Legendary 75 Section | **Jonathan Ogden Bio**
Ravens DT Kelly Gregg
"No doubt, he's the best player I have ever played with. Not only that, he's also one of the best people I've ever known. On the football field, whether it was at practice or in a game, I just enjoyed watching him go to work. He's the greatest tackle to ever play the game. He had the best footwork and hands of anybody. He was also as strong as an ox. And, all that strength was matched with great technique. He could be facing the top defensive end in football, and it didn't matter at all – he'd shut that guy down. Your quarterback never had to worry.
"My favorite memory of J.O. is watching him signal first down on the big video boards in the stadium. He was a spark. He was a true leader. It didn't matter if you were a fan or a player, you couldn't help but be in awe of what he did."
Former Ravens WR Qadry Ismail
"I played with some of the top guys with (12-time Pro Bowler and Former Vikings G) Randall McDaniel, and I loved how he made things look easy. When I came to Baltimore, obviously when you look at a guy with his size, in terms of JO, what impressed me, was again, how he was in that Randall McDaniel mode but at the most important position on the offensive line, left tackle. He made the position look so easy. That's what impressed me. Guys would go one-on-one, and I'm sitting there, shaking my head, because no one got by JO. He just would engulf you, but his athleticism prevented a guy who was a speed rusher on the outside, from getting up the field. He would just put his hands on you and he was strong enough like, 'Ho, hum, you're not getting a sack today.' That was how I looked at JO.
"In terms of his run-blocking skill, which sometimes gets lost in the shuffle, he opened up a lot of holes. No more evident in that small run from 1999-2003, when Jamal Lewis and Priest Holmes really dominated in terms of just running the football. A lot of that running game came on JO's side. So one of the things that makes JO great, and this is what I love about players in this category, is the fact that not only are you a good player, but you raise the level of play around you. That is no more evident than on the offensive line where teamwork is at a premium. JO had the ability to raise the play of guys around him and make them better players, and it had a trickle-down effect, because it helped us as a team win."
Legendary 75 Section | **Jonathan Ogden Bio**
