WEBVTT - Brandon Williams, Hamilton & Harbaugh: Ravens Press Conferences 11/5/24 0:00:03.120 --> 0:00:05.640 You're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. Today is Tuesday, 0:00:05.640 --> 0:00:08.959 November fifth. Today we heard from head coach John Harbaugh. 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:14.319 Okay, good to see everybody here. 0:00:14.440 --> 0:00:17.239 As we said, we are hurtling towards Thursday night at 0:00:17.239 --> 0:00:19.880 a break neck pace, getting ready to play the game. 0:00:20.440 --> 0:00:24.880 And what questions you have, John, uh, that you. 0:00:24.840 --> 0:00:28.160 Guys treated for Maybe it's white any game as a 0:00:28.200 --> 0:00:28.440 lot of. 0:00:28.800 --> 0:00:30.200 Well, just off the practice field. 0:00:30.200 --> 0:00:32.360 I think the trading deadlines at four, I'll probably just 0:00:32.400 --> 0:00:35.239 wait and see, make make sure everything's up, and talk 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:36.879 to Eric first before I would comment on that. 0:00:36.960 --> 0:00:43.320 So we'll see John. That's all you guys care about 0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:46.919 right now. I also did not see the more practice 0:00:47.159 --> 0:00:48.080 anything he talks about. 0:00:48.120 --> 0:00:50.800 That not really nothing I really want to talk about 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:53.800 in comment on he'll be playing Thursday night. That's probably 0:00:53.800 --> 0:00:55.680 the main thing right that you're asking, Yeah, he will 0:00:55.680 --> 0:00:56.520 be playing Thursday night. 0:00:56.960 --> 0:01:00.520 I mean, I'm sure it's always unique game plan employed 0:01:01.000 --> 0:01:03.000 division opponents, but when you're doing it on the short 0:01:03.040 --> 0:01:05.920 week like this second time you're playing them this year, 0:01:06.000 --> 0:01:08.560 is does it feel any different when you're preparing for 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:09.200 this type of game. 0:01:09.920 --> 0:01:13.319 It definitely feels different on a short week for any opponent. 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:16.600 I like the fact that you know, you play a 0:01:16.600 --> 0:01:18.520 team that you have a little more familiarity with, But 0:01:19.040 --> 0:01:21.280 that's a two edge sword too, because they have they 0:01:21.319 --> 0:01:24.960 have a lot of familiarity with us. So every every 0:01:24.959 --> 0:01:26.720 game is different, you know, every game is unique. Is 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:30.800 kind of take it as it comes, attack the circumstances 0:01:30.800 --> 0:01:33.240 as they present themselves, and that's what we'll try to 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:34.080 do and do our best. 0:01:35.880 --> 0:01:37.320 Yeah, John Lamar. 0:01:37.160 --> 0:01:39.600 Talk about wanting to score a lot of points. I mean, 0:01:39.600 --> 0:01:41.960 that's the goal obviously all the time. And the same 0:01:42.000 --> 0:01:43.560 could be said for your offense. But when you do 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:46.280 face a team like Cincinnati, do you feel offensively for 0:01:46.319 --> 0:01:48.640 yourself you need to be more aggressive when you can 0:01:48.680 --> 0:01:51.160 get into and he's kind of shootout situation. 0:01:50.960 --> 0:01:51.080 You know. 0:01:51.200 --> 0:01:53.000 I think a lot of that has to do with 0:01:53.000 --> 0:01:55.160 how the game's going once we get into the game. 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:57.960 We'll we'll we look at it certain ways going into 0:01:57.960 --> 0:02:00.640 the game right now, but we'll see how the game's going. 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:02.360 You never know how it's going to play out, you know. 0:02:02.440 --> 0:02:04.680 So I'm I'm excited for all three phases of our 0:02:04.760 --> 0:02:08.720 of our team to play play their best, play their hardest, 0:02:08.800 --> 0:02:10.560 and uh and just see where it goes as the 0:02:10.560 --> 0:02:11.120 game goes on. 0:02:12.360 --> 0:02:16.040 John, I know your internal conversations are the most important. 0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:19.520 But Marlin was all about yesterday that it feels that 0:02:19.760 --> 0:02:24.760 Zach taking some heat for player mistakes. You know, what 0:02:24.880 --> 0:02:27.720 is the mean to see Holy Gardner team talk like 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:30.960 that and take some accountability And do you feel like 0:02:31.600 --> 0:02:34.040 things are going the right way based off last week 0:02:34.160 --> 0:02:36.000 to fix the second area? 0:02:36.919 --> 0:02:39.120 Well, I think it's a process through the whole season 0:02:39.320 --> 0:02:42.600 to get better at everything. You know, there seems to 0:02:42.639 --> 0:02:46.360 be an expectation that you're going to be perfect at everything, 0:02:46.440 --> 0:02:49.079 every every aspect of your game, from the first game 0:02:49.120 --> 0:02:51.040 to the last game to the end, and that seems 0:02:51.080 --> 0:02:53.880 to be the requirement, you know, and it's just not reality. 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:56.120 It's not reality in anything. We have a growth mindset. 0:02:56.120 --> 0:02:58.600 We don't have a fixed mindset. We understand that we 0:02:58.639 --> 0:03:01.080 can't get better, you know, we and we work hard 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:03.680 to get better every single day and every single thing 0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:06.240 we do. And I know Marlin speaking to that. Our 0:03:06.240 --> 0:03:08.919 guys are great about that, coaches are great about that. 0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:13.000 So you face challenges, you face circumstances, and you meet 0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:14.799 them as you find them. You meet them where they're at, 0:03:14.800 --> 0:03:16.880 where you meet your circumstances where they're at. 0:03:17.639 --> 0:03:18.560 That's what I was looking for. 0:03:18.760 --> 0:03:21.519 Meet your circumstances where they're at. I think that's pretty good, 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:24.160 you know. So that's what you continue to do and 0:03:24.160 --> 0:03:26.800 you continue to try to grow, whether it's football or 0:03:26.800 --> 0:03:28.519 life or whatever. So that's what we're trying to do 0:03:28.560 --> 0:03:31.400 as a team, and I'm very confident our guys doing that. 0:03:32.040 --> 0:03:36.000 Speaking of leaders or kwand Smith is a guy and 0:03:35.760 --> 0:03:38.800 you know, probably one of the biggest leaders in the team, 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:42.160 as you talked about, and you know, a guy that 0:03:42.840 --> 0:03:45.520 must not perform his very high standard is the first 0:03:45.560 --> 0:03:49.440 one to say that. What are the conversations that he's 0:03:49.480 --> 0:03:51.920 had that you guys have had throughout the course of 0:03:51.960 --> 0:03:54.200 the season to try to elevate you to do that? 0:03:54.880 --> 0:03:56.120 Well, we've had a lot of conversations. 0:03:56.160 --> 0:03:59.839 I mean we talk all the time every day when 0:04:00.080 --> 0:04:02.320 and you know, and we talk about plays specifically, we 0:04:02.360 --> 0:04:04.800 talk about I'm talking about plays in practice, we talk 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:06.640 about in the meeting room, we talk about, you know, 0:04:06.680 --> 0:04:09.840 how we're handling coverage or a rush, or how we're 0:04:09.880 --> 0:04:12.160 handling a play. Those are those are all the little 0:04:12.160 --> 0:04:14.120 detailed conversations that you have all the time because it's 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:17.039 a complicated game. A lot of stuff happens, uh, you know, 0:04:17.040 --> 0:04:18.919 all around the league. I mean it's challenging. You're if 0:04:18.960 --> 0:04:22.040 you're facing great plays and great players and you're talking 0:04:22.040 --> 0:04:23.520 about it all the time. You also have some big 0:04:23.520 --> 0:04:25.760 picture of conversations too, you know about how can we 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:27.040 get better? What do we need to do, what are 0:04:27.040 --> 0:04:28.479 we missing? What what are we doing? 0:04:28.520 --> 0:04:30.279 Well? Uh, was your leaders? 0:04:30.320 --> 0:04:32.120 You have those conversations. You sell meeting out there with 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:34.599 the leaders. Just now we're talking about scheduling thing for 0:04:34.640 --> 0:04:37.000 the next couple of days. So those are those are 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:38.400 the type of conversations you have. 0:04:38.680 --> 0:04:40.760 John, I'm sure you don't want to have some of 0:04:40.800 --> 0:04:42.920 the issues that the defense has had to this point 0:04:42.920 --> 0:04:46.240 of this season. But when you have the turnover, especially 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:48.560 you go to zach or in this first year, as 0:04:48.560 --> 0:04:50.880 a play called it because it was a learning curve 0:04:50.960 --> 0:04:53.159 kind of expected to a degree. 0:04:53.800 --> 0:04:55.560 Well, I think we're all expected to have a learning curve, 0:04:55.680 --> 0:04:57.719 you know, and everybody's you know, where they're at and 0:04:57.960 --> 0:05:00.240 what what what happens in your life and you try 0:05:00.240 --> 0:05:01.680 to learn and grow and become the best you can be. 0:05:01.760 --> 0:05:04.000 I mean, so that's what we're doing. We're together as 0:05:04.040 --> 0:05:07.280 a team. I got a talented team, you know. I mean, 0:05:07.320 --> 0:05:09.440 we have a talented group of people who've got talented 0:05:09.440 --> 0:05:12.480 coaches who work really hard. We have talented players who 0:05:12.520 --> 0:05:16.320 work really hard. That's what makes me happy. I'm I'm 0:05:16.320 --> 0:05:18.320 full of joy every single day. Walker in this building now, 0:05:18.400 --> 0:05:21.480 still determined, you know, still, you know it's a little 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:23.840 pride always, I say, a little pride's a lot of pride, 0:05:23.880 --> 0:05:25.760 you know, and doing things the right way and working 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:28.600 hard and trying to do everything you can do to 0:05:28.600 --> 0:05:30.440 to prove who you are, you know, and that's what 0:05:30.480 --> 0:05:30.880 our guys do. 0:05:31.480 --> 0:05:34.920 Jya some some uncertainty right now over to Higgins availability 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:37.159 for doing that. And I respects, you know, all the 0:05:37.200 --> 0:05:39.360 receivers on that team. But if he is healthy, if 0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:41.280 he is you know, full go just how much more 0:05:41.279 --> 0:05:43.719 difficult does does he make that ass conference. 0:05:43.400 --> 0:05:44.840 For Joe grow Well? 0:05:44.880 --> 0:05:46.960 Yeah, I don't know the exact number, but it's it's 0:05:46.960 --> 0:05:47.760 definitely a factor. 0:05:48.000 --> 0:05:48.200 You know. 0:05:48.480 --> 0:05:50.080 They've got some other guys too. I mean this this 0:05:50.160 --> 0:05:54.080 young number eighty's doing a nice job too. But he 0:05:54.200 --> 0:05:56.760 got eighty one. You know, he'll be he'll be ready. 0:05:56.800 --> 0:05:59.919 I guess he'll be out there. So he's fast you know, 0:06:00.200 --> 0:06:03.279 but T Higgins, he's one of the top receivers in football. 0:06:04.080 --> 0:06:07.359 John breaking out the performance an the initial impression of 0:06:07.600 --> 0:06:08.280 how they love him. 0:06:08.360 --> 0:06:09.919 Yeah, I like them. I think they look good. What 0:06:09.960 --> 0:06:10.880 do you think I think? 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:13.520 Actually I thought a little better out there than the 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:14.320 initial photos. 0:06:15.680 --> 0:06:19.599 You know, everybody's a critic, aren't they. You know, I did, 0:06:19.720 --> 0:06:21.560 I did, I did. You're right, you're right. 0:06:21.600 --> 0:06:24.560 Asked your opinion. I asked your opinion. You're right, you're right, 0:06:24.600 --> 0:06:25.600 you're right, you're right. 0:06:26.440 --> 0:06:29.640 Appuche. 0:06:31.000 --> 0:06:33.719 We also had a special guest today as Ravens legend 0:06:33.720 --> 0:06:37.200 Brandon Williams is back in the building. He officially retired 0:06:37.240 --> 0:06:39.960 as a Baltimore raven. He played ten years in the NFL, 0:06:40.279 --> 0:06:42.960 the first nine of them here with the Baltimore Ravens 0:06:43.080 --> 0:06:44.880 was a third round draft pick who turned out to 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:48.320 be one of the great players along this defensive front 0:06:48.320 --> 0:06:50.960 throughout his career. He was excited to be back here 0:06:51.000 --> 0:06:52.839 in Baltimore. It was a touching moment for him to 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:55.360 officially call it a career. And here's what he had 0:06:55.360 --> 0:06:57.240 to say during that retirement announcement. 0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:05.880 Wow feels uh feels surreal being back on the on 0:07:05.960 --> 0:07:08.880 the podium a you know, being back in Baltimore. You know, 0:07:08.920 --> 0:07:12.720 I haven't been back since when I left, and you know, 0:07:12.880 --> 0:07:15.640 coming back here is definitely bringing a lot of memories, 0:07:16.280 --> 0:07:19.680 a lot of uh, a lot of memories, a lot 0:07:19.720 --> 0:07:24.200 of great times, a lot of just wars we've had 0:07:24.240 --> 0:07:26.560 on the field, the wars we had, my teammates, I'm seeing, 0:07:26.640 --> 0:07:29.280 just the people I've been around. It's it's been a wonderful, 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:32.120 wonderful time, and you know, I'm just happy and proud 0:07:32.160 --> 0:07:33.120 to be retiring a raven. 0:07:34.680 --> 0:07:34.840 Yeah. 0:07:34.880 --> 0:07:36.600 I mean, Brandon, why why did you wanna come back 0:07:36.600 --> 0:07:37.960 here to kind of put a period on it? 0:07:38.600 --> 0:07:41.679 Uh, That's where I started, you know in the Bible, 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:44.280 you know, Elijah was fed by the Ravens. Then he 0:07:44.440 --> 0:07:46.560 was told to, you know, go off somewhere else he 0:07:46.600 --> 0:07:49.080 had something better for him. And then I just wanted 0:07:49.120 --> 0:07:51.440 to come back and bring it full circle. You know, 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:53.200 that's where I started this work. You know, gave me 0:07:53.280 --> 0:07:56.760 my you know, my livelihood, you know, everything I've you 0:07:56.800 --> 0:07:59.360 know wanted, you know, Coach c b you know, teaching 0:07:59.360 --> 0:08:01.320 me everything lost with me into the player I became. 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:03.520 And I just wanted to come back here and just 0:08:03.760 --> 0:08:05.400 be in Baltimore. For the rest of my life. 0:08:05.640 --> 0:08:07.720 Did you ever think, I knew you always accomplished yourself, 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:10.520 but to go from where you you were from college 0:08:10.920 --> 0:08:13.000 having that long with an NFL career, I mean, did 0:08:13.000 --> 0:08:14.400 you ever imagine something with that? 0:08:15.640 --> 0:08:18.120 No, I've I've always dreamed of it. I've always wished 0:08:18.120 --> 0:08:20.040 and prayed for it, but uh, just to actually have 0:08:20.160 --> 0:08:23.160 it happen and be here now retiring, it seems like 0:08:23.200 --> 0:08:26.000 it went so quick. But I mean, I'm thankful, I'm 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:27.760 blessed definitely, Brandon. 0:08:27.800 --> 0:08:29.480 When people see that picture right there and they think 0:08:29.520 --> 0:08:30.960 of you in a rat in uniform, what do you 0:08:31.000 --> 0:08:33.040 hope that people take away and what is the one thing. 0:08:32.920 --> 0:08:34.120 That you know that they were remember about you? 0:08:35.040 --> 0:08:37.960 That he was authentic? You know, he he gave it 0:08:38.000 --> 0:08:40.200 at all. You know, he was always real when he 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:42.480 came out. He he was just who he was. He 0:08:42.520 --> 0:08:45.160 wasn't playing a show. He was just going out there 0:08:45.280 --> 0:08:47.120 playing his game and being who he was. 0:08:48.679 --> 0:08:51.160 Randon, you got here at a time where they you know, 0:08:51.200 --> 0:08:55.120 there's a lot of defensive veterans over that, you know, 0:08:55.200 --> 0:08:57.679 future Pro Bowlers, Hall of famers, all of that. How 0:08:57.760 --> 0:09:00.560 much did that shape you as a player, what you 0:09:00.679 --> 0:09:02.719 learned when you were a young player here around all 0:09:02.720 --> 0:09:03.679 that defensive talent. 0:09:03.960 --> 0:09:06.440 Uh, it shaped me a lot, having Hellodi, Chris Kanty, 0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:11.120 Marcus Spears, you know, Arthur Jones, even you know, Terrence Cody. 0:09:11.240 --> 0:09:13.559 Just having those guys around me, seeing how they were 0:09:13.559 --> 0:09:16.440 being the pros, seeing how they took care of their body, 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:17.840 how they took care of the health and all that 0:09:17.840 --> 0:09:20.320 stuff like that. It was just amazing just to add 0:09:20.320 --> 0:09:22.600 to the repertoire, add to you know, my chest, and 0:09:22.640 --> 0:09:25.240 you know, be able to kind of just give that 0:09:25.280 --> 0:09:28.160 back and just be exactly who I became to be. 0:09:28.679 --> 0:09:30.520 Right And I know you've got a lot of memories 0:09:30.760 --> 0:09:33.280 here in Baltimore, on and off the field. Is is 0:09:33.280 --> 0:09:35.640 there anything that stick out to you as kind of 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:37.319 that sums up your time as a raider? 0:09:38.840 --> 0:09:40.319 I guess the locker room dance. 0:09:40.920 --> 0:09:42.840 Uh, the locker room dance. I mean, it was one 0:09:42.880 --> 0:09:45.560 of the dog days of training camp, Siss. We were 0:09:45.559 --> 0:09:47.760 about to go out, and I'm just like kind of 0:09:47.800 --> 0:09:49.559 lolling around a little bit, like, man, dude, it was 0:09:49.600 --> 0:09:52.000 hot outside. I don't want to go out. But then 0:09:52.200 --> 0:09:55.000 Sis started playing music and I just started getting into 0:09:55.040 --> 0:09:57.360 my groove, feeling myself and then Chris Kenny had the 0:09:57.400 --> 0:09:59.959 camera and then they happened. So I think that was 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:03.040 the biggest time right there. That just kind of explains everything. 0:10:03.120 --> 0:10:07.120 Also another time was the guy you got you carrying 0:10:07.120 --> 0:10:09.160 the ball for you now, Derick Henry. You know, when 0:10:09.880 --> 0:10:11.959 you know, I've always pride myself on stopping the run. 0:10:12.000 --> 0:10:14.120 I've always prided myself on making sure you don't get 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:15.760 those fourth and shorts and all that stuff like that, 0:10:15.840 --> 0:10:18.520 and seeing him carry the ball with the forest now 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:20.440 is amazing. But the one time when I, you know, 0:10:20.520 --> 0:10:22.800 got after him in the backfield, that was a great 0:10:22.800 --> 0:10:24.840 moment because I've always prided myself on taking down the 0:10:24.840 --> 0:10:26.320 best running backs. He's one the best. 0:10:26.480 --> 0:10:28.120 Did you get in a golf card and crash into 0:10:28.120 --> 0:10:29.760 the tackling gum one one last time? 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:30.480 For no? 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:33.400 But if it's out here, though, I'm gonna get it done. 0:10:33.920 --> 0:10:35.400 So you gotta see the shot. 0:10:35.400 --> 0:10:37.719 He can give me the keys. 0:10:37.880 --> 0:10:40.240 So much of your life an identity does get wrapped 0:10:40.320 --> 0:10:42.920 up into football. Just what has this transition been like 0:10:42.960 --> 0:10:45.280 of putting that behind you and and what is next 0:10:45.280 --> 0:10:46.439 for you? What have you been up to the last 0:10:46.480 --> 0:10:46.960 couple of years. 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:49.520 It's definitely been definitely been in a kind of like 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:53.320 a limbo period period time, just mostly giving that time 0:10:53.360 --> 0:10:55.520 back to my kids, giving that time back to my family, 0:10:55.600 --> 0:10:57.240 just trying to get back with them, just let them 0:10:57.280 --> 0:11:01.120 know Dad's here. Just I'm here, you know, going to games, 0:11:01.120 --> 0:11:04.079 going to you know, practices, going to you know, horse 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:06.600 question in therapy and all that stuff. My oldest son 0:11:06.760 --> 0:11:09.400 hat special needs. So it's just being there for them 0:11:09.520 --> 0:11:11.880 and giving them all of me instead of just you know, 0:11:11.920 --> 0:11:12.880 giving all to the game. 0:11:14.400 --> 0:11:16.920 Brandon, Are you're leaving a game with any regrets that 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:18.559 you she could have done differently? 0:11:21.200 --> 0:11:23.240 No, I mean it's been great to stay here, win 0:11:23.240 --> 0:11:26.480 the championship my guys. But other than that, I don't 0:11:26.480 --> 0:11:28.800 regret anything I've been through. I don't think great anything 0:11:28.840 --> 0:11:31.760 I've done. I appreciate every moment that I've you know, 0:11:31.920 --> 0:11:36.679 had here. It's been truly amazing career. 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:42.840 You're listening to the Raves Press Pass podcast. The Raves 0:11:42.880 --> 0:11:46.000 will take the field on Thursday night against the Cincinnati 0:11:46.000 --> 0:11:49.079 Bengals Star Purple Rising game at M and T Banks 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:50.840 Citi and make sure you are there in the house 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:54.040 getting your seats early. Purple Rises at eight o'clock. Thank 0:11:54.080 --> 0:11:56.240 you so much. For listening. We'll be back with you 0:11:56.320 --> 0:11:56.920 on Thursday.