Ray Lewis does not need an introduction and if you don’t know who he is, you don’t deserve to be reading this. The ‘Brickwall’ is the unquestioned heart and soul of Baltimore. Who can ever forget his heroics in Super Bowl XXXV. So what does Ray Lewis and a Swiss rail tunnel have in common?

17 years.

When Lewis was drafted 26th overall in the 1996 NFL draft he become the Raven’s second ever draft pick for their inaugural season following their relocation from Cleveland. He spent his entire 17-year career in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens with his final game being in Super Bowl XXXV.

In 2016 more than 4100-miles away from M&T Bank Stadium, the Gotthard base tunnel in Switzerland opened after construction began in 1999. The 35-mile (57km) tunnel is the world’s longest rail tunnel which cuts travel by an hour between Zurich and Milan.

At over 57km long and over 151km of of tunnels, shafts and passages it is the longest railway tunnel in the world.

The Gotthard track is flat with trains reaching speeds of up to 155mp/h (250km/h), saving time by avoiding winding tracks through the Swiss Alps. These are speeds likened to Ray Lewis on the blitz … Purple Pain!

“Wins and losses come a dime a dozen. But effort? Nobody can judge that. Because effort is between you and you.”

The tunnel’s build was typically Swiss – on time and on budget ($12b) despite taking 17-years to build.

It was a monumental effort for the Swiss considering the tunnel is up to 2.3km (1.42 miles) below the surface of the mountains above. Temperatures of some of the surrounding rock can also reach up to 46 degrees 46°C (114.8°F).

Engineers also had to dig and blast through 73 different types of rock ranging from the hardness of granite to the softness of sand.

The build is the same sort of patience Ray Lewis demonstrated in a career as he accumulated 2061 tackles, 41.5 QB sacks, 67 pass deflections, 31 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles and 3 defensive touchdowns on his way to two Super Bowls.

The Gotthard base tunnel continues in operation underneath the Swiss alps, despite Ray Lewis’ final walk through the tunnel following Super Bowl XLVII. Despite this, the ‘Brickwall’ and the tunnel will always share something in common.