The Ravens will reunite with Ray Lewis for the first time since shortly after Super Bowl XLVII Wednesday at the White House.
They've had a couple months of football without him, a couple months to get used to not seeing No. 52 in the Ravens facility.
So what do they miss most about not having him around? Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees was asked that question last week.
"The thing I will miss most about Ray Lewis, besides Sundays, is the fact of how he was in the classroom," Pees said. "What a great example a 17-year veteran was to rookies sitting in the classroom taking notes and paying attention and doing all the things that he did. None of you guys see that stuff. He was an unbelievable pro."
Lewis sat in the back corner of the linebackers meeting room, always with a notepad scribbling tips and tendencies as his coaches went through tape of the opponent.
He had probably done a lot of the same work on his own, but despite the number of Pro Bowls he had to his name, Lewis constantly showed others the importance of listening to coaches and absorbing as many lessons as possible. His iPad playbook was never far from reach.
Just because Lewis is gone, however, doesn't mean the Ravens don't have veterans setting a good example in the classroom, Pees pointed out.
"They may not be right now the Ray Lewis name that has always been here, but these guys are very, very good professionals," Pees said. "In the classroom and stuff, they are great examples to these rookies on what you are supposed to be."
Outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil, for example, hasn't missed a workout yet throughout the Ravens voluntary offseason. He has taken young players under his wing, including motivating defensive tackle Art Jones to do some extra post-practice workouts.
"That's why I think it's important to come out, offseason training, OTAs and those things, let the younger guys know it's a profession, you've got to be professional about it, and you take your job seriously," Dumervil said.
