BRIAN BILLICK
Joins Ravens Ring of Honor by Clifton Brown The first head coach in franchise history to win a Super Bowl joins the Ring of Honor today at halftime. The 65-year-old Billick is usually cool in the spotlight. But when his name is displayed at M&T Bank Stadium, joining other greats in franchise history, Billick expects to feel goosebumps. “I think it will be very emotional,” Billick said. “Mostly because of the permanence of it, seeing your name next to the other names. That’s when I think it will really hit me. Because of those other names, and what it represents. It’s going to be very special.” Billick is the second-winningest coach in franchise history (80-64 regular season, 5-3 postseason) behind current Head Coach John Harbaugh, who entered this season with a 104-72 record. Winning three division championships during his nine-year tenure (1999-2007), Billick led Baltimore to the playoffs four times. As head coach of the Super Bowl champion 2000 Ravens, Billick will be forever linked to one of the greatest playoff runs in NFL history. The Ravens stormed to four-straight postseason victories as a Wild Card team, capped by a dominant 34-7 victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.
Billick went to high school in California and had no connection to the East coast before he arrived in Baltimore. He quickly learned how passionate fans in Baltimore were about sports, and he fell in love with the area. “When I first came to Baltimore, I went by the old Memorial Stadium,” Billick said. “I wanted to go over there and see it. People told me where they were sitting when Brooks Robinson did this, or where they were when Lenny Moore or Tom Matte did something. One father said to me, ‘I’m so glad that I get to share the Ravens with my son. That’s who his team is going to be.’ That’s when it struck me what we were building with the Ravens. To see my name up there in the ring is my connection with the Ravens and with the fans. “I guess the thing I’m most proud of is that I was a part of the culture that’s been built here. When I visit with former players, people who are still with the organization, we can all be proud of the culture that has grown and continues to flourish today.”
The 2000 Ravens were 5-4 through nine games and needed a late season push to make the playoffs. With the offense struggling at midseason, Billick made the difficult decision to bench starting quarterback Tony Banks in favor of Trent Dilfer.
The first coach in Ravens history to win a Super Bowl joins other franchise greats on display in the rafters at M&T Bank Stadium
A master motivator, Billick forbade players from using the words “playoffs” or “Super Bowl” during their championship run as a method to keep them focused on each game, rather than looking ahead. The Super Bowl was referred to as “Festivus Maximus” as Billick fostered an “us against the world” mentality that was embraced by players and Ravens fans. 2019 BALTIMORE RAVENS GAMEDAY | 11
"Coach Billick is an iconic Raven. He had tremendous success here. He was the guy that kind of framed the Ravens early on in the tenure of this franchise. Coach Billick going into the Ring of Honor – he’s earned it, and he deserves it, and it will be an honor to clap for him when he goes in." – HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
"Brian was instrumental in setting our winning culture. He helped make this a place where players wanted to come and succeed." – EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OZZIE NEWSOME
"More than any coach I played for, Brian treated the players with respect and got the most out of us. He always got to the heart of things, no bull. He’s a motivator – that’s one of his strengths. We were ready to play, and we were fresh."
you kick whatever doors in, and say, 'where's the S.O.B?' if you go in any other way, you're going to lose. – BRIAN BILLICK (DURING 2000 PLAYOFFS)
– FORMER RAVENS S ROD WOODSON 2019 BALTIMORE RAVENS GAMEDAY | 13