Four years since retiring, Jimmy Smith is getting the itch to get back into football.
The former Ravens cornerback, who played a big role in the goal-line stand that helped Baltimore win Super Bowl XLVII, isn't interested in playing anymore. He still feels the lingering effects of the multiple surgeries he had over the years.
This week, Smith got to explore a different avenue back into football with his former team.
The Ravens' player personnel department hosted a virtual Legends Scout School, in which 21 former Ravens players got a crash course in what it takes to be in the front office. It's the first known event of its kind hosted by a team for its former players.
"It was great. It was a lot more information that taught me about the stuff you kind of assume but don't really know," Smith said. "The amount of work they actually put in is crazy. He said they only get three weeks off. I was like, 'That's less than football!' That's exactly what I expected from the Ravens. No stone is left unturned."
After being welcomed by Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta, here's what the players learned about:
- Overview of staff & role of a Player Personnel Assistant (Director of Player Personnel Mark Azevedo)
- College scouting process (Director of College Scouting Andrew Raphael)
- Pro scouting process (Assistant Director of Pro Personnel Corey Frazier)
- Salary cap/contract management (Vice President of Football Administration Nick Matteo)
- Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship Program (Azevedo)
Here's the list of players who participated:
- Antwan Barnes
- Levi Brown
- Earnest Byner
- Chris Chester
- Terrence Copper
- Prince Daniels
- Steve Edwards
- Jared Gaither
- Terry Jones
- Jason McKie
- Aaron Mellette
- Quentin Neujahr
- Michael Pierce
- Matt Skura
- Jimmy Smith
- Marcus Smith
- Tre Stallings
- Travis Taylor
- Terrence West
- Kenny Young
- Jeremy Zuttah
After he retired following the 2021 season, Jimmy Smith only wanted to be retired. He wanted to relax. But he still watches every Ravens game, and he's starting to miss it. He's moving back to the Baltimore area to be closer to family and is looking for a way back in that still allows him to spend a lot of time with his four kids.
"I want to be connected to the Ravens and football in some way. Coaching seems like a lot of time, but it seems like scouting is just as much," Smith said. "They gave us an in-depth look at what you'll be doing, how it's done, the type of job you'd be doing, the workload. I thought it was a great idea."
Marcus Smith has had an interest in scouting for years. After working in corporate sales for the past decade or so, the former Ravens wide receiver (2008-2010) applied on a whim to be a part of the 2024 Senior Bowl Scout School. To his surprise, he was accepted and took part in a three-day course that culminated with leading a wide receiver group.
He said he took away more from the Ravens' two-hour crash course than he did in the three days in Mobile, Ala., and looks forward to applying for the Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship Program.
"The best part about it was it gave you a little bit more direction on how scouting actually works, your schedule, and what you should expect starting out," Marcus Smith said. "Honestly, I loved it. I wish it was longer, to be honest. In two hours, it could have went on for eight."
Director of Legacy Engagement Matt Little organized the event in tandem with the Ravens' player personnel department.
"Over the years, more and more of our Legends have mentioned having an interest of getting into scouting," Little said. "When talking with Eric about that, he suggested having this event where we could provide an authentic look into the job of a scout in the NFL to help these guys see if this is a post-playing career path they would want to pursue further. From there, Mark Azevedo and Jenn Hoffman led the charge to bring this to life and serve our Legends. The commitment of our Player Personnel department to spearhead an event like this for our former players speaks to the family-oriented culture at the Ravens. Once you're a Raven, you're forevermore."
