Welcome in to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. The Ravens selected safety Malachi Starks in the first round of the twenty twenty five NFL Draft, and he was in Baltimore on Friday to officially meet with the local media make his introduction to Ravens fans. Ravens are certainly excited about getting Malachi Starks and feel like he could be a real asset for this defense. Today, the Ravens had a press conference to introduce Malachi along with defensive coordinator Zach Orr.
Everybody doing all right. I appreciate you guys coming out. Obviously you could tell that we're excited last night we drafted Malachi Starks out of Georgia. First and foremost, just wanted to thank Eric and his staff man all the work they do to provide us coaches the information to evaluate the players. And it became real clear when we started evaluate some process as coaches that Malachi Starks is
one of the top players in his draft. And when you come by his on the field talent, his on the field production combined with his character, his work ethic, and his mindset that we look for in Baltimore, he was a clear cut number one defensive player for us as coaches, So we were a static when we got him, not just not just me as a coordinator, not just a secondary coaches, A linebacker coaches were excited. Defensive line coach is excited because we know what type of player
and what type of person we're bringing to Baltimore. Man and I know you got Eric and Harvis talked about his interview process.
It was a great interview at the combine.
I was there, went to the pro day, one of the best workouts I've seen, not just from a dB, just from a football player in general. And then when you cut on the film, it's very evident that not a lot of people can do what Malachot Stars could do on the football field. So we're static to add him to our defense, to add him to our team. We played with a lot of DB's in the secondary. He has very he's very familiar. We're playing all over
the secondary, which was appeasing us. He's a playmaker, he's a ball hawk, and the most importantly, he's a dog man in the classroom, off the field and on the field. Loves ball. That's what we're looking for in Baltimore. So we're excited to add him to our defense. He's gonna be a great piece for us, and we're excited to get to work with him.
It was kind of hard to follow up after that. I just want to say thank you to the whole staff and Erican and the whole staff is just believing in me and taking a shot on me, and just the history that runs here. I think when I chose to go to University of Georgia as a freshman, the history that ran in the defensive room and the history that I want to be a part of, the type of program that I wanted to be a part of
is very similar to what they've built here. And there's a lot of elite guys that I can't wait to, you know, learn from and be a sponge. And I'm ready to you know, get here and be a raven. I'm ready to get to work.
Yeah, ma'am, you can't touched find the history. I mean, this is a team that had read it safety now has called.
How much does that mean to kind of be in kind of that legacy at that position.
Yeah, I think it's huge, and I take I take part of it. You know. A really big thing for me is showing respect for the guys who came before you and paving a way for the ones who's going to come after you. So just being able to, you know, be in that room and learn from those guys and just the history that runs here, like I said earlier, just really type into that and you know, learn what it means to be a raven. I'm excited.
Does your mind starts spending immediately when you think about him and Kyle Hamilton and all the other dbs about what you can do with his talent now at a duty definitely.
I ran the coach this morning. We were in the weight room.
We were already talking about our different ways how we add to our defense man and we talk about the advantage that we feel like we have here in Baltimore is being positionless and that that's that's all over the field, but especially with our secondary and he helps create an advantage for us and a disadvantage to the offense because he can line up all over the field for us and be productive along with the other dbs we have
in the room. So we're excited to continue to add to that and it's gonna be great for us.
I'm sure you've be for a while to get beat drafted into.
The NFL and taking time to kind of, you know, with.
A slow time.
Bawn for second and just think about what legends at this point today.
Yeah, I think I did last night. And it's been it's been quick, you know. Uh, you know, you get that call and you walk on stage, and it's quick. You in interviews, you go to sleep next morning, you're on the flight. Uh. But I think, you know, after I got done with the interviews and I got back and I was with my family, just being able to you know, sell on a couch and just kind of talk about it, uh, and just really be grateful for the whole moment. A lot of guys dream of this day.
I mean a lot of guys don't make it to it as well. Uh So just really appreciating the little things that took get here and uh all the people who, uh who've helped me get in this position today. Uh, what's really huge for me.
Like the Ravens talked about how impressive you were in the Combine interview. What impressed you about the Ravens organization when you interviewed with them?
You can just feel it, uh, I think uh I kind of talked about this earlier with coach. Like when you watch when you watch Raven football, you can you can feel it. Uh like when someone says Raven football, like you know what they're talking about, like as soon as they say it. So like as soon as I walked in the room, I felt like that that presence,
that that energy uh of football. And at the end of the day, I'm a guy who loves football, but also like surrounding myself with good people, uh, good men, uh cause I'm still young and I'm still learning. Uh So just being able to be at a place like this, I mean it's huge for me and my family.
Well, I would just go back to what you were saying about the journey.
Uh what what is that journey been?
Lay back you know, thinking back to you all back to your childhood. You know, third fourth is sixth grade and you you know, hard times and all that to this point and and what is it?
How would you know?
I just described what it needs to you to God from that.
To this, it's a blessing. Uh.
You know.
I come from a very you know, faithful background and something that me and my parents and my fans I talked about uh a lot this week, but a lot of process as well as you know, God has already written my story for me. So just being able to have faith in Him and stay true to myself and I compromise that for anybody. I think when you look back on the things that you know me and my family has been through. Uh, just being able to stay
true to ourself but also keep God first. You know, things happen for a reason and you may never know, and you know you may know right away, but uh, just having faith in that and you know, staying true to ourselves is what really got me to my point today.
Uh, how do you feel like?
Do you wait a lit over too long and have a name you motivation? You go ahead and board playing with a little the corners or cans, the teams and maybe asking.
About Nah, I'm in a perfect spot. Uh, I'm I'm right where I need to be. I'm ready to get to work.
Now. Kind of At Georgia, you practice against some great players you have brought byland coming here. How much are you looking.
Forward to prizing against some of the Ragan's weapons and how much you think that will help you?
Yeah?
I think you know iron sharpers aren't And I'm the guy who loves to compete. So at the end of the day, you know, as much as I want to learn from the defense side, I want to learn from the offensive side too. So I'm excited to really get out there and you know, be a sponge to you know, all the league guys that they have on the team.
So you mentioned that now the top, top guy that you guys are able to get.
We saw the clip of you celebrating the defensive coaches and just what was kind of the emotion of that moment and what led to that excitement that you had in the moment.
Like I said earlier in the process, man, just you know, like you said at the combine, watching the film, going down to the brode talking to the coaches and the staff at Georgia's, how much they raised about him, and that confirming with our own conversations and the film. Our football coaches, Man, we you know, we love football. We love guys who love football, and Malachi is one of those guys. And it was something that we talked about throughout the night. It was like, man, you know, hopefully
Malachi is there. Hopefully he's there. So that was the guy we were focused on as coaches from a defense at a standpoint the whole time, and you know, as it gets close, you start getting a little bit more anxious. So when we found out that that's what's gonna that we were going to be able to get him here in Baltimore, it was just static and that that was just like all our coaches. They watch football, they watch the tape, they know what type of player he is, and we glad to have him.
Alik, you, the goodness is you don't have to see them as an opponent on Sunday. The bad news is you've got to see him every day in practice. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Hemery thoughts on playing against guys you've probably been playing against. I'm mad for a lot of years.
Yeah, you're not wrong. Uh, I'm excited, come of the piggyback off what I said earlier. I mean, these guys are elite. So just to be able to come to a place like this and you know, be able to sharpen my skills and learn from them, and also they can do the same for me as well. Uh So I'm excited to get to work.
Malachai has some of your interviews, you mentioned your work ethic and how your family is helped shing that can you give us just can you go into more detail about that, your work ethic, how that's happened.
Yeah, I think the biggest thing is as a kid, I was homeless, uh twice, I know, I kind of there was a period of time where I didn't really see my parents cause they were working, uh you know, day shifts, night shifts, whatever the case may be. But I've never seen them not work for anything, and that kind of I saw it in it. It turned me two I am today, Like when things don't go my way, when I don't know what to do, like, I put my head down and work, and it's it's always been
what I do. It's a part of who I am. So I go about my business and just doing things the right way. Like I said earlier, just keeping your face up front and staying true to yourself. I mean I've seen that from my parents and then I've seen it from my sister as well. So like all the people who set a great example for me to follow, I just gotta follow their footsteps exact.
Okay, you mentioned how impressed you were a boy his pro lay workout.
Was there anything there that you saw that added to your evaluation that kind that maybe you didn't know. Yeah, I mean you see it on film, but then just getting real close on the field where you can really see the movement skills and.
The ball skills. I mean, he made a catch where he got deep, he.
Pedaled, got deep, broke on the ball beautiful, made an acrobatic catch, and then jumped right over. They had like some tape and a rope and he saved himself and jumped over it all in one motion. I mean, and everybody intendance was just wild. And so after that workout, I honestly personally was saying, yeah, there's no way he's gonna get to twenty seven.
Like there's no way.
Like all the coaches, the gms and the head coaches were there were raving about him.
But the pro theay was so impressive.
Like I said, it was one of the best workouts I've seen, and it's good to see that because on film you can see movement skills, but seeing it up close kind of checked that box and he.
Shoot, he obliberated the box. It was it was really impressive. Years have seen Georgia guys that drafted, and he impact.
What is it, what's going on that?
And that has led to a lot of really success.
Yeah, I think it's just how the programs ran. They try to run it like a pro type program. But also guys buy into the culture, the way that we do things, the way that things need to be done. I mean you see it like when people have success, why wouldn't you follow in their footsteps? Why would you not do the things has been working? So like we get a bunch of guys who really want to come in and be a part of that culture. When they buy in, they see at least to success.
Okay, who do you consider some of your football managers and who did you lead on during the graft process and getting into this port.
Yeah. The biggest guy Chris Smith who was with the Raiders. He was my mentor when I first got to college. He taught me a lot about ball, but also you know, just how to be a pro, how to go about my business. And then a lot of guys that I played with last year, Taki Smith, Javon Bullock, Kamario Lastner. Just leaning on guys like that who went through the process last year who were able to have success in the league early just out for advice. Uh, you know
it's you never really know what's gonna happen. But you know, like I said, your story is already written out, So just having faith in that and just being ready when your name is called.
How much do you think that they get experience has.
Of how the.
Yeah, I think it's gonna be huge, and I'm not saying it's the same, but just being able to have the opportunity to be in those types of game and those environments, I think it's prepared me very well.
The bit of rhyckways in the SEC com parallel to the.
R and the ass Nor especially just just a little bit. Yes, sorry, what do you think those uh battles and how they'll translate to the battles and the ass North going forward your pro careers. Yeah, I think at the end of the day, it's it's football and it's passion.
You know.
Uh, when you get when you get programs who really care about football, and that's that's what you get. So just being able to come to an organization like this who like has that passion about football and who is willing to take a shot on me, I think I think I'm gonna, you know, do the most some opportunity.
Exact you watch the film, there are a lot of table a lot of reps work. He's maning guys up in the slot, which I think it's not something you see from a lot of safety prospects or what does that speak to?
What from big in the NFL?
And just like it's the trust that told you howpen to do.
Yeah, it just shows that the versatility that we that we talk about, Like you said, it's not a lot of safeties who can do the zone, come up and tackle, play in the deep part of the field, and then most importantly, play man not just on tight ends, but on receivers.
And Malachi did that at a high level.
So that that's a bonus and plus for us because we'll be able to use his skill set to the fullest and maximize his skill set that that he's worked at and he's been blessed with. So I don't anticipate that really changing here for us. So that's something that we value a lot. I think that if you look at our secondary room, you see that a lot of our guys can do everything.
So that's why Malachi was so appealing to us. So I'm excited about it.
Okay, I mean, you talk uh talk about your uh pool waiqu in your house with.
Yeah what you serve your ass to?
Chris Smith?
Uh.
But also just h my coaches at Georgia uh so uh will Musch Champ kr uh Kirby Smart, UH coach Schumann, UH coach fran Dante Williams, uh t Robb who was at Bama last year. Just being able to be in a program like that and really dive into it. I think me being able to play different positions in college really open my mind to learning football and short of aspect.
So just being able to be in a place like that, uh with guys who really care about football aout me to really open my vision and learn ball.
How like how you just you know what number you're gonna wear?
Twenty four?
Uh?
If if I can get uh get it? If not, it don't matter what number I got. As long as I'm on the field, it don't matter.
Now.
The second and third round of the NFL Draft is Friday night. The Ravens have two picks on Friday and then they follow it up with eight picks on Saturday. So make sure that you are following us across all social media platforms. Make sure that you are subscribed to here to the Ravens Press Pass podcast feed as well as the Lounge feed. We'll have another episode for you later tonight, after the Ravens make their second and third round picks and we hear from GM Eric Tacosta. Thanks for listening.