1. 20 BALTIMORERAVENSGAMEDAY BALTIMORERAVENS.COM 21
The game of football is unique by design.
Unlike other American sports, football
requires the complete cohesion of three
units: offense, defense and special teams.
The road to success for the two former units
is the same as other sports: produce and
protect. Consistent success in the latter
proves to be more complex.
Ravensspecialteamscoordinator/associate
head coach Jerry Rosburg describes it as a
process of annual reconstruction.
“You reconstruct your team; you really
do,” Rosburg states. “It’s difficult, but you
start fresh every season. We have to make
ourselves new all over again. Every year, we
have a new special teams unit. Certainly,
there’s carryover with certain veterans,
but there are so many different elements
that have to fit in with those guys to have
continued success.”
He would know.
The 16-year NFL coaching veteran has been
focusing on special teams since his first
season in Cleveland (2001). Rosburg has
trained specialists, including Pro Bowler
(2012) and two-time All-Pro Phil Dawson,
2012 Pro Bowl and All-Pro return specialist
Jacoby Jones and 2010 Pro Bowler and All-
Pro kicker Billy Cundiff. Not to mention the
Ravens’ “Wolfpack” – long snapper Morgan
Cox, punter Sam Koch and kicker Justin
Tucker, all of whom are Pro Bowlers.
The aforementioned trio has obvious
chemistry and the on-field success to
reflect it. One of the NFL’s most-tenured
snapper-punter-kicker combinations has
seen Sam Koch reach 842 career punts
for 38,126 yards and a 45.3 career gross
average, all Ravens records. His 39.4
career net average also ranks first in
team history. It is also no coincidence
that Tucker, the second-most accurate
kicker in NFL history at 89.7%, has been
flawless on extra point attempts in his
NFL career (154-154).
“Without them, there is no me,” Tucker
states. “We’ve all worked really well
together to develop such a good rapport
over these last several years. Now we fine
tune, and we’re able to fix anything that we
might need to. We’re able to do that for one
another now; we know each other so well.”
While the three specialists above are the
most obvious benefactors to a special
teams emphasis, the Ravens make it a
point to get the entire team involved. This
organizational philosophy starts at the top
with head coach John Harbaugh, who spent
nine seasons as the Eagles’ special teams
coordinator, and is echoed throughout the
A SPECIAL WAYTO WIN
ByJennifer Burroughs

2. BALTIMORERAVENS.COM 23
building. After all, to have the success the
Ravens are accustomed to, they must have
players who are ready, willing and eager to
get the job done.
“We value these kinds of players – not just
a one-tool player, but guys who can do
multiple things to help us win,” Rosburg
mentions. “It’s a commitment from John
and [general manager] Ozzie [Newsome]
to work to get players who can do multiple
things that help us win, and special teams
is an integral part of that.”
Examples of these exceptional athletes are
riddled throughout Ravens history, with
some of the most shining players revealing
themselves in recent years.
Safety Anthony Levine Sr. made his
Baltimore debut on the Ravens’ practice
squad in 2012. In the 53 games he has
played since then, the majority of his
action has been on special teams. He has
accumulated 27 special teams tackles in
his career, ranking in the team’s Top 5 in
the category during that time frame.
Another instance comes in the form of
cornerback Tavon Young. The first of five
players selected by the Ravens in the
fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft arrived
with limited special teams action at
Temple University. Since being drafted by
Baltimore, he has spent significant game
time with the special teams unit, even
returning a blocked point after try for a
defensive 2-point conversion in a division
matchup at Cleveland.
“It’s hard work,” said Young. “It seems like,
especially for rookies, it’s more important
than offense or defense, because that’s how
you get a shot to get on the field. We’ve seen
special teams win games, so that helps us
work harder at it.”
Early commitment to special teams
has proven to lead to a more solid spot
on the field. Ravens defensive leader
and linebacker Terrell Suggs was heard
explaining this to rookie outside linebacker
Matthew Judon while Suggs was mic’d up
during a hard-fought loss to the Raiders.
“Do whatever you can to be starting on
special teams,” Suggs said. “I need you
playing, so you have to start dominating
special teams. Go to coach [Jerry] Rosburg
and say, ‘What do I need to do to get more
of a chance on special teams?’ We need you
playing in games.”
While the Ravens are great at detecting
this talent from young players, they are
also wise enough to take notice of viable
veterans who possess the skills they covet.
Enter return specialist Devin Hester Sr. The
11 years of his professional career have
seen four Pro Bowl visits, three All-Pro
mentions and 14 Special Teams Player of
the Week honors. He is currently fifth in the
NFL in kickoff return average (25.6).
Hester Sr.’s resume is extensive, including
holding the record for the most return
touchdowns in NFL history (20), but
aside from his production on the field,
he mirrors the strong football mindset
respected by Rosburg.
“One of the things I’ve really enjoyed about
Devin is talking football with him,” Rosburg
mentions. “I’ve learned a lot from him and
what he looks for, what his style is, how he
likes to approach the game [and] what his
preparation fundamentals are. It’s been
really, really educational for me to listen to
him talk football.”
“We value these kinds of players –
not just a one-tool player, but guys who
can do multiple things to help us win.”
– Jerry Rosburg

3. BALTIMORERAVENS.COM 25
The Ravens have seen time and time
again how much it pays off to have
such a mentally- and physically-sound
special teams unit where it actually
counts – on the field.
Tucker’s 12-career game-winning field
goals are worth noting, but kicking isn’t
the only way the Ravens have come out on
top thanks to special teams. This season
alone there have been a handful of those
momentum-shifting plays.
The Ravens lead the league in blocked
kicks (12) since 2014 and hold the same
honor so far in the 2016 season with four
blocks. In a division matchup at Cleveland,
defensive end Lawrence Guy blocked a PAT,
leading to Young’s aforementioned 2-point
conversion. A week later, defensive end
Brent Urban blocked a field goal attempt
against Jacksonville. Defensive tackle
Brandon Williams got involved at New
York in Week 7 with a blocked field goal
attempt against the Jets, and running
back Javorius “Buck” Allen blocked a
punt against AFC North rival Pittsburgh,
which led to a game-deciding Chris Moore
touchdown.
In the “What have you done for me lately?”
NFL, the Rosburg-led special teams corps
consistently proves its value. In a league
of complex uniqueness, this same group
thrives. And in a world of wins and losses,
the Ravens’ specials teams unit wins, the
best way it knows how.
“We’re all about winning. We want to
be great on special teams, because we
want to be great so we can win games.
That’s the whole idea behind it,” Rosburg
continues. “Our players buy into the fact
that if you really get good at something on
offense and defense, and you can help us
on special teams, then our team is better.”
In last Sunday’s 19-14 victory over Cincinnati, Justin Tucker became the ninth kicker in NFL history to
make three FGs of 50-plus yards in a single game (52, 57 & 54 yards). He also became the first NFL
player to make three 50-plus FGs in the first half of a game.