G/C GINO GRADKOWSKI CONFERENCE CALLS
On whether he felt the Ravens had interest in him:"Yeah definitely, especially since they flew me in for a visit and a physical. And, I had a great feeling talking to coach [John] Harbaugh and talking to all the different coaches – [offensive line] coach [Andy] Moeller and [assistant offensive line] coach [Todd] Washington. I had a great feel; I feel like I fit that mentality well, and I'm elated right now, because Baltimore plays football the way it's meant to be played. And that just excites me."
On how attractive this spot is with an opportunity to play on the offensive line:"Yeah, it's a perfect spot for me. Come in and maybe play guard my first year and eventually take over at center, and that's what I was looking to do; get in behind a veteran like Matt Birk. I'm really excited to meet him and pick his brain about football. It's a perfect scenario, and I just couldn't be happier."
On when Baltimore first reached out to him and showed interest:"They've been to Delaware a couple of times during the year. They sent their regional scout, and they were up at my pro day, and I sat down with coach Todd Washington; had dinner with him the night before my pro day. Throughout the whole process they've been pretty high on me, so I was hoping that Baltimore would be one of the places that I would end up."
On describing himself as a player:"Yeah, just a hard-nosed guy, a hard worker. I played at Delaware, as you guys know, and we did a lot of pulling and stuff like that. So, I feel good in space, and I feel like athleticism is one of my strong points. So, definitely versatility also is my strong point. I've played all three inside positions at Delaware, so that helps out as well."* *
On joining the Ravens and being from the same school [Delaware] as QB Joe Flacco:"I am excited. I transferred in after Joe left, so I never met Joe, but I heard a lot of great things about him, and I am excited to meet him. I feel like, from the things I have heard, we are very similar personality wise. So, I think we will hit it off, and I am excited to meet him. It definitely helps. He paved the way for all the small-school guys, especially guys coming from Delaware. He is doing a great job of representing the school to the best of his ability, and we really appreciate that."
On if he transferred from West Virginia because of a lack of playing time: "Yeah, that was it, just playing time. With the coaching change, when [head coach Rich] Rodriguez went up to Michigan, the new staff had a guy in front of me. It was just strictly for playing time."
