Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass podcast. The Ravens preparing for Sunday's matchup coming up against the Tennessee Titans in London and as they get ready for that game, we had a chance to talk with linebacker Roe Kwan Smith, who just wrapped up practice at the Tottenham facility here outside London.
So what's kind of your your impressions of just the facility here.
At top Yeah, No, it's an amazing facility of just being here and seeing that they definitely take good care of their players in the fields.
Man, they're pretty sweet.
Like even the ones we didn't get the chance to practice on, like, they're pretty sweet.
So I'm a fan.
Brock when we just so dank the Java come in and I hope Jimmy Pop Patty's wee ken. But when he does get fit, when he is healthy and ready slug and how good can he be in this league?
Yeah?
No, I think Jappo has a lot of potential. You know, it was just more so about you know, being healthy and whatnot. So I'm very excited for him to get back out there when he when he's healthy, because I think he can do a lot of good things and We've seen that before. When he's actually on the field, he definitely can produce. So as long as he get healthy, man definitely love to see him back out there.
Brokewan John Harball was pretty specific about why they chose to travel when they did. How do you feel physically now that you've had a what a three night's sleep almost in London already? How do you feel your body reacting?
Oh, very well, Like I've been going to sleep like I feel like you know UK, But I don't know how good that actually was. But I've been going to sleep like around like eleven or so, so it's kind of been like and waking up around like seven eight, like eight more so in the morning. So it's been pretty good for me. And I feel like I'm adjusted
on the time zone. I think tonight will be the best, probably the best night of sleep, whereas I feel like I've gotten even more acclimated, so I'm excited about that.
Did you play in London at all in your career?
Yeah?
I did back in twenty nineteen, Chicago versus Vegas.
There was the Oakland in at that time.
He has the best as the worst.
I probably have the worst, and then I'm sure, some other people have the worst because I can get by with a couple.
I can say a few words here and there.
But I heard Tuck talk today, and Tuck actually a couple of the nice people over at the hotel.
I was like, oh my god.
They was like his was pretty good, you know what I mean? So like, yeah, but mine is not the best.
What are your good ones that you can get by with.
Let's have a proper English speck for us.
That's probably not good. That's probably not good. A wataie like ye.
As someone who has already been to London would where probably the craziest questions you were asked by the teammates.
Well, some teammates. It's kind of funny.
It has never really been outside of America, Like, it's kind of funny.
I'm just like, bro, it's.
So many dudes that make, you know, crazy means for themselves and create a great life for themselves and never really get out to see other parts of the world.
So I never quite understood that.
So guys would be like, you know, sometimes be like, okay.
What do they speak? You know, the language that they speak and things that.
So the language was probably the best one when you think English England, you know, so when you think it from that perspective, but yeah, you hear some crazy things in the locker room.
I'll tell you that six act. You about this Titan offense one more time.
Sorry, This Titan offense physical team, you know, a physical team, and that's something we pride ourselves on as well. Knowing they have a really good back hearing he's been doing a really long time, and uh good quarterback in Tannehill as well as you know d hop Pen, you know, one of the best in the game for a while. So they definitely got some pieces over there, and it's just gonna be about you know, doing our job, stopping and run first and foremost and what they definitely lean
on all game long. And then you know, eliminating the hop as well trying to because they're definitely going to try to get him the ball. So it'll be a great match for us, a great, great challenge. So looking forward to it.
Do you feel like coming.
Off a game where I think everyone greasy, didn't you as a team did collectively, did not play it as best taking coming over here having a change of scenery, does that whole kind of moving forward at all?
Oh?
Yeah, like you know, last week that was the last week. Gonna leave it there, but yeah, definitely didn't play our best in a sense. And yeah, and when you don't play your best, parody e laitue like you can lose. But I think being over here man is great. Just also being here for like the fans in the UK, Man, I think it's awesome being able to just you know, put on in front of them and like actually see
you know, some good football and whatnot. So I'm excited at being able to do that, as well as just being away from home and like having a chance just to bond with the teammates outside of the facility where we're at the hotels spending hours together and when you get the normal even on a deeper level, playing card
games and things of that nature. So I really enjoyed it, and I love just being in different places where people are some someone out of their comfort zone and it makes you kind of grow as a person as well as a team.
On there was you know, there's a lot of talk lass for meat ak to the Jacksville is even about the turf have taught other you guys obviously play on grass. Curious if you prefer grass or turf or or if you're different. And then secondly, as you maybe have to make when you you know, you obviously go to turf fields.
Uh.
Yeah, No, That's definitely been a huge thing with the grass and turf, and personally I'd rather play on actual grass, but you know, hey, I'm not the one that making the decision. But at the end of the day, they can roll the ball out anywhere, concrete, basketball court or wherever.
I'll be there.
That was linebacker Brokwan Smith. Now we also had a chance to talk with wide receiver Odell Beckham junior.
Are you are you of these London some players like get some players done?
Where do you follow in these London trips?
I've been over here a few times, so I definitely think London is a beautiful place. You know, don't really see much sun, but I'm used to that over here, and I think the trip is great. It's a great atmosphere. It is definitely difficult to get adjusted the times and all of that and find your rhythm, but I think life set up that way to where you have to
learn how to adjust. And this is just one of those situations, you know, and coming up coming off of a tough loss, a team just has to find a way to be resilient and keep driving, knowing it's a long journey, long season, and this is just the situation where we have now. But definitely playing in a game in twenty sixteen, it was it was funny to be there. You know, it was the Giants versus the Rams, and I'm seeing Dolphins, jerseys, Jets, like everybody's wearing their team.
But the energy is still amazing and I know that the fans over here are very excited about it. So it is a definite blessing and a unique opportunity and you know, just looking forward to it.
You know, you're a kind of international star.
It's just something that you hear that you kind.
Of relish when you play these international games, and this is just a really game that you have a chance to be one of those people that helps grew of this game internationally.
Absolutely.
I remember when it was just kind of starting, I think twenty sixteen, and you know before that, there was like a long break between the games over in London, and I remember going to Germany and there I had like an event or something in the streets went absolutely crazy, and just to feel that in my heart was a crazy feeling.
You know.
I remember these kids followed me on bikes from miles peddling.
I'm sweating.
I tell the driver just pull over because like they've already did a Lance Armstrong race all the way to come to come meet. So I was like, just pull over it and you know, you met them, and just for this game to be able to grow and see it, you know, be loved by people outside of America, it's a true testament to you know, the game of football,
which is such a beautiful thing. So you know, anything that I could do to help, you know, these kids over here and you see them and you know they want to field the football is like and throw with them. It's a beautiful thing to see a game that could touch so many people.
Okay, just kind of you get updated and the status of your ankling sort of you know, bothered me a little bit where.
You're at that. Yeah, it's been tough. You know, I've excuse me my language.
I've you know, worked my ass off for a long time since that Super Bowl and.
Just to have like a small small.
Setback which you you never saw coming and it's just unfortunate, you know. And and now kind of just getting readjusted and you know it it's behind you now, but you know, maybe sitting there and in hindsight thinking could have waited one more week, and you know, to just get your feet back underneath you. It's a blessing to be able to be out on the field, but it never feels good when you're when you're not at your very very best. So, uh, I feel much better this week, even though there was
a lot of traveling. It's hard stay up on hydration, stay up on a regular schedule, stay There's so many things that you have to adapt to. But you know, there's no time for excuses or putting blame here there. You know, I'm a man. I take my wings with my losses, and I just gotta come out and just be better, you know, playing and simple and do whatever I can to help this team win, starting from my
energy day to day to day. A lot of things that I feel like I could just do better, and I just got to accept that challenge, embrace it and be exactly who I know I am and just follow up.
There was a lot made about the turf, your official turf last week. Where are the adjustments you have to be?
You know, it's something that I'm sure people have seen me talk about on Twitter and this and that, and then you know, it sounds like I'm the one being a baby and complaining. Yet you see a lot of major injuries happen on turf. I mean, it's not even I don't know. I'll leave the dilemma up for the Twitter Warriors and all that, but it's just I mean, just look at the results.
Look at how many major injuries.
Have happened on it, and you know, God God willing like there's none this game. But it's just not a surface that's you know, I think great for players to play on. I think we have I think they make enough money to where you know, putting grass in stadiums is really not that big of a thing.
I think it's not hard to keep up with.
And I just feel like if we're talking about the safety of players, I think grass would be a better surface area for them. But again, like I say, life throws the curve balls. You just got to adjust, and turf is what we're playing on this weekend. It is what it is. It's not really up to us. But I just think that I think that there's a solution whatever it is. I hope that one day they they figured that out.
I know, you have a certain expectations just as far as production that you expect out of yourself, just on a production level.
How tough has it been for these first five games?
Literally it's been tough.
Uh, you know, just just finding a way to feel like you can help the team. And again that's why I say, personally, I think that it starts within yourself. Your energy and the way that you internalize, process and analyze the situation and what you can bring to it
daily I think will affect the outcome. And that's where you know, I was doing such a great job early on and you know, hadn't been thrown many tests like leading up the training camp and all this, and then things happen and I feel like I said, my fail.
The test God gave me.
And realizing that is a lot of it's a step of growth and just to be able to go past that and to now embrace this new challenge and find a way to be productive with whatever opportunities that I do have. That's just the bottom line. You know, make the most of whatever you get.
Odell, your last great game was the Super Bowl for the injury, and obviously that's the biggest stage. But the international stage is you watch all the meeting that's out of here practice, the international stage is growing. Could this be a game for you that helps you to feel like, yes, you are back up track.
Absolutely, And if it wasn't in London, just having a great game, you always feel like you'll be back on track. But I'll never forget. You know, these words that coach McVeigh had said to me. He was just talking about why he doesn't think that I performed well and Cleveland or here or there. He was just saying that something about pressure and something about the biggest stage, it drives.
Me even more. And it's not like an attention thing.
It's like I just it's like I enjoy the pressure more than when it just feels like a mundane even though such a blessing to be playing at whatever time. But he thinks that the bigger the stage, the more you want to shine. And I can understand that. And I've just been, you know, sitting in my room while I'm trying to sleep, you know, time zone is definitely a bit of a thing, just laying in my bed and I've just been thinking about it. And how how
can I get back on track? How can I be the person that I know that I'm capable of being. And I would absolutely love for that to start this Sunday, you know, knowing that again, it's a long journey, long season, and there's so many opportunities for us to take advantage of. So I'm looking forward to it and praying that you know, this is exactly what I would hope it would.
Be like one of those lines like, how would you describe your optimism? You know, I'm sure you're very optimistic about the ass in history for the season.
How would you kind of describe the.
Optimism that you have about that abilities break out again?
For sure?
Uh?
Again, I think that's where you know, like I say, I feel like I failed the test. I feel like I had all these great positive talks and then you know, when something hits, it's hard to like stay along those lines. You can get bumped off course and now you just got to get back on track. But it's a long season. I think was it the nineteen seventy three Dolphins were the only team to ever have a perfect season and win a Super Bowl. Other than that, you know, there's
been fifty something super Bowls or more. However, many more, and it's a long season. It's about catching fire when you're supposed to. It's about everything coming together at the right time. So you do have to be optimistic about the season. And that's where I'm trying to stay in that mindset of you know, there's a lot of opportunities.
You know, no team won a Super Bowl in week five or six, But it is about finding your way to that perfect balance as a team and finding your identity and what is going to work for you for the season.
So I'm very optimistic about it.
I'm going to keep continuing to preach positivity over myself, over my teammates, you know, and be accountable for my energy and let that you know, run through the zen.
As one of the veteran leaders of this team. However, you see eyes and locker and all that respond to you know, a tough loss followed by you know, a long trip and kind of tough circumstances.
I think it was one of those games.
You know, of course, everybody was pissed, like nobody wanted to lose that game, But just to know that there's so much going on with a short it feels like a short week of travel. Uh, this and that, like you just it's one of those ones you got to put behind you. And if you would have won and it would have been ugly, it still would have been like we you know, so worried about the next game.
Just got to continue to press forward. So I think the energy has been good knowing you know, you got to take the good with the bad, and that was just you know, part of the bad. So continue to truck forward, uh and keep it moving.
But sorry, how's yours?
You took out? You took taking the mix?
How's was a little cocascination?
Oh?
Man, I can't do it right now. I'm a little tired, but I definitely fish and chips.
Maybe outside of here, I'll give you a little bit of a British accent.
Adell.
You said you feel like you failed the test, but.
I guess you could said I didn't fail because I realized that there was a potential that I did feel it. So that's you know, a little bit of winning itself.
But just to me, like I was saying, I was in such a positive mindset and it was because you know, nothing had really went wrong and there was no setback, so there was no you know, feel like poor performance or anything going leading up in the camp, and then you know, just some little things start to happen and you get into a mindset where I don't feel like I was as positive about looking at things that may not have been positive and looking at them as negative.
So that's where I feel in my heart, I failed the test of just being able to take the good with the bad and to me to be able to look at it now, be able to smile at it and be like, Okay, well, now I know for the next time that it lets pop up, how I can go about things, how I can control my own energy,
how I can protect my piece. That's where I feel like I said, I failed to test, you know, not like I got completely off track and you know, went down the wrong way, but just like a little bumped off track and just you know, sometimes you need that reminder in life of which way to go in which direction that God's trying to lead you.
That was wide receiver Odell Beckham Junior. Now, this week is also really big for outside linebacker David Ajabo. He grew up in Scotland, so not too far away from here, and this week is a bit of a homecoming for him. Now, of course it's not the homecoming he envisioned, considering that he is currently on injured reserve, but still this is a big moment for him and he talked about that with the media today.
Hey guys, you know, blessed me back home, blessing to be here, very close to my heart and I just want to send man. So unfortunately I can't be out there with my butters, but working day by day, you know, working real hard.
To be out there.
And uh, through God's grace, I'll be out there.
So how is the health pay and how what's the kind of time type?
Working like lady's working day by day? Man, Uh, you know, no time till right now. And uh, it's working hard to get back out there.
Either.
Do you confident that you will be back at some point in the season.
That it's not a season anything?
Yeah, God willing, yep? Is it?
Obviously the second year in a row you try to deal with significant injury.
How how difficult has that been?
And uh and see this.
Process for you and man, everything's in God's times. You know you control it, you can and uh, you know, keep my mentors up by praying and staying close to my family.
And what's this weak like for you?
You know, I, I know, it's like quite the home coming that you vision so that to.
Come back here and you know, be surrounded by family. What does this experience been.
Like for you?
Yeah, it's a blessing.
You know, I got to catch up with my family, Uh, first time seeing them this year. You know, I only go home about once a year, so you know, I'm blessed to be able to come back and see them. And uh also just experience this whole thing with my team too, my brothers. So you know, it's experience of a lifetime. And I'm sure they're having fun.
Do you remember watching international games as a kid? You know, how how great is it that the NFL is kind of working to expand the the sport here in Europe?
And what are your levels of watching any international games or years of the kid?
Yeah, I I c I see a couple couple of highlights and that. So to be a part of something like this, man, it's definitely special.
Uh.
You know, I'm confident that it's gonna, you know, keep growing and keep expanding, uh to the world.
Is there more and more kids coming out of uh?
Nigeria going into like D one schools.
What what's the potential for Nigerian kids.
Yeah, the there's been a lot you know, just outreach. You know, uh uh my guy oc uh he has uh NFI Africa going so you know that's a good little you know spot that people like uh my peoples could go you know and uh getting a better opportunity and uh you know hopefully reach you know the level you know I'm at right now? Do you eleborate a little bit on just how much family you do have and and kind of what you've been able to do
while you get in town with them? Uh yeah, just uh my immediate family, you know, mom, brother, you know, Dad's sister and just man, we we were big on family time. So just spending time catching up. You know, our time is very limited, so you know, just honestly we've been at home. We wann't a one dinner, but just been at home just you know, kind of catching up and embracing each other.
How much I mean that you talk about dealing with injury, how much do you lean on them? You know, being that it's it's a challenging thing for you to go through right now? Is it a lot kind of leaning on them while you have a chance.
Yeah, it's critical, man, family is the most important thing in this life. So uh you know, just to be able to tune out like the outside noise and uh just know what's really important, what it comes down to.
Were then you the sports that you injured? Like obviously we're in there talking about to trade your ground.
But your first faut Roy.
Noble or was it only uh NFL I wouldn't live. I was a soccer player and uh definitely m Manchester now it was mine. I know, I know, I know they're not doing good too good now, but yeah I was a Manu fan. Uh but yeah, I kind of fizzled the way as I started uh playing football? Nah nah yeah, why just focused on that favorite.
Player from United that from from when you were younger.
Uh, I was a I've seen Ronaldo that Ronaldo Rooney era went there together. Nah, I I went my dad took us to a live game. Uh so I'll never forget that one.
Favorite.
Uh kids today, Daniel, I can come in from the uh NFL Copey here in the UK just to declare these can you just talk a little bit on again the Nigerian kid getting an opportunity a d one school coming out of not having grown up in the States, and just how big back, just big even getting into school alive somebody.
Yeah, a lot of times, you know, kids like uh myself and himself just need a chance. You know, you just need a chance to showcase you know, uh, the god given talent we have. Uh, you know, time frame you know might be a thing, you know, growing up in a sport, but sometimes you just really athletic and really driven. So you know, I'm glad you guys chance and uh, you know, I pray you know it takes full advantage of it.
Even is this just a rehab situation with you with no surgery or is that still kind of a pending decision you're up there.
Yeah, it just rehabbing, taken any day by day and uh, I'll be back out there.
Do you have any ticket requests for Sunday?
How many people are that loan?
Yeah?
I have a lot, uh a lot of people. Uh kind of really put a number on it. But you know, like I said, it's a special event. Don't really get too often. Uh that I'm so close to home and uh, you know, my my peoples could come, so yeah, I have a lot of people coming.
You get family into the box or they just you know, five hundred level Saints be treating them.
They're gonna be cheated, right man. Yeah, they're gonna be good.
What do you feel like the NFL like do you you know that you you know, give more young people from backgrounds like yourself an opportunity, especially even from England as well as that at the game grows. What do you think the NFL A Baltimore off to Doc.
It's just our little outreach programs Like I mentioned with oc he got NFL Africa going, So just like just putting putting like little you know programs in place that kids could you know, just go showcase, you know, just athletic ability. And the coaches in the eyes, uh who have that kind of you know where they could scope them out.
You know, they could just see them and you know, give them a chance.
That was outside the linebacker David A.
Jabo.
You also heard from Odell Beckham Junior and Roquan Smith. On Friday, we'll have a chance to connect with head coach John Harbaugh against the Stay tuned for that. Also head over to the Lounge podcast feed. We talked with Roquan for an in depth interview as well as Justice Heal this week here in London, so check that out wherever you get your podcasts. Also hit that subscribe button here on the press Pass podcast and the Lounge feed as well. Thanks for listening, Talk with you again soon