COURTESY OF BALTIMORE RAVENS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
After everything you went through last year with the injury … One, how good does it feel just to be back on the field? And two, how do you think the camp is going for you? (Luke Jones) “I’m excited to be back with my guys. Second time doing this, but every time I come back, it’s just a blessing. It’s just another day to step on the field; another day to just compete, have fun and do what I love the most.”
How well are you adjusting to the changes in the secondary? (Ximena Lugo-Latorre)”It’s cool. We all have a tight camaraderie and we’re a tight group. The main thing is communication, and we all have that. Everybody knows the playbook. It’s been cool.”
How nervous were you to stick your neck in there the first time? [Was there] any trepidation after such a serious type [of] injury? (Kirk McEwen) “No, at first, when I first came back, I was thinking about it a little bit. But once I stepped on the grass, it was like, it is what it is – let’s go. Let’s do what we do.”
You’re one of those guys who’s got a nose for the ball. If it’s on the ground, it seems to find you lots of times. I assume that’s not just luck. What are some of the things that you do … Why is it you’re always one of the guys that’s around the ball? (Pete Gilbert) “Hey, I’m just blessed. No, it’s just knowing what’s coming sometimes. Just having a feel for what the offense is doing. Since I was a kid, I’ve been around the ball – just scoring crazy touchdowns. I guess it’s just something that just comes with me.”
Do you feel as if it’s almost contagious? Like, if you get one, you just believe you’re going to get another? (Pete Gilbert) “Oh yes, definitely. You’ve got to have that mindset. When you get one, you just get that extra boost in your confidence that another one is coming, and another one. So, that’s what I look for, and when it comes, you’ve just got to go with it.”
Pretty spirited practice today between offense and defense. It seems like you were enjoying the give and take with TE Mark Andrews and with WR Marquise Brown. How beneficial is that – especially for a guy like you who has missed some time – to get an opportunity to match up with a tight end like Andrews and, obviously, a quick receiver like Brown? (Jeff Zrebiec) “It’s good, because during the season, I’m going to face all types of receivers playing in the nickel spot – tight ends, big receivers sometimes, slow receivers, fast receivers, receivers who are good with their hands. So, going against Mark Andrews, he’s one of the best tight ends in the league, I feel like. Me and him, we go at it. We always chat it up. And Marquise [Brown], you already know, he has that super speed – something that’s always good to go against. He’s one of the fastest receivers in the league, and we compete – that’s what we do here.”
What kind of an impact do you think S DeShon Elliott can make now that he’s getting some more playing time with the starters? (Jamison Hensley) “DeShon [Elliott] – he’s a high-energy, high-motor … He’s another guy who’s around the ball a lot. I feel like he can be a great player for us – and he knows that, and we know that as a team. We’re just getting him in the motions. He’s ready to go, for sure, I know that.”
Can you talk about how difficult it was for you last season having to sit out and debating on the surgery? Especially since you signed an extension and all of that? How difficult was that last year? (Ryan Mink) “It was rough, but as long as my guys were shining, it kept a smile on my face. I came to the games – as many games as I could, home games. Every time I’m around, it feels like I’m out there. It was alright, but it’s rough at times because you want to be out there. But now that I’m back, I’m just ready to go.”
I imagine part of your motivation coming back, you were looking forward to getting in front of that home crowd. There’s not going to be one from the start. What is the thought about playing football with no fans in the stands? Is that going to be weird for you, you think? (Mark Viviano) “It’s something we’re going to have to adjust to. But at the end of the day, we’ve got to play football, and we have to do our jobs. We have to do what we do. But ‘Ravens Flock,’ we love you, and we can’t wait to get you all back in there.”
I know it’s in the rearview, but can you actually take us through what happened on the play where you got hurt? (Jonas Shaffer) “To be honest, I really can’t tell you which play it was. But I had neck pain throughout the camp, kind of. And then just one day, it was like I was putting on my helmet and I couldn’t really take the pain from it. So, after that, I just checked in with the training staff. I couldn’t really re-call which exact play it was.”
