Ray Lewis III sent a letter of intent to the University of Miami (Florida) on Wednesday to ensure his enrollment at the school and on the football team.
The Associated Press reported the story early Thursday. Ten other recruits sent letters of intent back to the southern Florida school. After submitting his letter early Wednesday, Lewis III and his father had a ceremonial signing at his high school in Orlando.
Lewis claims that his son has impacted both his entry into and exit from the NFL. Lewis left the Miami after his junior year, which was also the year Lewis III was born.
Lewis III is a running back who unofficially committed to the school on March 20, 2012. It has not been uncommon in recent years for students to commit to one school and de-commit to sign elsewhere. To officially sign a letter of intent, the athlete needs the signature of a parent or guardian, which was an issue this week for Alex Collins, another running back recruit. Collins wanted to attend the University of Arkansas, but his mother reportedly confiscated his letter of intent and disappeared, Deadspin says. Ironically enough, Collins' mother wants him to attend Miami, because it is much closer to her Plantation, Florida home.
The Hurricanes have been in a precarious situation for the last couple of years. The NCAA was investigating the scandal involving former school booster Nevin Shapiro, but the motion came to a temporary halt recently because of a discovered conflict of interest: the NCAA had Shapiro's defense attorney on its payroll because she reportedly gave the organization information from an unrelated bankruptcy case.