Roquan Smith Has Been a Hit on Field and In Ravens Locker Room
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Some Ravens players are surprised by Roquan Smith's ferocity on the field because of his cool demeanor in the locker room.
Smith, who was acquired from the Bears on Nov. 1, has not wasted any time endearing himself to his new teammates.
"As a player, he just has a great motor; he doesn’t stop. If you watch the film, you see every play he runs to the ball non-stop with his hair on fire and really lights somebody up," fellow inside linebacker Patrick Queen said. "Then as a guy, [he is] the most talkative guy in the [meeting] room. He’s an all-around good guy; a great player, a physical player. How he acts as a person, you wouldn’t take him to be such a physical guy.”
Other Ravens players have lauded Smith's communication skills on and off the field. He also provides feedback on the team's performance.
Some of the players have begun calling him "Uncle Ro."
"He’s got a very old soul," cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. "[He] plays his country tunes; [he] runs to the ball; he eats the same breakfast every morning – I watch him. So, he’s a cool guy to be around. He’s a true southern guy, which I heard when he came in. But his communication on the field is really great. I think it helps out everybody when he’s yelling loud enough for the other team to hear and the fans to hear. So, that helps a lot. But he’s a communicator in all aspects of life. So, it’s good, it’s good.”
The addition of Smith has raised the game of Queen, who can mainly focus on flying to the ball. Queen is also able to play because he carried a lot of the load in the past.
The Ravens have allowed 14 or fewer points in four of five games since Smith joined the team.
"Those guys are some monsters," Humphrey said. "That duo is looking really deadly. So, I think since ‘Ro’ has [been] here, it’s been great for how he’s been playing – just seeing how he plays. I already knew how ‘PQ’ played, but to see ‘PQ’ take it to another level has been … I kind of didn’t think that could happen, but it can. So, it’s been great playing with those guys.”
