Former New York Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer, who lost to Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV, called Lewis a hypocrite and a “caricature” of himself at Wednesday’s media day at the Super Bowl for hogging the spotlight.
“It’s definitely all about him,” Toomer told USA Today’s Mike Garafolo. “Once a guy goes to the center of the field, goes into the victory formation on the last play of his last home game … I just don’t think the Giants or any organization I’ve ever been a part of, even growing up, would allow somebody to single themselves out like that.”
After the Colts-Ravens wild-card game, Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne called Lewis’ end-of-game, midfield dance “disrespectful.”
But Lewis said Wednesday that he owed it to his teammates and the city of Baltimore to “give everybody a fair chance to say their goodbyes.”
Toomer said he would not have had an issue with Lewis’ dance if he had made a big play.
“But to walk out on the field reminds me of the WWE, like the Rock coming out,” Toomer said. “You’re becoming a caricature of yourself. It’s exhausting.”
Despite Toomer’s comments, he acknowledged that he loved Lewis and considers him a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He understands that Lewis’ retirement has served as a motivation tool for the Ravens, but wishes Lewis would take a step back from the limelight and make it more about the team.
Toomer also took a shot at Lewis for calling himself a religious man.
“If you want to say you’re Mr. Religious and all of that, have a clean record,” Toomer said. “Don’t say all that stuff if you know there’s stuff that might come back. Those are the things that, when I look at him, I just think hypocrisy.”
Lewis pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice as part of a plea agreement over a double killing in Atlanta in 2000. He reached an out of court settlement with both families for an undisclosed amount.
