Ryan Howard, Julius Erving Speak to Ravens
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson brought in guest speakers at the end of each week during the Eagles’ virtual offseason program, ranging from NBA basketball coaches Phil Jackson, Steve Kerr, NBA player Charles Barkley, and baseball players Mike Trout and CC Sabathia.
Pederson wasn’t the only one with that idea.
The Baltimore Ravens, coached by longtime Eagles assistant head coach John Harbaugh, did something similar. They gave the program a catchy name, though, calling it “Chasing Greatness.”
Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale, a former high school teacher, lined up the candidates, which included former Phillies great Ryan Howard, 76ers legend Julius Erving, boxing champion Larry Holmes, who hails from Easton, Pa., and the sons of former Eagles coach Buddy Ryan, Rex and Rob, among others such as Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari and Broncos Super Bowl champion DeMarcus Ware.
Martindale told my colleague, Todd Karpovich from SI.com’s RavenCountry: “As an old high school teacher, I taught some boring subjects. So, I think you had to be creative. My challenge, and our challenge as a defensive staff, was I wanted to make it must-see Zoom meetings.
“As well as you guys are with everything that you do, you do get Zoom fatigue, but I wanted to make it where they couldn’t wait to come to the defensive meetings.
"We wanted to make it an event. We wanted to build a champion mindset and getting our culture right because that was the most important goal that we had this offseason. I think we hit a home run with the speakers we had."
Read more of Karpovich's story here:
https://www.si.com/nfl/ravens/news/ravens-guest-speakers
Here is what Martindale had to say about each of the speakers:
On Howard: “Ryan Howard is a Rockstar – the MVP first baseman for the world champion (Philadelphia) Phillies. He’s an underdog story – came from Missouri State. He also hit 58 home runs in a season, and he made it look like a softball league that year. But he said, ‘Ignore the depth chart. Just become undeniable in what you want to do.’”
On Erving: “Dr. J was awesome. He was awesome because he gave a great perspective during the Civil Rights era – when he played and how he handled it. I thought that was good for the guys at the time. And we all know Dr. J was – as I introduced him to the players – he was Michael Jordan’s Michael Jordan if you will."
On Holmes: “Larry Holmes was awesome – the champ. He talked about … The biggest thing he hit on is that … I don’t know how many of you are boxing fans – he was (former world heavyweight champion) Muhammad Ali’s sparring partner for five years. I tied this with the practice squad guys and the undrafted free agents, and those types of guys.
“He didn’t care if he got paid or not, he was learning from the greatest. So, he took every day that he went to work as a lesson. You know what he did – he eventually beat (Muhammad) Ali. And he was quick to say – for all you boxing fans – that Ali was past his prime."
On the Ryan brothers, who Martindale saved as the last speakers: “Rex’s time with the Ravens, he spoke about that. And Rob – the ‘Chasing Greatness’ with those guys, we talked about Buddy Ryan, who I think is the defensive innovator in the NFL. I think he was one of the greatest coordinators, if not the greatest coordinator, of all time in the NFL.
“We really wanted champions from all walks of life. They all had a common message, and that was cool; different eras, different sports, different arenas, and I think they all knocked it out. It was great.”
Pederson echoed Martindale’s comments when he talked about his lineup of speakers, saying that he wanted his team to hear not only the success of each speaker’s career but the adversities they faced as well.
“I think the message was resounding to our young players on how to be a professional, how to handle the spotlight, and then what they have overcome in their careers to have success,” said Pederson. “I think that was so important to show it from these guys and have them come in and speak to the team.
“And we just had a great time with them, and the guys, the messages I got from my team after they spoke was very positive and they loved it. The players loved it.”
