Have you ever wondered who the strongest Ravens player is? To help answer that question, baltimoreravens.com gives you the results of the second-annual strongman competition.
"Bigger than the New York Giants beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl!" exclaimed **John “Mother” Dunn**, jokingly referring to the unexpected outcome of Super Bowl XLII in 2008.
Last year, linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo beat all challengers in events ranging from pushing a sled 100 yards to a Combine-style bench press to flipping a giant tire.
This year, Ayanbadejo did win the overall event for the defense, but was ousted in his weight class by running back **Jalen Parmele**, eliciting gasps of surprise from their teammates in the locker room.
"I didn't place first in the events, but was solid all around," Ayanbadejo said. "A lot of guys put in some hard work, and I knew it wouldn't be just given to me."
Watch "B.A.'s" mic'd performances in an exclusive baltimoreravens.com video.
While Ayanbadejo won overall the overall for the defense, offensive lineman **Bryan Mattison** took home the gold for his side of the ball.
The results were also broken down into three weight classes. Among the lightweights - which included wideouts, defensive backs and quarterbacks, safety **Haruki Nakamura** took first, followed by **Tom Zbikowski** and wideout **Isaiah Williams**.
Ayanbadejo fell into the middleweights, with linebackers, running backs and tight ends. He placed second after Parmele and ahead of tight end **Isaac Smolko**.
The linemen made up the heavyweight class, and dominated in the 225-pound bench press.
Rookie defensive end **Will Johnson** bested everyone, falling just short of the staggering 47 reps he posted at the University of Michigan's Pro Day. Johnson was third among the heavyweights, which was won by Mattison. Defensive end Paul Kruger came in second.
Once Johnson got to 30, the shouts grew louder and louder in the weight room, as his fellow Ravens encouraged him to keep going.
Each cry was a testament to the way this event builds camaraderie through competition, which was really the point of it all.
"Most of our team was here, and they love to compete," said head coach **John Harbaugh**. "That's a tough thing to hang there on a chin-up bar as long as you can, or carry dumbbells as far as you can - all that is really demanding stuff.
"It is really interesting to watch as a coach, because you see guys who really get after it and really want to win. Those are the guys you're looking for. It's what makes everybody better."
Many players agreed. Even after weeks of minicamps, and three days this week of intense humidity at team headquarters in Owings Mills, Md., the event seemed to bring everyone together.
"A lot more of the older guys came, so the turnout was really good this year," explained tight end **Edgar Jones**. "It's a good team-building event. It didn't matter what side of the ball you were on or different position groups, we were all cheering each other on. Even though it's only the second year doing this, I think it's getting bigger and bigger."
Not all veterans participated in the voluntary strongman competition, including Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and **Trevor Pryce**, leaving fans wondering if one of these three beasts could have taken home the strongman title.
There will be no more practices for the Ravens veterans until training camp opens in late July, while rookies have an exclusive three-day camp beginning Monday.
Here is a list of the top five overall finishers in each of six competitive events:
Hang: Players must grip a bar and hold themselves in the air for as many seconds as possible.1. Bryan Mattison
2. Isaiah Williams
3. Jalen Parmele
4. Brendon Ayanbadejo
5. (tie) Matt Lawrence, Demetrius Williams
Bench: How many times can a participant bench press 225 pounds.
1. Will Johnson
2. Kelly Gregg
3. Robby Felix
4. Ben Grubbs
5. Marshal Yanda
Sled: A blocking sled must be pushed the full 100-yard length of the field (this was generally considered the most difficult event).
1. Jalen Parmele
2. Antwan Barnes
3. Eron Riley
4. Robbie Felix
5. Bryan Mattison
Rope: A rope was attached to a weighted sled, with 200 pounds for the biggest class, 175 pounds for the middle class, and 125 for wideouts, defensive backs and quarterbacks. Players had to sit and pull the rope 50 yards.
1. Tom Zbikowski
2. Haruki Nakamura
3. Lardarius Webb
4. Paul Kruger
5. Will Johnson
Tire Flip: How fast can a player flip a giant tire down the field
1. Bryan Mattison
2. Matt Lawrence
3. Joe Reitz
4. Jason Phillips
5. Jalen Parmele
K-Bell: Players had to carry different weights of kettle bells as far as they could. Linemen had 80 pounds, with 70 to the linebackers, tight ends and running backs, and 60 to the lightest division.
1. Anwar Phillips
2. Derrick Martin
3. Brendon Ayanbadejo
4. Prescott Burgess
5. Antwan Barnes
