compiled by megan boyle
You’ve made a career out of playing right guard, but you have the ability to move along the offensive line. What is it about the guard position that makes you so successful? “I’m right at that breaking point of being too short to play and be super effective at tackle. You need to be 6-foot-4 and some change, 6-foot-5 or 6-foot-6 to play tackle. I’m 6-foot-3 and 7/8ths, so I’m right on the borderline of being able to have long enough arms, long enough reach, and all those variables play into playing tackle. I’ve tried both positions, and I’m better suited for guard. I’m strong; I’m stout, and guard just better suits my body’s framework. At the end of the day, when I have to push the guy past the quarterback, sometimes I’m just not long enough to get that done – so guard has always been better for my framework.” What’s the most difficult part of your position? “Pass-blocking for offensive linemen is the hardest thing we do. Two-minute situation: We’re down, they know we have to pass, and the defensive line is pinning their ears back – that’s the toughest part of our job.” What’s your favorite part about it? “Say we have a good lead in the second half, and [we’re] wearing them down in four-minute [offense]. Being able to run the ball more and also flipping the script a little bit: They know that we’re going to run the ball, and we just continue to run the ball and almost demoralize the defense or take the air out of their sails.” What advice do you give to the younger players? “I try to help them in every way I can – whether that’s in the classroom, on the field, [answering] questions. Things I know that will probably give them problems, things that I know they might be thinking about, I try to possibly give them a little tip here or there. I always try to be a positive light for them – let them know that it’s not too big for them. A lot of playing offensive line is having confidence. You have to have confidence to build a play and block people. When you’re a young player, you’re finding that way. You’re
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finding if you can play in this league or not. I feel like positive encouragement from an older player and showing them what they need to work on is helpful.” Did you have a mentor when you began your career? “[Former Ravens center] Matt Birk. I played with him for four years, and I respect the way he went about his business on the field and off the field. He was positive every single day coming in here. He was a really hard worker and an awesome family man. He just did everything the right way – not just on the field, but in every situation of life. I just respect the heck out of him.” To what do you accredit your success and longevity in your 12th NFL season? “No. 1, I think you have to be a really hard worker who wants to get better every single day of the year in this business. Luck and
staying healthy at the right time [is important]. All of us are one snap away from getting rolled-up on, or hit from the side, and your season is done. That’s happened to me twice. I know that can happen every single Sunday, so luck is involved. I’m a hard worker, I’m a grinder, and I’m disciplined in everything that I do. I’m always trying, every single year, to be a better person, player, father, husband. I feel like that attitude squeezes out every single inch that you have, whether it’s playing ability, being a better person. That drive to want to wake up in the morning and be better, it pushes you. Also, my time at Iowa with [head coach Kirk] Ferentz and [strength and conditioning coach Chris] Doyle … I consider them mentors when I was there for two years. They set the standard for accountability, responsibility and discipline for me at a young age. I felt like I’ve stayed on those tracks throughout my career. Those two guys were really influential.” You mentioned being a hard worker. When other players speak about you, they mention and praise your “farm toughness.” Is that something that has helped develop your technique because of the discipline that’s required? “It’s God-given ability. I’ve always had the on-the-field strength and stoutness. When they’re relating to ‘farm strength,’ that’s related to the stoutness that I have when I play. That’s stuff that you can’t
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there, and we succeeded. Nothing is given, nothing is guaranteed, so for us to achieve our goals and do it together as a team, I love that.” In the offseason, you picked up yoga. Is that something that you still practice?
really teach. That has helped me, but you have to obviously build on that and work on it. That’s only one aspect to the offensive line game – there’s a ton of them – and you’re trying to be great at all of them.” We live in a world that revolves around social media. You’re the kind of guy that hasn’t bought into the hype... “I wouldn’t say I’m ‘antisocial media.’ I consider it a distraction for us as football players. Your mental focus is so important, and that’s one extra distraction that you do not need. I’m focused on the next opponent, preparing for practice, getting my body right and staying healthy.” Offensive line is a position that doesn’t get many noteworthy stats. It’s a thankless position. However, it seems that you were made for it. Would you agree with that?
“I’ve never been the ‘hey, look at me’ guy. I’m a prideful, competitive guy – but I never needed the extra attention. I’m thankful and fortunate to be out on the field playing this game. It’s a young man’s game, so I get why that can be important. The way the world is going, it’s all about the attention, the likes, the comments, and I get it.” Is there any part of the game that constantly reminds you why you keep playing? “Just the sheer competitiveness of the sport is what I love. I love the pass-protection battles. Say we’re in a tight game, and we’re in the second half, and we have to make things happen … Just the competitive nature of the game is what I love. You can’t find that anywhere else. I also love the team camaraderie – the locker room after a win when we just put it all out
“I do it once a week. My agent has been wanting me to do yoga for a really long time. It’s so good for range of motion and flexibility in your hips and joints. You do it a couple of times, and you’re like, ‘I was in positions I felt like I’ve never stretched in my life.’ We stretch after a workout, but you’re fatigued, and you don’t have the laser focus that you want. But if you schedule a session, you practice for an hour, then you’re zoned-in. It’s been great for me. It’s hard – I’m sweating my tail off doing it – but it’s really good.”
Could you describe your leadership style? “I’m not a super vocal guy. I lead by example. Guys can watch what I do, day-in and day-out. I don’t need to say anything. Obviously, the hype-up speeches get people going and this and that – but for the consistent player, you just need to watch their approach, watch how they react to things, watch how they react if they get beat. I also always leave the door open if anyone ever has any questions.” Who has been your favorite teammate? “Joe Flacco has to be my guy. We’ve been through so much together, so many games. I just love the guy’s competitiveness, his toughness. He’s never complained about getting hit. Sometimes you give up a quarterback hit or a sack, and the man has never complained. He’s tough as nails. I respect everything about him.”