Tom Zbikowski was fed up with football. John Harbaugh and the Ravens changed that.
After playing four years at Notre Dame, Zbikowski left the university with a sour taste in his mouth, watching others financially benefit from his name while he was stuck eating Chef Boyardee to satisfy his hunger.
But after being drafted by Harbaugh and the Ravens in the third round of the 2008 draft, Zbikowski's love for the sport was reinvigorated, and the safety's interest in coaching soon became heightened.
Early in his Ravens career, Zbikowski was giving a younger player a special teams tip when Harbaugh took notice and recommended that Zbikowski eventually try coaching.
"It always kind of stuck with me," Zbikowski said.
Now the head coach of Saint Patrick High School's football program in Chicago, not far from where he grew up, Zbikowski is hoping to have a similar impact, and the Ravens are supporting that mission.
Zbikowski is one of 142 former Ravens players who are still involved in football as a coach or administrator and will receive a special Ravens commemorative whistle. Each whistle has their name inscribed on it and a 30th season anniversary lanyard to wear when out on the gridiron.
Inside the box, players are greeted with this message: "As a Raven on and off the field, you have proven what it means to lead with heart, grit and determination. You have demonstrated the highest standard of excellence and commitment to yourself and to those who surround you.
"Now, as a coach, you are achieving something even greater — shaping young athletes, building character and sharing the core values that led you to your dream of playing in the NFL."
Sharing that bond with young players is exactly why Zbikowski got into coaching.
"You catch up with some of [the kids] and have 20 to 30-minute phone conversations and become a part of their family," Zbikowski said. "It's the brotherhood of football. At the end of the day, that's really what it was about [while] playing and being a part of it."
Director of Legacy Engagement Matt Little spawned the idea to send custom whistles, wanting to help celebrate the Legends for their post-career contributions. Little originally budgeted for 50 whistles. After sending out surveys to former players, he was more than happy to learn that the figure nearly tripled.
"The whistles are just a small token from the Ravens to let our legends know we are thinking about them as they start their seasons, we are proud of them, and we are cheering for them on and off the field," Little said.
Hall of Famer Ed Reed has received plenty of those cheers throughout his life. To this day, Reed still calls himself "a park baby," having spent countless hours playing sports outside growing up. Now the offensive coordinator at Chamblee (Ga.) High School, Reed has always had a coach's heart.
"I was always around players and coaches," Reed said. "My dad and [my family] were players and coaches, so I already knew [how] to be a player and a coach. Coaching is just in me."
Torrey Smith is another Ravens legend to receive a whistle. He's the head coach of his son's youth tackle team in West Baltimore. Like Reed and Zbikowski, Smith's hoping he can make a positive change in his players' lives.
"It's been fun. It's been rewarding," Smith said. "If you had told me when I retired that I would spend as much time doing this, I would've said absolutely not. But it's something that I've really enjoyed, being able to share the game with the kids, and even more than that, share the lessons with them about understanding what the game meant for me."
Nine former Ravens are coaching in the NFL. Other former Ravens to receive the commemorative whistles include:
- Derrick Alexander: Head coach, Avila University (Kansas City)
- Kyle Boller: Assistant coach, La Costa Canyon Pop Warner (Ca.)
- Josh Bynes: Defensive assistant/linebackers, Seattle Seahawks
- Trent Dilfer: Head coach, University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Crockett Gillmore: Head coach, Turkey-Quitaque ISD (Texas)
- Gino Gradkowski: Assistant coach, Rowan University (NJ)
- Ben Grubbs: Assistant coach, Alpharetta High School (Ga.)
- Jim Harbaugh: Head coach, Los Angeles Chargers
- DeSean Jackson: Head coach, Delaware State University
- Jim Leonhard: Assistant head coach & defensive pass game coordinator, Denver Broncos
- Anthony Levine Sr., Assistant special teams coach, Baltimore Ravens
- Pernell McPhee: Outside linebackers coach, University of Michigan
- Michael Oher: Assistant youth tackle coach, Lipscomb Academy Lower School (Tenn.)
- Zach Orr: Defensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens
- Bernard Pollard: BP3I Training (Tenn.)
- Casey Rabach: Assistant offensive line coach, University of Wisconsin
- Deion Sanders: Head coach at the University of Colorado Boulder
- Travis Taylor: Wide receivers coach, Grayson High School (Ga.)
- Adalius Thomas: Defensive analyst, University of Colorado
- Courtney Upshaw: Position coach at Dacula High School (Ga.)
- Anthony Weaver: Defensive coordinator, Miami Dolphins
- Eric Weddle: Head coach, Rancho Bernardo High School (Calif.)
