The Ravens drafted some interesting rookies last weekend.
Here are some of their best quotes after finding out they're going to be wearing purple and black.
1st Round: WR Breshad Perriman
On his initial reaction when Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome called him:"Complete shock, honestly. I really don't know. My emotions were all over the place, at an all-time high. It feels like a dream come true."* *
On how much his family's football background will aid in his transition to the NFL:"It played a major role, just growing up around football, period. Football has always been in my blood, and now it's my turn to play on the highest level of competition."
On the best lesson his father has taught him: "Basically just that hard work beats everything. You can't really rely on talent all the time, because everybody at this level is talented, so you have to beat your competitors with hard work."
On his dad being at the draft: "For him to be able to play in the league for that many years – 10 or so years – and for me looking up to him when I was a child, I kind of wanted to follow in his footsteps. Once I created a great passion for the game, I wanted to make a name for myself. I'm slowly doing that, and I feel like there's no one else better to celebrate that with and go through this experience with in my family."* *
On his hands being a perceived weakness: "That's not a weakness. That probably would be one of my strengths – would be ball skills and catching the ball."
2nd Round: TE Maxx Williams
On how he would describe his game and whether he emulates TE Jason Witten: "That's who I want to be like – the guy is Jason Witten. [I] grew up every day trying to do everything for the team – blocking, catching and just being a difference, and that's what I've always tried to be for my teammates is going out there and making a difference on gameday."
On what advice his father gave him about the NFL and the draft process: "He said, 'You know what, you have to earn respect. You have to go in, shut your mouth and go to work every day and earn the respect of your teammates and show who you are, because now you're at the highest level where no matter what, everyone's the best there is.'"
On what he was thinking with the Ravens and Steelers picking closely together: "My heart was pumping all day. The last two days, my heart has been pumping, and I'm just kind of waiting for my name to get called and my phone to ring. You get more and more excited, and finally, I was fortunate enough to hear my phone ring, and now I'm a Baltimore Raven."
On why he was the No. 1 tight end in this draft class: "I would just say how I try. Everything I treat is like I have to do it the best I can, and no matter what, if I'm losing something or not winning a block or something, I try to make catches the best. I'm going to go out there and do the best I can. And just my work ethic, I feel like is what everyone looks at."* *
On catching passes from Joe Flacco: "[He's] one of the best quarterbacks in the league right now; how can you not be excited to go out there and try to make plays for him?"
3rd Round: DT Carl Davis
On not being picked in the first or second rounds: "Oh my God, it's ridiculous how I'm so motivated right now. I feel like I'm one of the best defensive tackles in this year's draft, and I saw a lot of guys that got picked ahead of me, and that puts a chip on my shoulder. And I feel like, especially when I've got a chip on my shoulder, there's nobody that can stop me. I feel like I'm that much of a dominant player."
On where he was expecting to be drafted: "I was expecting late-first [or] early-second. ... It's basically my job to make every other team regret not taking me earlier, and just make myself the best player so I can get in there and dominate and show everybody what I've got."
On his emotions of getting drafted and if the Ravens were a team he talked to before the draft: "No, we really hadn't had a lot of contact, and I didn't think I was on their board at all. But this is a great organization – especially on the defensive side – and I'm very ecstatic right now. Words can't even explain how happy I am, especially to be able to play a part of a great program with so much tradition. I'm just really looking forward to it."
On how important the Senior Bowl was to him: "That was a very good week, just to show everybody that I can win one-on-one, show them that I can play. And I can play against anybody, and I can dominate just anybody. It got me an opportunity to get outside of being that 'Iowa defense,' and just be able to play on the field and just be able to make plays. Basically, when it's me against another man, all it is is your pride on the line right now, and I just wasn't going to be stopped there."
4th Round: OLB Za'Darius Smith
On whether he watched OLB Pernell McPhee: "Yes, sir. I watched him a lot, and I think I can follow in his footsteps and become more like him. He just signed a new contract, and this team right here is replacing the other guy like Pernell McPhee. And I can tell you this: A lot of people are going to be hearing from Za'Darius Smith as a Baltimore Raven."* *
On whether the Ravens mentioned McPhee to him during the draft process: "That's all they talked about. But I can tell you this: I'm going to follow in his footsteps. I'm going to do the right thing and be the best pass rusher and the best run stopper I can."
4th Round: RB Buck Allen
On whether he has reflected on the journey that lead him to the draft: "Most definitely. I know when it all calms down later on, I'm going to sit [by] myself, and I just know I'm going to tear up and cry and think about all the stuff me and my family went through to get to this point. And like I said, it's a blessing."* *
On how much his past has prepared him for the next step in his career: "Pretty much I had to fight to get what I want. Stuff was never handed to me. Even growing up as a kid – even living with my grandmother – it was never handed to me as a kid. You always had to fight. You always had to figure out a way. Never give up on yourself. Believe in yourself."
4th Round: CB Tray Walker
On whether he thought there was a high chance the Ravens would draft him: "I spoke with the cornerback coach when they came out to the personal workout, and they were overwhelmed by my size and my ability to move the way I can."
On how he ended up at Texas Southern and if he had offers from bigger schools: "No, sir. I was not highly recruited. I was overlooked. I was a safety in high school, I was recruited as a safety, and that was my only option. So, I took a chance, took advantage of it and made the best of it."* *
On what he needs to improve on most: "Right now, I feel like I could put on five more pounds to be solid and then just basically get the feel of the game. And once I get the feel of the game, you can help me and tell me what I need to improve in."
5th Round: OG Robert Myers
On how he earned the nickname "Snacks": "They said that I was the first one in the café, and the last one to leave it. So, it just transpired so they started calling me, 'Snacks.'"
On what kind of a feeling he got from Ravens Offensive Line Coach Juan Castillo before the draft: "Coach Juan is a great coach. When he came into TSU to work me out, he was very positive and he just showed a lot of interest in me during that time we spent. We went out to eat and he just explained that he was very interested in me playing, and he knew the role of a small-school player to get to a big-time level."
