TRUE RAVEN By Patrick Gleason
20
BALTIMORE RAVENS GAMEDAY
BALTIMORERAVENS.COM 21
FOR A FEW MINUTES, just pretend you haven’t seen the colorful action shots adorning these pages. Now that you’ve erased the images from your mind, let’s play a little game of trivia, entitled: Can You Name This Raven? Can you name the Raven who was raised in a blip-on-the-radar, country heartland town? He hails from where children are taught to de-tassel corn – yes, de-tassel corn – long before they learn to drive. He was a star of every fall Friday night, when just a few hundred fans would pile into small stands flanking the local high school football field. Bigger, stronger and faster than the other kids, he’d see action on every part of the gridiron – during every portion of the game. Fullback – ✓. Tight end – ✓. Offensive line – ✓. Linebacker – ✓. Special teams – ✓.
As far back as he can remember – while admiring the nearby collegiate powerhouse program and tuning in to pro games broadcast each Monday night – he dreamed of one day donning an NFL uniform. “Did I actually think I would?” he recalls. “Well, I knew I was always going to try my hardest.” Can you name this Raven? Marshal Yanda? Close. Danny Woodhead? Nope. Austin Howard? Wrong. This Raven stands as the team’s secondlongest tenured player – just behind the legendary Terrell Suggs. He has played in a franchise-record 190-consecutive games. He’s a Pro Bowler, an All-Pro and someone who consistently ranks at the top (or darn near close to it) of his position’s annual statistical leaders.
“In my opinion, he has been the best in the league for the last six to eight years,” Suggs states. “I hope people appreciate him for that.” Justin Tucker? Close. C.J. Mosley? Nope. Joe Flacco? Wrong. Without hesitation, Suggs also describes this Raven as “definitely in the Top 5” of the best athletes on the team. Be it golf, bowling, Ping-Pong, basketball, weightlifting, softball (he won a charity homerun derby, after all) or cornhole (especially cornhole), few Ravens – if any – match his all-around athletic prowess.
But it’s not simply that this Raven excels at whatever he plays. Rather, it’s the manner in which he excels doing it. “In everything he does, he is ultracompetitive – especially with the cornhole games,” Suggs affirms. “We call him ‘Mayweather,’ because he is the best. He is a silent assassin.”
“He has proven he can run, throw, catch, tackle and break a tackle – when called upon,” special teams coordinator/associate head coach Jerry Rosburg boasts. “If you look at the entire spectrum of skills, his position has some of the best athletes in the game. He is among the best of the best.” 22
BALTIMORE RAVENS GAMEDAY
BALTIMORERAVENS.COM 23
“Everything with him is a competition,” adds Rosburg, “most importantly – cornhole. He will spot the competition 20 points in a 21-point game – and win every time. He knows they will never score unless they win a set. And they will never win a set. “He is ruthless.” Morgan Cox? Close. Anthony Levine Sr.? Nope. Eric Weddle? Wrong.
leaders to be poised,” Rosburg declares. “We literally put the ball in his hands for the last two plays of that game. He delivered the Lombardi Trophy.” This clutch factor – the ability to thrive when most fret – is something this Raven relishes. “He is composed, he is resilient, and he’s not easily rattled,” Suggs insists.
Still stumped? This Raven was the only Baltimore player to touch the football on each of Super Bowl XLVII’s final two plays. Think about it. On the grandest of stages, in moments that were pressure-packed beyond belief, and with variables few can comprehend, he flourished.
Additionally – and perhaps most importantly – there is a unique Baltimore quality to this Raven. It’s an attribute that can’t always be defined, but everyone knows it when they see it. It’s a combination of what Charm City admires most – toughness, commitment, leadership, accountability and heart.
“In every walk of life, when situations get tense and the stakes are high, we want our
“He has many admirable personal and professional characteristics that coaches Super Bowl XLVII
HE IS MORE THAN THE PUNTER. − Terrell Suggs
in every sport are preaching to their players,” Rosburg states. “Of these, it is work ethic and attention to detail that make him special. He wants to be great at everything.” Now can you name this Raven? “People don’t really expect it from a punter, but I definitely think Sam Koch carries that special Raven persona with how he approaches his business,” Suggs reveals. Indeed, this Raven is the punter – a position many fans easily overlook or, quite frankly, dismiss. But Koch isn’t the “typical” punter. Ask any member of the team, and they’ll confirm that his value extends far beyond booting a ball with astounding precision, power and dependability. The reality is, Koch embodies qualities that, as Rosburg puts it, “The team sees
24
BALTIMORE RAVENS GAMEDAY
every day.” His desire to dominate and consistent contribution to winning games do not go overlooked. “Everything he does – it rubs off.” But what about outsiders who maintain that the Nebraska native is – and will always be – just a punter? “Then you don’t know Sam Koch,” Suggs asserts. “He is more than the punter. He is a big part of this team, and we love Sam here.” Now, go ahead and recall the surrounding pictures. Lock them into your memory. Yep, you got it. Sam Koch – correct. “I can’t say anything more,” Suggs concludes, “other than he is the definition of a true Raven.”
BALTIMORERAVENS.COM 25