The Baltimore Ravens have had many quality leaders throughout the course of their franchise history. They’ve drafted many and have also have been able to bring in other leaders from outside the organization who have made big impacts as well.
One of the players that has assumed a leadership role both on and off of the field ever since landing in Baltimore is defensive lineman Calais Campbell. When head coach John Harbaugh was asked about how valuable it was to have Campbell as a leader, he discussed how meaningful it is to have his wisdom and mentoring.
“It’s massively valuable, because those guys look up to him [Calais Campbell]. These young guys grew up watching Calais Campbell and all these other veteran guys. These are the guys that they watched when they were in high school or even junior high, in some cases – dare we say elementary school, in Calais’ case. So, [it’s] very meaningful to get a word of wisdom from those guys. That’s what the league is – it’s a mentoring league. The four, five years ahead, help four or five years back, and then, in turn, you look back and kind of pay it back with the guys that you mentored as you start to mature. So, that’s one of the great things I love about the NFL.”
Campbell instantly has become one of the biggest locker room presences on the team, and his track record as well as experiences are extremely valuable for any young player looking to improve their game. The veteran is able to teach rookies about the nuances of the game that they might not learn elsewhere, and players are better by just having Campbell on their team.