The death of Tray Walker stunned the NFL world. The 23-year-old passed away on Friday in Miami, less than 24 hours after suffering a serious head injury in a devastating motorbike crash on Thursday night.
The Ravens cornerback wasn't in Baltimore long, but he made a lasting impression on those around him. Almost everyone in the organization -- from owner Steve Bisciotti to Walker's fellow defensive backs -- released a statement following his tragic death.
"We have two sons not too much older than Tray, and we can't imagine how much his family is suffering," Bisciotti said. "This is so sad. The right words are hard to find at a time like this. As much as we can comfort Tray's mom and the rest of his family, we will."
Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome was the one responsible for bringing Walker to the organization. The former Texas Southern defensive back was a fourth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
"Tray was one of the most humble persons we brought in for a pre-draft visit," Newsome said. "That was striking. After we drafted him, he and his family were so excited to receive the call that he was about to become a Raven. It was one of the calls I will always remember. There was such joy for Tray and his family."
Coach John Harbaugh was a big fan of Walker.
"Tray was a young man with a good and kind heart," Harbaugh said. "He was humble and loved everything about being part of the Ravens’ team. He loved his teammates, the practice and the preparation, and that showed every day."
Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith was someone who went up against Walker almost every day in practice.
"Times like this make you hug your kids tighter. A mother lost her son today, and a family lost their brother, including us, his extended family," Smith said. "Tray had a bright future ahead of him outside of football and was a guy who lit up the room with his personality. I will miss seeing him every day and seeing that bright smile he always wore."
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco called the situation devastating.
"This is very hard to wrap my head around, and I am devastated," Flacco said. "As a parent, I cannot imagine what his family is going through right now. All of my thoughts are with them. My hope is that we can be a little bit of help by being a second family for them."
Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith spent a lot of time with Walker.
"This is such a tragedy, and I am praying for Tray's family," Smith said. "He was a tremendous young man with so much potential, and I will miss him. Tray had a hard shell, but once you broke through that, you found a person who was learning how to become a man and was so eager to be a great person and professional."
The NFL becomes a tighter community after a tragic event like this and that was evident on Friday when at least one players from all 32 teams sent condolences to Walker.
The Ravens' division rivals in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Cleveland all sent their condolences and many reacted by taking to Twitter.
Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Ware, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor and Eagles tight end Zach Ertz were among the many players to offer condolences.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell also released a statement following Walker's death, "The loss of this young man is a terrible tragedy, and this is a sad day for everyone in the NFL," Goodell said. "Our thoughts are with Tray's family and friends, his teammates, and the entire Baltimore Ravens organization."