Super Bowl XXXV

Super Bowl XXXV

The young and brash Baltimore Ravens began the 2000 NFL season talking playoffs and ending it as champions, thanks to one of the most dominant defenses in pro football history. The Ravens' Super Journey began with an ominous regular season schedule that included 5 road games in 7 weeks. In the middle of it all was a 5-game streak without a touchdown. Thankfully, the TD drought never divided the team.

The race toward the Lombardi trophy was not without its hurdles: Ray Lewis rebounded from a trying offseason; Trent Dilfer returned to Tampa Bay for the Super Bowl; an emotional Jermaine Lewis dedicated a superb performance to the memory of his stillborn son. Still, the team rallied the season, and it made the hard-fought victory that much sweeter.

The Journey was about coming of age for talented kids like Jamal Lewis, Chris McAlister, and Duane Starks. It also belonged to tough veterans like Rod Woodson, Ray Lewis, Rob Burnett, Shannon Sharpe, Matt Stover, Michael McCrary and Jonathan Ogden. And The Journey belonged to Baltimore. The fans numbered in the thousands at the downtown sendoff at Harbor Place in January. Banners and promises hung in the air and were not broken.

While the hometown fans celebrated at the Inner Harbor, the team left for Tampa, and in a week's time, beat the Giants, 34-7, on January 28, 2001.

After the Ravens came home on that sky-blue Monday following the Super Bowl victory, the team learned the city had scheduled a parade the next day. That Tuesday was cold and rainy, yet fans numbered in the hundreds of thousands and lined the city streets to welcome their heroes home.

Ray Lewis earned Super Bowl XXXV MVP honors, as well as Defensive Player of the Year. The Ravens broke or tied a number of records in the game, including tying a Super Bowl record with 4 INTs. They were only the 3rd team in NFL history to not commit a turnover in a Super Bowl, and most exciting of all - 3 seesaw scores on 3 successive plays set a Super Bowl record. The back-to-back kickoff returns for touchdowns were also a new record.

When handed the Vince Lombardi trophy, Art Modell lifted the silver prize in the air, and said:

"To the people of Baltimore City, Baltimore County and the State of Maryland, this belongs to you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

In June 2001, the entire organization, players, coaches and staff were invited to the White House to meet President George W. Bush. The Ravens chronicled their run to the Super Bowl in the book Super Journey.