BOSTON (CBS) -- Tom Brady still has the utmost respect for Ray Lewis, even after the retired linebacker made some interesting remarks about the Patriots quarterback earlier this week.

Lewis, whose former team, the Baltimore Ravens, fell to Brady's Patriots last weekend in the AFC Divisional Round, was on Sirius XM radio on Tuesday and all but said Brady's legacy was built on the 2001 tuck rule call in the AFC Divisional Round win over the Oakland Raiders (read the full comments here).

When asked about Lewis' comments on Thursday, Brady took the high road and sang the praises of his former foe.

"Everyone has an opinion. I think Ray is a great player. He's a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I was fortunate enough to play against him."

Shortly after Brady took the podium, Lewis took to Twitter to clarify his remarks.

Brady's right eye was a bit bloodshot on Wednesday and Thursday, the result of a Ravens player poking him in the eye following a scrum during last Saturday's AFC Divisional Round win.

Brady laughed it off, saying the "eye gouge" was a move that's illegal even in pro wrestling, and was complimentary about the player being able to pull it off without the referees seeing him.

When asked if Lewis ever tried to put a finger in his eye during their showdowns over the years, Brady poked a little fun at the future Hall of Famer.

"Maybe worse than that," he said with a smile. "He was a pretty tough player."

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