By his definition, Dennard Wilson was not a “true Raven” for the one year he spent with the franchise. Wilson, now the Tennessee Titans’ Defensive Coordinator, served as the Ravens’ defensive backs coach last season, during which time Baltimore lost both of its meetings to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to Wilson, you’re not a true Raven until you beat the Steelers. He named the Ravens-Steelers rivalry the best in football and a “bloodbath.”
“Baltimore-Pittsburgh rivalry is something I’ve never seen before,” Wilson said on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast.
“I’ve been in multiple divisions. I’ve been in the old school black and blue division with the Chicago Bears, you know, the division with Philly and Dallas.
“The Pittsburgh-Baltimore rivalry is different. They first say you’re not a true Raven until you beat the Steelers.
“So like that’s huge, and it doesn’t matter how good the team is, what your record is, when you line up against the Steelers or Baltimore, it is a bloodbath. It’s old school football.”
Wilson’s NFL career, across coaching, scouting and playing, has spanned seven different teams. So he speaks the truth when he says he’s been in multiple divisions, all over the league.
If he says that Steelers-Ravens is the rivalry that stands above the rest, then we must take his word for it. As we near another annual schedule release, it’s worth noting that both sides immediately circle the two meetings on the calendar every year.
While he may not be a true Raven, at least for 2023, he is a true Marylander. He grew up in Upper Marlboro, prepped and later coached at the famed Dematha Catholic (Hyattsville), and played college ball at the University of Maryland.
Given all that, plus the fact that he spent a year as an assistant coach with both the Terrapins and the Ravens, Wilson embodies that often-quoted line from Wedding Crashers: “Crab cakes and football- that’s what Maryland does!”