The Ravens got a visit from a G.O.A.T. Friday, as Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed stopped by the Under Armour Performance Center.
Reed spoke to the entire Ravens defense in their meeting and then came out to practice. Head Coach John Harbaugh briefly paused practice near the start so Reed could talk to the whole team.
"He talked about brotherhood and the guys being close, and if you want to have that synergy on the field, that camaraderie on the field – you have to have it on the field, off the field, and in everything you do," Harbaugh said. "[You] get to know each other and care about one another. It was awesome. It was a great message."
Reed made it clear that he came on his own accord, not because he was asked by any Ravens coaches.
The Ravens' backs are against the wall as they sit at 6-7 and trail the Pittsburgh Steelers by one game in the AFC North. Baltimore bounced back from a 1-5 start this year, but now must rebound again after dropping back-to-back divisional home games.
The Ravens are heading to Cincinnati to face a Bengals team that beat them, 32-14, on Thanksgiving just two weeks ago after Baltimore had five turnovers.
"He puts things in perspective and shows us the way he did it and how those teams were able to do it," safety Kyle Hamilton said. "He was talking about how he didn't win a Super Bowl until late in his career and how his perspective had changed with those tough losses that they had. We're somewhat in the same boat. I know when they won, it wasn't perfect either."
Safety Alohi Gilman said he, of course, had seen all the Reed highlight tapes and mic'd up moments from his career. He said it was like having a "mythical figure" in the room.
"He's a legend, a G.O.A.T. It was cool, man, just his wisdom, his words, him showing us a little bit of confidence and what it looks like. When he talks, we're listening," Gilman said.
"[He talked about] just sticking together, keeping the standard high – the standard is the standard – and being connected on and off the field. I think it was definitely helpful for all of us going into this stretch of games, especially this game."
Rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan said he remembers how much Tom Brady and Bill Belichick focused on Reed, who was a meticulous film junkie who also often hosted his teammates at his house for study sessions.
"It's great motivation to go all-in with preparation and all-in every day and every moment to be ready on Sundays," Buchanan said. "Football is the ultimate team sport and you have to rely on everyone. But at the end of the day, that starts with you as an individual and what you bring to the team. Once you take care of yourself, bring others along with you. That's what football is all about."
