SPECIAL TEAMS COACH/SPECIALISTS RANDY BROWN
Opening Statement: "Alright, thanks everyone for coming out today. [It's] a big day for the Brown family on Saturday night. I get to coach against my son who's the assistant special teams coach with the Eagles. My daughter, Ryan, gets to sing the national anthem, and [I] can't leave out my [daughter] McKenzie [ who was cast as] Willy Wonka in The Chocolate Factory [in the] theater summer production. So, I don't want to leave her out, of course, but I never want to forget about how we got here, and that is the Ravens family. You guys know I've been here 16 years, and what the Ravens family has allowed us to do is my son [has] been here for 80-plus games, years of practices. My Ryan has [sung the anthem on] six or seven games, too. It's just the family atmosphere here with Steve [Bisciotti] and works its way down with Eric [DeCosta] and John [Harbaugh]. It's amazing, and I'm blessed this weekend is going to happen. Questions?"
After all the detail you've put in working in a new punter into the scheme. How quickly has LS Tyler Ott fit into the scheme? (Childs Walker) "[I'd like to give] great credit to [director of player personnel] George Kokinis and [player personnel assistant] Darrius [Heyward-Bey] in the personnel group. When we first heard that Nick [Moore] was hurt, we went through 70 long snappers that were available. I have my list, and George [Kokinis] has his list, and we're really fortunate that Tyler [Ott] was out there. The guy has played 85 games, [he's] a Harvard grad, a really good long snapper [and] Pro Bowler. So, we're fortunate that Tyler was there for us, and he's fitting in really well. We're blessed that we have him, and Justin [Tucker] is happy every day which makes me happy."
What do you work on with K Justin Tucker in the summer and spring? (Jamison Hensley) "So, I always talk about Justin [Tucker] … Not only did we start together all these years, nobody's seen him kick every kick like I've seen him kick. The great part about Justin is he always wants to get better, and there will be times on Field Three where it's not going the way he wants it. He'll say to me, or he'll say to Sam [Koch], 'Hey are you seeing anything, or what are you seeing,' and he's always open because he gets better every day, and he wants to get better every day. We [also] have a great relationship and we watch film every day. That's the thing, you think a guy like him that he just comes to work. Well, he comes to work, and he works, and we watch film every day, we work on Field Three every day. He gets better every day and if he misses a 65-yarder, he's [ticked], in practice, which we know."
Where have you seen the biggest change in P Jordan Stout? (Childs Walker) "I've always believed – this is my 32nd year coaching football, 20th in the NFL – and that jump for specialists from Year One to Year Two is usually the biggest, why? Because in college, they're asked to do punts, kickoffs and field goals. So, they really can't sharpen their crafts on just one thing. So, you come here, and now you create a system of practice where you can do the repetition over and over again. His practice is great … But this what I like about Jordan [Stout], the dude smiles all the time. He's happy, [and] he really likes to get better, and he comes to work with me and Sam Koch every day. He's a sponge for information and – if you really look at Jordan – his holding is tremendous. [He's] the best holder in the NFL right now. Watch him on the field, ball gets down the fast, he's outstanding. The punting will continue to increase, his ability to put balls inside the 10 and get turnover balls, so we love the progress that he's making."
What has P Jordan Stout been working on when it comes to his placement of the ball? (Jonas Shaffer) "In college, he could he kick it as far as he could, right? Here, as you know, we're a directional punting team, but in practice, every day he's hitting 5.0, 5.2, and 5.3 [seconds]. But, as you know, we pride ourselves in coverage, and we pride ourselves in punting knowing where the ball is going to be. To me, as he gets older and more mature, he gets more relaxed. He continues to get up and through the ball. So, you're going to see some of them, you'll see some of them probably on Saturday night."
Is there a number of kicks K Justin tucker is limited to? (Ken Mckusick) "That's a really good question. It's what I want and what Justin [Tucker] wants. So, there's two separate things, right? We know each other now, and he kicks three or four days a week, and he knows when he's had enough, but it can range between 30 kicks one day and 60 kicks another. It depends what day of the week, do we have a game that day."
Is there anything technique wise that K Justin Tucker changes from last year to this year, or does he keep the same technique? (Jamison Hensley) "If you remember in his 60 Minutes interview, he talked about hitting the ball in the sweet spot which is one inch below the middle of the football. He makes sure he hits every kick at that sweet spot over and over again. So, there's never a rehashing or retooling of the technique, do you know what I mean? It's, 'Let me hit that ball on the same spot every time,' and that's what he does and does so well."
Does there come a time where K Justin Tucker has to account for his leg strength? (Jamison Hensley) "He has the best legs.(Calls over to Justin Tucker) Justin, they're talking about your leg strength here, and I said you have the strongest leg in the National Football League. There we go. Any other questions about Justin's leg strength?"
Has there been any competitive trash talk with his son ahead of this weekend's game? _(Melissa Kim) _"When the schedule for preseason schedule came out, it was a little family chatter back and forth, but I'm really proud of what Tyler [my son] has done as the assistant special teams coach had done there. I expect our guys to play hard and his guys will play hard, and I know he's going to get his guys ready to play, but I'm just proud that my son is coaching in the National Football League and went to the Super Bowl last year."
Closing statement:"I just want to mention this with a heavy heart. Last Thursday, early morning, my son's 18-year-old brother passed away suddenly. I want to express to the family, to Anne and Bill, mom and dad, and to Tyler and his other brother, Danny, sincere condolences from the Ravens family. It's been a really, really challenging five days for the family, and I just have to also say the support the Philadelphia Eagles have given Tyler and my family, it's been amazing for just such an unspeakable tragic event that happened in our family. So, it's [said] with a heavy heart, but thank you for all the love and support that we're received, not just [from] here in the organization but outside."
K JUSTIN TUCKER
Opening Statement: "Hey, everybody. How are you all doing? Well, [former special teams coordinator] Jerry Rosburg was here this last week, so in his spirit I should say, 'Fire when ready.'"
On how if he recognizes being the longest tenured guy on the team and if it feels different:"It's kind of yes and no. In a lot of ways, I feel like I've been here for a while, like you said, I'm the most tenured guy on the team, but I still come in with the same attitude that I had my rookie year where I'm just trying to take it one kick at a time and get better each and every day, just a little bit, and keep the main things the main things. I've said this before, the idea of focusing on the action and not the consequence, and not just in a given kick, but a given day, a given week [or] a given year. Just being where my feet are has been a focus of mine for a while now. So, yes, I feel like the most tenured guy on the team, and I'll just take that as I have experience in a lot of different environments, different stadiums, field conditions [and] personnel. [I'm] just happy to be here. But at the exact same time, I feel like a rookie, and I'm just getting started."
On how LS Tyler Ott has fit into the specialists team: "First of all, [we're] continuing to think about Nick [Moore] and what he's going through. Nick is our boy, and it's tough to see somebody that … We don't just work closely together. We're good friends. So, to see what he's going through and to hear from him – [because we] know that he's got as of right now a pretty long road ahead – that's a tough deal, so we're definitely thinking about him. But at the same time, as it always has been and will be in this business, you have to buy into the 'next man up' mentality. For us, we're really lucky that Tyler [Ott] was available. I don't keep tabs on who the free agent or rookie long snappers are out there, but the fact that Tyler was available, we were able to bring him in and sign him … Tyler's done an excellent job in this first wave of camp. We had every expectation that he would be doing a great job. I mean he's a former Pro Bowl-caliber long snapper and a current Pro Bowl-caliber long snapper. We would all say the same thing. We have great people around us starting with [special teams coordinator] Chris [Horton], [special teams coach/specialists coach] Randy [Brown], [special teams coach] T.J. [Weist and special teams consultant] Sam Koch coaching us all up. I've said this before. I'm a system kicker, and the ball kicks itself, but it applies to all of the positions in the specialists world: the long snapper, the holder [and] the punter. We're all part of an intricate, detailed [and] well thought-out system that if we just buy into what we're supposed to do, we will have success. And Tyler has been doing a great job so far."
On how important it is to have WR Rashod Bateman back out on the field again: "It's great to see Rashod [Bateman] working. Obviously, I'm not the head coach, and I can't comment on injuries because I'd like to think in my 'senior' years here that I'm a little wiser than that. But I will say, it's really good to see him out here. It's great to see Pat Ricard out there working as well, running around. Not just as teammates, but as friends, seeing them back on the field and seeing them get to work and doing what makes them happy, that's good for all of us."
On how he keeps it fresh and tries to get better every day:"So, last year around this time, 'Harbs' [head coach John Harbaugh] kind of challenged us to post on the bulletin board in the locker room – [it's] like the first thing you see when you walk in – put a picture up or maybe a phrase or a saying of what's your why. A lot of guys put up a picture of their family or a lot of guys put up a picture of the Lombardi Trophy. [If] you ask essentially what's keeping me motivated, I think for all of us our why is a collective yearning for that championship experience and bringing that to a town that deserves a championship unlike any other. At the same time, our whys don't just stop there. My why might be different every single day. It might be cementing ourselves as the most elite kicking battery that's ever stepped foot onto a football field, and then the next day it might just be getting a chance to see the guys and sit around the breakfast table or the lunch table in the cafeteria and have a good conversation. But the way we get the elevate all of those experiences and sharing them together, is working our tails off, taking it a day at a time and ultimately hoisting the Lombardi at the end of the year. I think that's what we're all working towards, and that's what we have our eye on."
On what are the nuances you look for when you have a new long snapper:"That's a great question. I'm not going to answer it fully – because I don't want to give away trade secrets – but the way we operate as a field goal-kicking unit, we emphasis being aggressive and intentional in everything that we do, starting with the snapper. So, for me, if I can see and feel the confidence of our long snapper before he even gets in his stance and puts his hands on the ball, and as Jordan [Stout] is getting set up, I can just feel that we're going to make this kick. It all starts with what we do out here on the practice field [and] the intricate little details that I'm not necessarily going to get fully into. But knowing that we work day in and day out on those things, it kind of helps the whole process become streamlined towards our main goal, and that's just making kicks."
On if there's a nickname for the special teams trio this season:"We haven't really thought about it too much. Check in maybe with me next week, and I'll have an answer for you, or maybe not. I don't really know. I'm less worried about that and more worried about just smashing kicks, so we'll go that route."
LS TYLER OTT
On how he ended up landing with the Ravens and the process:"Sure, yes. My contract last year with the [Seattle] Seahawks expired after I was hurt for the whole season, and really I got cleared in mid-January from my injury. From that point on, it was just training like usual [and] waiting for a call from whoever it was, and I didn't think it would take as long as it did, honestly. I was actually at … We were hosting my son's third birthday party when my agent called and said 'Hey, we got your call. You're going down to Baltimore in two days.' I was like, 'Alright, well let me finish this birthday party and cut the cake, and then I'll pack up and start driving.' I was really planning on being somewhere regardless of where it was. It didn't really matter at that point. I knew I was ready. I knew I was healthy, and now once I got the call to come here, it was obvious. I knew what kind of system, as 'Tuck' [Justin Tucker] alluded to, I was stepping into – the excellence that they expect and have come to expect and have experienced. I knew coming in that my job was to make that system run perfectly. It's always been my goal as a snapper since Day One anyways. Yes, my goal is to come in and make Jordan [Stout]'s job as easy as possible so that Justin [Tucker]'s job is as easy as possible. That's the whole goal of a snapper is just … Hopefully they don't have to really do anything but put the ball down and then kick it."
On what his career path and trajectory was to long snapping:"Well, I might be one of the rare ones that started in little league. I actually used to kick – I used to toe kick – and then one of my best friends in fifth grade was a soccer player. He came over and started kicking field goals for us, and my only way to stay involved was … I said, 'Hey, let's try snapping.' I was playing other positions. I played tight end through high school and then through college and snapped through high school and in college, but [I] probably never really thought about snapping being the route to the NFL until senior year of college. I was lucky. In high school, I had a coach, Carl Johnson, and he had coached special teams and snappers at the University of Houston before he was our high school coach. He actually knew the fundamentals of snapping, and so that was where my foundation was laid. From there, it was all for the most part self-taught and tinkering and figuring out what works, and I guess, maybe a benefit looking back in hindsight, is that when I was playing tight end in college and snapping, I never had time to think about snapping. So, I think that just instilled the confidence that I carry to this day in snapping – that I never got to warm up on the sideline before a kick or a punt. I just went out there and ripped it back there and didn't think
anything of it. So, obviously I put more thought into it now, but I think it's just … It's been an ability that I've had that I didn't really take full appreciation of until I knew I could make it as a snapper in the NFL."
On if he has ever done any trick snaps before:"No, I never wanted to break any windows. You know, that stuff's cool. It's never been … I mean, if you look at my social media, I'm not posting a lot of stuff. It's just not my personality to be really out there. I'm not going to say I haven't tried to snap into a trash can or something every now and then, but hit the crossbar maybe. I find that a lot of times that actually might hurt your snapping ability – the job you're trying to do when you start messing around with that stuff, even though it might be cool, but I'm here to snap, I guess."
On how difficult the process was coming back from his shoulder injury: "Well, yes it is tough. I think a lot of … I don't know what happened with the end of my tenure in Seattle, but I think a lot of coaches and front office and medical might see that as a death sentence for a snapper. I saw a great surgeon. I had a great team of athletic trainers. I was back quicker than expected and stronger, and I honestly felt coming off of a year of missing a full season, as bad as that is, I had a full season first time since seventh grade – a full year to recover and be healthy and be strong and be ready for this next stint of however long it's going to be here or the next team, whatever it's going to be. And I realize that. The toughest part about being hurt last year was not the physical part of it. It was the mental part [and] understanding that I got my job in Seattle six years ago when I filled in for a hurt snapper. So, I knew exactly what was at risk, and I didn't think it was going to happen. I did my best where it wasn't going to, but it's the way the cards were dealt, and I'm here now to make the most of this to make the run with these guys and do everything we can to be the best unit in the NFL."
P JORDAN STOUT
On attending Nick Novak's kicking and punting camp in the offseason:"Yes, something I really like to do in the offseason is get around as many other punters as I can to see where I'm at. It was great, though."
On his improvement as a holder:"I'm not going to toot my own horn – and I won't, much. I'm pretty humble, but I'm a really good holder. And [kicking consultant] Sam [Koch] was great; he taught me a lot, [special teams coach/specialists] Randy [Brown] as well. So, it's been great."
On if his Go Pro experience did a lot for him:"I don't know if that helped as much as just taking a little break and then coming back … I was just way better somehow. Must have taken a lot of creatine."
On if he sees himself taking a big leap from season one to season two:"As a punter, I think what we do is all about confidence, and I think my confidence last year was lacking. I feel like I am extremely confident now, because talking about going to those camps in the offseason, and I went, and I did really well. Confidence comes from preparation, and I prepared my butt off. So, I think it will."
On why he thinks his confidence is lacking:"I think it's just a new thing. In college, I was doing field goals, kickoffs and punts. If I had a bad punt in a game, I wasn't going to dwell on it because I was going to have a field goal the next drive. So, now, only focusing on punting … If I [had] a bad punt in the past, it would affect me. I just have to have a one-kick mentality and go out on the next [opportunity] and hit a good ball."
On his thoughts about long snapper Nick Moore and long snapper Tyler Ott:"It sucks that [long snapper] Nick [Moore] is out because we love Nick. Nick [is] a great snapper, but [long snapper] Tyler [Ott] picked up right where he left off, and he's doing an incredible job. He's a good guy, and he's a great snapper. So, we're happy to have him."
On if he's talked to any former teammates from Penn State about the coaches poll having his former team at No. 7 in the preseason poll: "I have not talked to them yet, but I think we're going to make national championship run this year. That team is stacked. So, [I'm] excited for that."
On if he thinks Penn State will make the national championship game: "From me, you heard it here first."
DT BRODERICK WASHINGTON
On the emotions running through his head as he put pen to paper on a contract extension with the Baltimore Ravens:"One, I was very excited, man. I'm just blessed to even be in the position. I'm glad my mom wasn't here; I would have cried, and I'm kind of, supposedly, a tough guy here, so that wouldn't have looked good on me. But yes, I'm just excited. I'm filled with emotion. I'm happy to be able to call … I'm happy to be able to be home for the next three years, and I'm glad it's here. I don't have to go anywhere different; I don't have to learn a new scheme; I know everything already; I'm comfortable. And I'm just really excited for the opportunity to grow each and every year."
On if he was anticipating a contract extension during training camp:"No, not at all. But it's a blessing to be in this position. All I did was just kept my head down and just worked, really. And Coach 'Harbs' [head coach John Harbaugh] – during OTAs – he kind of mentioned it, but I didn't want it to get to my head, because, at the end of the day, I'm still trying to get better. I haven't even … I've barely scratched the surface of what I could really be, and I just look forward to the opportunity to be able to do that here. I'm just blessed."
On if signing the contract extension provides a sense of relief heading into the season:"I mean, for me, personally, I didn't … My whole thing was just getting better every day. I really didn't think about it, because there are more … There are a lot of guys that are in my [draft] class that are more deserving, I feel like. But like I said, I'm blessed to be in this position, and I'm super excited to be able to call the Baltimore Ravens home for the next three years."
On being celebrated in the middle of the field by his teammates after practice:"It was a great feeling, because, normally, I kind of just stay to myself in the building. I speak to everybody and stuff like that, but just to see those guys embrace me the way they did, it meant a lot. And, shoot, I was just … I was just filled with happiness, honestly."
On his year-over-year improvement, and in what area he's improved the most in since last season:"If I had to point out one thing, I would just say it's my confidence in myself. Like, I'm a pretty confident guy, but … For some reason … It's honestly hard to really put anything on it. But coming into the season and during the offseason, my thing was working on pass rush, because without Calais [Campbell], there are a lot of pass rush snaps up for grabs, and I'm trying to be one of the guys that's getting some of them. So, my main focus was just pass rush, over the offseason."
On if he's been working with outside linebackers coach Chuck Smith on his pass rush:"Yes, yes, why not? I'd be a fool not to. But yes. [Outside linebackers coach] Chuck [Smith], every day, he's got something for the guys in the pass rush department, and he's been a great help for everybody – for the whole room, honestly. He makes us better as a unit, and we're going to continue to grow with him."
On the genesis of his strong work ethic:"For me, it's from my mom. I grew up in a single-parent home, for the most part, and, shoot, I watched my mom grind through everything by herself. So, I come in, and I don't allow myself to have excuses. My faith in God is really, really high, so I know that if I remain faithful and continue to work, he's going to bless me and, shoot, he'll just continue to bless me. So, I don't care about any time limits; I don't care how long it takes; as long as I can play football and be out here, I'm going to work, and I'm going to get better each and every day."
On where he'll make the biggest jump this season, and if he can already feel himself ascending as the season approaches:"To be honest, not really. I just take it day by day and just continue to work on the small things and see where we fall when the season is [here]."
On if he has spoken to his family since signing the extension:"To be honest, I haven't really had that conversation yet, because I know … My mom is going to be out here this week, for the game, so I know that will be an emotional time, and I look forward to it. I've been trying to hold back the emotion, just for her, because that's who I really want to share the moment with; I want to share it with my whole family. But my mom, she's been with me through it all [and] always had my back. And, shoot, I just can't wait to just embrace her and have that moment with her."
Closing statement:"I want to shout out the guys upstairs for having faith in me and believing in me – to even put me in this position. And thank you all for being here today."
