Were the Ravens a team that you felt like was coming after you the whole time and that you had a good chance of landing with? What are your emotions? (Ryan Mink)
"It was kind of surprising. I had a good feeling that the Ravens had high hopes for me, and they thought highly of me, so I thought it would be a good fit. I have one of my former teammates [there], Odafe Oweh, so he helped recruit me to Penn State, so that's really great. We were close. Just seeing that connection, seeing how it ended up happening, it's amazing. It really is."
Executive vice president & general manager Eric DeCosta said he was there for the West Virginia-Penn State game visiting his daughter and got to see you a bit. Did you talk to him at all during that visit? What is it like having a GM whose daughter was a classmate of yours? (Giana Han)
(laughter) "Actually, I didn't see or talk to [Eric DeCosta] during the game, but that's crazy the amount of connections the Ravens have with Penn State and just how many familiar faces and connections [there are]. It's a small world, so the fit itself is perfect."
How familiar are you with OLB Odafe Oweh? Have you talked to him much? (Brian Wacker)
"Yes. I'm very familiar with [Odafe Oweh]. He helped recruit me to Penn State. We ended up playing together [for] a couple years before he went to the Ravens, so we're tight. He's from a similar area to me, so we have a lot of connections there. He was just a great, great teammate [and] a great big brother to me coming into Penn State. I just thank him for hyping me [up] when I first got there as a youngin,' so now, for it to come full circle, it's a very unique situation."
How did your relationship with your siblings impact you growing up? What kind of relationship do you have with them? (Brian Wacker)
"We're all close. They are all nonverbal, so you may think it's challenging to communicate with them or whatnot, but I feel like just growing up with them my whole life, [they are] just my siblings, my brother and my sisters. I treat them the same, so it's nothing new. I feel like it's just like how you would treat your brother or talk to your brother. We laugh. We joke. We play fight, just everything. I love them to death, and I thank them for just the motivation and inspiration to be in my life. I thank them for everything. They are the reason I'm doing everything I do."
It looked like things really clicked for you your last couple of years at Penn State. Why do you think things clicked for you? Do you think that you're really just kind of scratching the surface because you didn't have the early start in football that a lot of guys did? (Cliff Brown)
"Right. I feel like after I got hurt, that 2021 season, it opened my mind to a lot ... being able to watch more, not having to do certain things, it puts a newer frame on your mindset, and that's kind of what I developed over that time in that year. It made my whole standard, when I think back to that 2022 season rolling into that 2023 season, and then just building ... Just learning from the injury – the adversity taught me a lot, good and bad. It kind of made me a ball of positivity and kind of sprung me into that 2023 season where I was just extra confident, farther away from my injury. [I had] great coaching. I was better and stronger when I left here [for Penn State], so that's just a credit to them. I owe it to them today. They did a lot for me."
Bouncing back from that Achilles injury, the perseverance that it took and the adversity that you faced, how do you think that will help you as you move forward to the next level? (Carita Parks)
"It's going to help me tremendously. I feel like whatever adversity I run into moving forward, it's going to be something ... And it won't really be much of a hiccup, because I'm going to find a way to make that something positive and make the best out of it, whether it's good or bad. I feel like it just [helps] the mindset to handle adversity in a good way. There are a lot of great things that come from – I don't want to make it seem like it's good to get hurt – but there are a lot of good things that you can take away from having injuries like that."
How would you describe yourself as a player and what the Ravens are getting in you? (Garrett Downing)
"I would say I'm just disruptive, very lengthy, bendy, twitchy, very violent player. I feel like I'm very versatile. I can make plays on dropping, make plays on rushing, make plays in the run game. I'm just a very versatile player that you can plug and play anywhere. I just feel like I bring a lot to the Ravens organization. We know there is obviously great tradition here, so I'm just excited to learn from all these players and just get better, do my thing and be the best player I can to help this team win."
Is there a quarterback that you are most hoping to get a sack against? Is there anybody that comes to mind that you're excited about now that you're in the NFL? (*Kyle Phoenix)*
"I need that [Patrick] Mahomes sack. I need that Josh Allen sack. I want to sack him just because I like his frame. He's a bigger body, and he's kind of athletic, so it would give me more of a challenge, and then Lamar Jackson." (laughter)
Do you know much about pass rush coach Chuck Smith? Is it exciting to you the idea of kind of getting in the lab with somebody who will really drill down on the specifics of that craft? (Childs Walker) "Oh yes, definitely. I've heard a lot about him throughout my college career. I've always heard the name – Chuck Smith, Chuck Smith – and just never was able to put a face to it. So now, it all came full circle, and I'm able to work with him one-on-one. So, it's just amazing, and I'm just excited to learn. There's a lot of great coaches and a lot of experience, so I'm just excited to improve myself and meet all of these exciting coaches and players."
I'm curious about the competition that you had with Chop Robinson, your teammate at Penn State, and do you expect a similar competition now reuniting with OLB Odafe Oweh. (Ryan Mink) "Oh yeah, definitely. I mean, before Chop [Robinson] came, me and Odafe [Oweh] were the pass brothers. I'm excited to kind of reunite that and get some friendly competition going again. It's going to be way more sweeter on this stage. I'm just excited."
Between OLB Odafe Oweh being on the team and the Ravens' defensive success, I'm curious how much you watched them through this last season and if anything stuck out to you about why they found so much success and why you think like you would fit in with all of that? (Giana Han) "'Yes, 'Dafe' [Odafe Oweh]'s a hell of a player. I mean, I've been watching since he came to Penn State, and seeing the plays that he made on the Ravens ever since his rookie year, it's amazing, and it shows the type of caliber of player that he is. He's a tremendous athlete. He has a tremendous [inaudible]; you can use him anywhere. He's an elite athlete. So, taking some of the things that he's done, seeing how he approaches tackles, moves his hands, trying to learn things that can help me ... I feel like we have a similar skill set; so I can steal some of his moves. That's why we click so much since we're so similar. So, I'm just excited to reunite with my boy. "
I think Chop said during the pre-draft process that he was actually a Ravens fan. I know he obviously grew up in Maryland. Has he reached out to you tonight in any way to kind of extend his congratulations to you? (Jonas Shaffer) "Yes, actually, Chop [Robinson] called me while I was on this interview. I had to decline it, but I'll hit him back after. I'm pretty sure he's definitely excited that I'm [near] his hometown. He's down in Miami, so it's a great day. It's a great day."
Obviously, the Ravens have QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry – a strong offensive identity, but since the franchise was founded, really, it's been a very defensive-oriented franchise. How do you feel joining and what kind of legacy do you want to leave? (Nikhil Mehta) "It's exciting just to talk about being a Raven. Growing up, I didn't play football, pee-wee [football]. I started in high school, but the one team that I constantly heard was the Ravens – the Baltimore Ravens. I was growing up in a time where Ray Lewis was doing his thing. It's a very historic franchise, and I'm just excited to join that tradition and just be the best player I can be and contribute to the team."
