault charges. The white suit Lewis was wearing the night of the killings has never been found. Prosecutors alleged that the bloodstained suit was dumped in a garbage bin outside a fast food restaurant.[25]
Lewis claimed that the prosecution knew he was not involved in the murder but chose to go ahead with the case anyway, saying “You don‘t care if I’m guilty or not. You gonna make sure I go to jail for life.”[26]
Lewis’ attorney arranged for the murder charges against Lewis to be dropped in exchange for his testimony against Oakley and Sweeting, and a guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice.[12] Lewis admitted that he gave a misleading statement to police on the morning after the killings. He was sentenced to one year of probation and was fined US$250,000 by the NFL, which was believed to be the highest fine levied against an NFL player for an infraction not involving substance abuse.[27]
Oakley and Sweeting were acquitted of the charges in June 2000.[28] No other suspects have ever been arrested for the crime.
The following year, Lewis was named Super Bowl XXXV MVP. However, the signature phrase “I’m going to Disney World!” was given instead by quarterback Trent Dilfer.
On April 29, 2004, Lewis reached a settlement with four-year-old India Lollar, born months after the death of her father Richard, preempting a scheduled civil proceeding. Lewis also reached an undisclosed settlement with Baker’s family.[28]
Report Post »