Justin Forsett just received the biggest check of his life.
After toiling through seven seasons in the NFL, Forsett had finally reached that elusive big contract. He was less than 10 minutes removed from signing a three-year deal with the Ravens reportedly worth $9 million, the first time an NFL team had put a significant investment into him.
But Forsett made it clear that he's far from content.
"I'm as hungry as ever at this point," Forsett said. "Throughout my entire career, people have been telling me what I can't do."
Forsett has heard it all.
He was an unheralded recruit out of high school, and then spent much of his college career in his teammates' shadows. He was a seventh-round draft pick in 2008, and bounced between five NFL teams over the next seven years.
He finally had a breakout season last year with the Ravens, but when it was time to get paid, the 29-year-old running back was again reminded that the odds were against him.
"Throughout my whole career they've been saying, you're too short, you're too slow," Forsett said. "Now throughout free agency it was, 'You're a little too old.' There's always something and I'm hungry to go out and show that I'm only going to get better with time."
Forsett rushed for a career-high 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns last year, and he's out to convince people that he has plenty of good years ahead of him.
He also wants to show he's not just another product of the system that former Ravens Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak brought to Baltimore. Kubiak's offense has a history of producing 1,000-yard rushers, but now he's in Denver and Marc Trestman has taken over as the play caller.
Forsett, along with an offensive line that will return all five starters, will have a chance to build off an impressive season on the ground without Kubiak in Baltimore. They have the chance to prove 2014 wasn't a one-year wonder.
"That's a reason why I wanted to come back is because I had my hogs up front. Thank God Gary is not one of those linemen," Forsett said. "I'm not worried too much about his departure. I think we're going to excel on the football field and put up even more numbers than we did last year."
Expectations are high for Forsett and the rest of the offense.
The group is coming off the best season in franchise history, and despite losing key pieces like wide receiver Torrey Smith and tight end Owen Daniels, the veteran running back is confident that the Ravens have another big year ahead of them.
"We only can get better," Forsett said. "I'm sure they're going to add some more pieces, but I think we can only get better from here."
