Malaki Starks Refused to Let Tough Times Derail His Destiny
Ravens rookie safety Malaki Starks refused to let tragic loss and being homeless during his youth get in the way of his NFL dreams.
By Clifton Brown
The Ravens are depending on first-round pick Malaki Starks, but he's used to people counting on him.
Starks' 9-year-old nephew, Isaiah, is autistic. When they are back home in Jefferson, Ga., they are inseparable. Starks connects with Isaiah in a way that nobody else does. That's one of Starks' many gifts. His personality draws people to him.
"We learned that Isaiah was autistic when he was like 3 ½," Malaki's sister Mariah said. "Malaki is really close with him. Even when he barely listens to me, he'll listen to Malaki. He can get him to do things that I can't.
"Malaki's an old soul, to be honest. He's always been good with people. Most of his football career he played against people older than he was. He could handle it, because he's always been grounded."
Starks Wants the Smoke
When Starks makes his regular-season debut against the Buffalo Bills next week, he'll be the only rookie in Baltimore's starting defensive lineup, part of a team with Super Bowl aspirations that's loaded with veteran stars.
At some point, MVP quarterback Josh Allen will test Starks. Allen has played against the four other former first-round picks in Baltimore's secondary – safety Kyle Hamilton, and corners Marlon Humphrey, Jaire Alexander, and Nate Wiggins. But Allen has never faced Starks, the 27th-overall pick who will have to prove he's as good as the Ravens think he is.
Starks welcomes that pressure, and history suggests he'll thrive in it. He started as a true freshman at Georgia on a team that won a national championship. In his first college game, Starks introduced himself to the nation with a phenomenal interception against Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, who's now the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback.
Starks dares quarterbacks to target him often, because he's always been confident in his ability to make plays. He's looking forward to facing the fire and proving he can handle the smoke.
"The biggest thing is just being myself and earning the respect from these guys," Starks said. "That comes with time, and it comes with a lot of hard work, which I'm used to. You'll reach a point where you'll know that you've earned it. I'm just working to get there."
Shaped By Homelessness and Tragedy
NFL quarterbacks can't possibly throw more at Starks than life already has.
When Starks was just 7 years old, his 9-year-old cousin and best friend, Keion Gresham, was killed as part of a domestic murder-suicide. It was 14 years ago, but Starks remembers as if it happened five minutes ago. He and Gresham spent the previous day playing together and had plans to visit a local arcade on the morning he was murdered.
"The day before felt like a movie, the perfect day," Starks said. "The people who I'm closest to were all at the house and we were running around playing. The next day, my parents had to work, so they dropped me and my sister off at my great grandma's. I just remember the phone rang, and my great grandma was screaming."
Starks has worn No. 24 ever since to honor Gresham, who wore that jersey number in youth football. It's a way for Starks to stay close to the cousin he will never forget.
In many ways, the day Gresham died ended childhood for Starks. He learned life can be violent, fleeting and unfair. But what could have made him bitter also made him stronger.
"I had to grow up a lot faster than I planned," Starks said. "Faster than most kids have to. I realized at an early age the things I wanted in life, and the things I didn't want. I've tried to stick to that plan of being the best version of myself."
Not every first-round pick will appreciate his rookie contract the way Starks will. For a three-year period when he was in elementary school, his family lived between hotels and family members.
His parents, Larry and Tisha, are hardworking people who eventually achieved financial stability, but along the way the journey was difficult. Jefferson is a small town with a population of about 18,000, one of those places where it seems everybody knows everybody. But few people knew the hardships that Starks' family was facing until he shared his story years later.
"When everything first started happening, we went to a hotel for a week," Starks said. "After that, we'd go stay with family and friends. When we moved out of the hotel the first time, it hit me and my sister. We don't have a place to call home."
Those were trying times, but watching his parents work multiple jobs, never give up, and never abandon their Christian faith taught Starks valuable lessons. He believes he can rise above challenges on the gridiron, partly because his family persevered. There is a gospel song entitled, "Trouble Don't Last Always." For Starks, those words ring true.
"I didn't want to lose my cousin," Starks said. "I didn't want to worry about, 'What are we going to eat tonight? Where are we going to live next?'
"But those experiences helped make me who I am. So, in a way, I'm super grateful."
A Hometown Hero
Starks' combination of athleticism, smarts, and work ethic made him a three-sport star at Jefferson High School in football, basketball, and track.
When Starks entered ninth grade, his high school football coach Gene Cathcart declared to local media that Starks had NFL talent and was the best athlete Jefferson had ever produced. Seven years later, Cathcart's words ring true. But he doesn't think he was bold to envision stardom for Starks.
"That was like predicting Christmas will be in December this year," Cathcart said. "When you see the really special ones, you don't need a scouting report. Your eyes tell you. That's what it was like watching Malaki."
It wasn't just Starks' athletic ability that people in Jefferson admired. It was the way he carried himself. How he interacted with everyone like he wasn't a big deal.
By the time Starks was a junior, he was already a hometown hero. Some classmates came to games wearing his No. 24 jersey, and Cathcart said Starks was so respected that he wasn't just the best player, he was also the most popular.
"Any attention he got, everyone was happy about it," Cathcart said. "He was so genuine, so authentic. His parents did an unbelievable job with him."
Cathcart still gets choked up telling his favorite Starks story. When he was in the 10th grade, Starks noticed that Cathcart left practice early one day. He was headed to South Carolina to visit a relative who was battling addiction. Visiting hours were restricted, and it was the only window that Cathcart had.
Starks kept asking one of the assistant coaches about Cathcart's whereabouts. Later that day, Cathcart's phone rang. It was Starks calling.
"He said, 'Coach, I just want you to know that everything went great at practice,'" Cathcart said. "He also said, 'I don't know the family member you went to visit, but if this person is your family, he's our family. If there's anything you need, let us know.'
"This is a 10th grader calling me and saying that. I'm a grown man with kids and I'm not that mature, and I definitely wasn't that mature in the 10th grade. That's Malaki. He's the kind of man you want your sons to be like."
Making a Strong First Impression
Starks' intangibles have impressed the Ravens as well. Their interest in him went to another level at the NFL Combine in February.
"Probably one of the most impressive interviews we've ever had," General Manager Eric DeCosta said.
Head Coach John Harbaugh noticed how Starks carried himself on draft night after the Ravens called his name. It wasn't cockiness Harbaugh saw. It was confidence.
"Did you guys see him when he walked down the hallway there and out to the stage?" Harbaugh said. "It looked like he was coming through the tunnel for gameday."
Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr couldn't wait to get Starks on the field at rookie minicamp, so he could throw the entire playbook at the 21-year-old to see how much he could handle. Starks didn't flinch, and Orr could immediately tell how diligently he prepared
"Safety is one of the toughest positions to play here," Orr said. "We don't designate a guy as a strong safety or free safety. We just play sides. You have to do everything.
"He picked it up right away and was getting other guys lined up. Did he make mistakes? Yes. But when he made the mistake, he didn't make it again."
Starks has been the de facto leader of the 2025 Ravens rookie class from Day 1. On "The Lounge" podcast last month, Starks explained his decision to organize rookie walkthroughs at the team’s hotel during training camp. He asked hotel staff if he and several other rookies could use an empty ballroom to rehearse plays. Then the group kept getting larger.
"If you're bonding in various ways, it can help you," Starks said. "This process is hard for all of us rookies. We need to help each other."
A Pair of Aces at Safety
Hamilton was the first safety selected in the 2022 draft (14th overall) and became the highest-paid safety of all time Wednesday. Starks was the first safety drafted this year (27th overall).
No other NFL team has made a heavier investment at safety in recent years, and Starks' presence became even more important after Ar'Darius Washington suffered an Achilles injury that will sideline him for at least the majority of the season.
Pairing Hamilton and Starks gives the Ravens two chess pieces at safety who can cover each other's back, making it harder for quarterbacks to anticipate where they will be from one play to the next.
"Malaki can do so many things," Orr said. "Kyle doesn't have to protect anybody. We don't have to hide any weakness back there. Malaki can fit the run. His coverage skills are excellent. I think if he wanted to play nothing but corner in this league, he could do that.
"Malaki has the temperament of a safety – you have to make plays, and you have to be patient. There might not be much action for you if you're in the right spot, but if we haven't given up any explosives, you're doing a heck of a job. Then, if they throw it your way, you make the play. Malaki's perfect for that."
It Begins in Buffalo
Before Starks runs out of the tunnel for his NFL debut on Sunday Night Football, he'll follow his usual pre-game rituals. He'll write his nephew Isaiah's name on the tape he wears on his arms. He'll call his parents at some point before taking the field. He'll read a letter from his fiancé, Savanna Jackson, who writes him a message before every game.
But once the game begins, the big stage won't be too large for him. He's already handled much tougher situations. Being homeless is hard. Being on a team that's chasing a Super Bowl is exciting.
When asked what it will take for the Ravens to accomplish that elusive goal, Starks gave a thoughtful answer, sounding like a 21-year-old who is wise beyond his years.
"Talent is never really a problem when you get to the highest levels," Starks said. "But staying connected with each other is how you win. That's what carries you in the second half, in the fourth quarter, in overtime.
"I know this is a different level of football, but I'm used to winning. Not only am I used to it, I expect it. I'm excited to be here. I think this will be a great place for me to win."
