COURTESY OF BALTIMORE RAVENS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
We have not gotten to talk to you since the practice last Friday. Can you give your perspective on what happened with Earl Thomas III and the fallout from that? (Childs Walker) "I'm doing good. But right now, as a team and as an organization, we're just moving forward and putting that situation in the rearview, and we're just trying to get through training camp healthy and get to the first game."
Just going back to last year when S Tony Jefferson went down, you and S DeShon Elliott were the two guys who were expected to step in and fill that safety role. Obviously, DeShon goes down and go on to, kind of, stabilize the secondary. Fast forward now – just what about DeShon's game will allow you guys to play well and play in cohesion on the backend? (Daniel Oyefusi) "Me and 'Shon' [DeShon Elliott], we communicate really good out there on the field together. He has a high motor, a lot of energy [and] a lot of aggression out there on the field. When we're out there paired together, when we're out there, we just gel together smooth. It's been like that in the past. We've been out there running with the 'two's' before we stepped into our roles as starters. So, we know how each other plays."
Just talk about the last year. You went from trying to elbow your way into the starting lineup to getting the green dot – which I'm wondering if you're possessive of – to now, you're the head safety in the room and trying to get S DeShon Elliott up to speed. How has that last year been? It seems like a whirlwind – [you've got a] new kid – you've got a lot going on. (Kirk McEwen) "Right – a lot can change in a year, honestly. Last year, I look at my situation that I was in, in training camp, and I was a special teams player and a second-string safety looking like if it was the best fit at the moment. But you just ride it out and ride the wave, and eventually your time will come. Now, I look at it here and it's a blessing. I'm just taking the most of this opportunity and running with it. It doesn't matter how you come into this league. It just matters what you take and what you do with your opportunity."
Just as a follow-up – are you possessive of the green dot now that you have it? Is that something that you don't want to give up – calling the plays on defense? (Kirk McEwen) "I'll do whatever the defense has to do so we can operate out there as best we can. We're all out there … There's a couple of us out there that have it and know how to use it."
A lot of your teammates have been very outspoken in their respect for you, your game, your knowledge of the game. How important is it to you to have secured that your teammates are so behind you? (Mark Viviano) "I think that's what we stand on here – in our team and our organization – is that we're a family. We're down for each other. If you're down for the ultimate goal that we are about around here – and that's winning and trying to get a championship."
How do you deal with negative distractions? (Ximena Lugo-Latorre) "With negative distractions – they're out there everywhere. Social media, you hear things, but I know what I am. I know what the people I care about, what they think about me and what they think, the people that know things that are going on. At the end of the day, it's just how I can move forward. I'm in a positive mindset right now."
Pass defense coordinator Chris Hewitt yesterday told us that the thing that sticks out about S DeShon Elliott is his confidence, and we can hear him talking from the sideline sometimes. Do you have that impression of DeShon as well? How does that, kind of, blend with your personality on the field? (Aaron Kasinitz) "Definitely, as a 'DB' [defensive back] – the natural nature – you've got to have that confidence and that swagger on the field, and he has a lot of it. We love it as a defense, and that's what he brings to us. When we're out there … If he's going to make a play, you're definitely going to hear it from him. Or if somebody else makes a play on our defense, you're going to hear from him about it. We love that, and that he brings that."
I understand you wanting to move forward. In doing so, does it feel like a weight has been lifted to have that resolution from last Friday to now? (Pete Gilbert) "I'm done addressing that, honestly, and the organization [is] as well. So, we're just moving forward at this point"
What is the best advice you have received to help you as the newest starter? (Ximena Lugo-Latorre) "I played with a couple of safeties that were here previously – guys that I looked up to. Just knowing that this organization, that we stand on defense here, and at the safety position alone – a lot of people look at you as a leader on the defense. Just accepting it and running with it."
How do you feel about the [COVID-19] testing and everything? We haven't really talked too much about COVID[-19]. The NFL, so far … I know they had a bunch of false positives. I don't know if you guys discussed that as a group. How do you feel things have come along so far? (Jerry Coleman) "Right now, out here, we're just trying to do our best in staying healthy, doing protocols. Right now, I'm in here doing the interview by myself – that's why I don't have a mask. But when I go back in there, we all got our masks on [and] practicing our social distancing. So, we're trying to proceed and move forward with the best procedures around the building so we can all stay healthy and go play other teams."