Welcome to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. It is Thursday, August fifteenth. The Ravens officially wrapped up the training camp portion of the summer today. Camp broke after Thursday's practice, and now they shift ahead to the preseason game coming up on Saturday against the Atlanta Falcons twelve pm at M and T Bank Stadium for our Kids game, and then next up as the Green Bay Packers before the regular season opener coming up against the Kansas City Chiefs.
After practice today, we had a chance to hear from the specialists. So let's kick things off with the goat kicker, Justin Tucker.
What's up y'all? How y'all doing well? All right, let's get it going.
Justin, can you give us your review of yourself in that first game with the kickoffs?
How did you feel they went?
Were you trying things out more?
Were they more things that we're going to see in the season yet?
Yeah, I mean we only got a couple of reps. What does a good start, you know, kind of get the feel for just the aesthetic of the play. It looks kind of funky at first, you know, we're so accustomed to the kickoff team all being at the thirty five yard line, the return team all being lined up,
you know, on the other side of the field. So for me to just be out there on the thirty five yard line, you know, all the kickers being on the thirty five yard line by yourself, it's definitely kind of like an awkward feeling at first, Like I totally feel just isolated because I am, But that's just that's just you know, one of the small adjustments that we're making, you know, just getting out there and putting the ball in play and seeing across the league and and in
our own game how the play is going to develop. Getting an idea for that last weekend I was definitely a good start. So we're excited to you know, excited to see what we can do with more opportunities in the future.
Just do you feel challenged in a way to try to come up with different ways to kind of land in that landing someone?
Does it all feel new to you after all these years?
You know, it does.
There's definitely a there's definitely some new kicks that we're developing. I think when it's all said and done, going into the season, we'll probably have somewhere between eight and nine kind of kinds of kicks that we will carry with us and we're going to continue to develop, you know that, and then anything else that we can where we can feel like we can create an advantage for our team. So the landing zone is, you know, it seems like
a pretty large area. You know, that twenty yard by you know, fifty three and a third whatever that exact number is. You know, it seems like a pretty large area. But just based on where you land the ball, you know, you could have one that skips right or left and then all of a sudden it's out of bounds and
then the ball's being spotted at the forty. If you land the ball at the twenty one as opposed to the nineteen, you could be looking at the starting field position for your opponent being either the forty or you know, maybe the twelve yard line depending on what the returners do with it. So, you know, for for it being a large area to land the ball in, you still have to be pretty you know, pretty articulate, pretty detailed with where you're where you're placing the ball. So that's
something that we're working on right now. Someone's been working on since the rule went into effect. You know, something we're gonna continue working on. And I feel like when we come into the regular season, I feel like right now we're ready to go. But when, especially when we come into the regular season, we're gonna have, just like you know, I said before, a pitcher that develops this stuff, We're gonna have a lot of stuff ready to go.
As far as your personal responsibilities going to kickoff, mirroring the return mme or whatever it is to do.
Honestly, how they change with the new yarntry.
I think what we're going to see is the kicker is going to be involved as much as he wants to be involved, you know, and for for me and for us like we we want to dominate on special teams. We want to put our defense in the best position to succeed. We want the offense. Uh, we want the opposing offense to have as long a way to go as possible. Uh, you know, and a part of that might mean the kicker getting involved from time to time.
You know. I think there's, uh, there's definitely opportunities across the board to make plays on special teams. As a kicker, my responsibility is still pretty much the same as it has been prior to the rule change where I mirror that, like you said, I will mirror the returner, but you never know, like I might make one or two tackles and then I'm gonna have to, like, you know, be two gaping dudes and you know, running through blocks and all that kind of stuff. So I'm ready to go.
My diet's the exact same. I thank you, guys. Uh, I couldn't have been less serious when I said in I think it was May or June that I had put on exactly three point eight pounds. And I don't I don't I think Scott Elliott and the guys in the guys and girls in the weight room would. I would probably corroborate that I have not been in there anymore or any less been consistent.
But I feel good.
I feel I feel good and prepared and ready to uh step the contact when necessary every sin. I think as soon as any player in any sport starts thinking that they're really sweet, that you know, as the as the old adage goes, pride comes before the fall. I think what we do on a day to day basis is we come out here and we try to make one kick at a time. We try to do our best with each rep that we get on field, three
by ourselves or in team in team periods. It's just about making the next kick and continuing to just be consistent more than anything, I think, And you know, I go back to you know what you said just just
a minute ago. You know, when when somebody is considered at the top or at the pinnacle of their craft, the ones that are able to sustain that level of heightened success never talk about themselves, you know, Like I really try to make it a point, like I might joke about it with my teammates sometimes, but I really do believe fully that I haven't done any of this, you know, in the last twelve years by myself. I've
had excellent teammates. I've had excellent coaching. You know. As much as Randy and I joke that we might not like each other all the time, I love I love Randy dearly, and he's he Jerry Rosberg, Chris Horton, TJ. Weiest, you know, like any any harves any and all the coaches that I've been I've been blessed to be around have helped me and my teammates become the best football
players that we can be. Sam Cook, Morgan Cox, Nick Moore, Jordan Stout, Tylerrott last year, all of those guys have helped me become the best football player that I can be. I think, if you, if you ask, I think I've seen Tom Brady, you know, to talk about the undisputed goat of our game.
He's he's been at.
I remember seeing him ask about, like, you know, what is it like to be the goat? What's it like to be the best ever? And it struck me that the first thing that he pointed to was everybody else around him. He he talked about how he played with championship defenses, he played with championship pass catchers, championship caliber lineman, keeping him healthy and keeping him safe so he could deliver the ball, championship coaching staff, developing himself and the players
around him. So that's a very long way of saying that, uh, any level of success that I have, uh.
You know I have experienced. It's sure.
I do take pride and putting in, putting in the work every single day, but I'm around excellent people all the time day.
So he called off, I just plan.
On being ready to go and ready to put the ball through the uprights any place, anytime, whenever Harb sends me out there, it's for a reason.
It's come back with three points. I'm going to.
Go back to the kickoff, not to hit the ball as hard as possible and then actually takes something off the kick is there's no other time in your.
Career that hit the ball less hard. Yeah, it is.
Uh, that's a really good that's a really good question, a really good point. It's definitely, it's definitely been an adjustment I've I've kind of always said that as a kicker. You know a lot of times people compare kicking a football to a golf swing.
Uh.
And the one caveat I would I would add is that I only use one club. I only use driver. A golfer's got to have, you know, he's got to have a drive. He's got to have an approach shot, he's got to have like his bunker shots. He's got to be able to putt. You know, he's got to have the ability to do all of those things. And for the most part, you know, occasionally you have a special specialty kick like a squib kick or an on side kick, but for the most part, it's one club.
It's a driver.
So now.
I am opening up the bag and we've got a lot more clubs. We have to have a lot more clubs to pick from. So it's not necessarily about taking anything off of the ball. It's about being deliberate with where I play the ball. So instead of smashing every single ball like as hard as I can, I just have to mentally lock in to the same degree, but place the ball with just that much more intention.
We also heard from punter Jordan Stout we've seen in the last few days from play in the game.
And I guess he's great practice. Different about you know, just spending more time this offseason.
Actually, you know, I'm in the process of experimenting with how to become the best punter I can. And this offseason I went and I did speed training for two and a half months. Just I want to be able to hit those really high punts but not have to try hard, you know, And that sounds a little arrogant or whatever, but like, I'm just trying to be the best I can each day.
Brandy call can be best further in the NFL, right can?
What does that feel?
That way?
You know, it means a lot because like that, that's high praise coming from from Randy. And you know, I couldn't do it without Justin. I couldn't do without Randy, could have done it without Sam Cook. Can't do it without Nick. It's like without those guys, it's not possible. Justin holding me to a high standard. Nick snapping the ball twelve o'clock laces over the spot so I can
put it down fast. You know, it's something that we take great pride in and and Sam Cook is the best holder of all time and learning from him has been great.
And what resulted in.
It, like, oh god, I could talk about it all day. You know, it looks like I'm just putting the ball down, but you know so essentially Justin wants the ball to be put down essentially on like the size of a piece of rice. It needs to be perfect every time. And you know that's why he's great. He's a he's a system guy.
There's that. You know.
He likes the ball to be down really fast. So starting my rookie year, they've been telling me, and they still tell me, get the ball down faster, get the ball down faster. Sam sometimes says, hey man, good job taking your time on that one, so so we have some fun with it, but it's just like it really is an everyday thing. It's it's it's it's never good enough and it never will be good enough. And I think that's why we're so great at it.
Yesterday saying the conversation.
And what do you try to learn from challenge?
Yeah, we we talked a lot about our routine and and how we went about our days. I was really shocked to hear that on on a game day for them, that they have.
Almost every day.
It's it's very routine that he he goes and he hits in the cage for an hour and then he stretches for an hour. I'm just making that up, but he every second of the day. He's doing something on game days and I just like, how's that mentally on you? He's like, you know, it's tough, but like that's what it takes. And I think that's why he's so great. Jordan, do you feel like you've been more consistent out here
of practice in year three? You know, gaining consistencies the name of the game for fun, right, you feel like you've been more consistent and what's.
Leading to that?
Yeah, I feel like this is the most consistent I've ever been. You know, this is my job, and I treat it like that. You know, I go to bed at night and I'm thinking about punning. I wake up in the morning and I'm thinking about punning. Like Harp says it all the time. It's like, if you're not thinking about football, what are you thinking about? So like all day every day, I'm thinking of how I can get better, and I think that that's the result and why I'm doing so much better.
You do think so Justine.
Thinks you better with it than.
Like having the operation doesn't work with how job right now?
Then?
And how has Yeah, you know he's He's the grace of all time.
And just just watching him each and every day.
How how talking about like Gunnar about talking about how Justin has his routine and how he follows the same thing every single day to a tee, never straying away from from what makes him great. I'd say that it's great just learning from him every day and he's the best.
Jordan you got drafted to replace Sam Cook, longtime team punter, kind of a team legend, and then he ends up being your coach as well. Can you talk to us about your relationship with him and kind of what he's brought to your game.
Yeah, you know, I really do look at Sam like a big brother. Anytime I'm struggling or having a good day, having an okay day, he has advice to give me. You know, I go back and watch his tape and just just somewhat try to replicate what he does in terms of consistency and ball placement.
He really is, He's he was one of the best, and learning from him every day is great.
Is there anything specific in your punting that like he.
And he have really worked on. Yeah, a still ball. You know, once I dropped the ball.
In years past, my ball had a tendency of moving in the air, and you know, sometimes that's inevitable. It's gonna be when it's gonna be rainy, things are gonna happen. But just trying to just reduce all variables, like I want it to be as easy as possible. Three things that I do is I try to walk when I punt, because I walk all day every day. I try to hold the ball like I'm shaking a hand because I shake hands all day.
And then just.
Trying to like have a have a controlled tempo and just keeping that the same every time. And those are all things Sam taught me. Just having all three of those things the same every time lead to success for sure.
He was saying that it's a conversation when said a kicking into your rubber tourist. Since you get a college you sassinate, think about is that all your success only you're just waking about They give me the way on.
You know, I've come to terms with it.
I'm not a field goal kicker anymore and I'm gonna let Justin handle it. Ah, but you know, my job is to be ready if something happens God forbid. But you know I'll be ready if something happens to Justin. And then that's when you all do see me like once or twice a year out there kicking field goals or kickoffs.
That that's what it's for.
Jordan I said, he's had two and a half months speed training. Just what does that kind of look like.
I'm not gonna get too technical with it, but essentially it's, uh, four days a week, I'll wake up in the morning. So I did it in Fort Lotteral actually, which is great because it usually took up like three hours of my day and then me and my fiance could just lay at the beach.
Its is amazing, but uh yeah, wake up, we'd go in. We do like a short lift.
It's all from like a speed position, which is like where your your glute is activated and you could like explode out of the position in any moment, like whether we're doing shoulders chest like, everything was in that position. And then after that we go to the field and you know, I was there with Miles boykind H tray swilling, one of the tight ends for uh Tennessee, and you know, just just compete with those guys the whole time, just
trying to be faster than them. And I think that pushed me because I think speed translates really well to like leg speed and punting.
And so yeah, that's what it looked like. Real Claiman's education. You could give us some money. Angle that a holds just us very simple.
You put the ball down directly, straight up and down, and then you tilt it very slightly towards you.
And that's how Justin likes it.
He's very easy in that aspect, and I got you gotta love that.
The next up, we heard from long snapper Nick Moore, the deal.
To be held, the field, working with everything that it feels really good.
I'm I'm very excited to be back out here.
I know last year was a was a tough year for me on the sideline, so uh, I feel really good, really strong, really confidence.
So I'm just I'm just glad to be back out there.
That was your experience n Broadcasting Camp, and I guess.
I had a great experience out there. I learned a lot about myself. I figured, uh, broadcasting is way harder than it looks on TV. I had a lot of respect for those guys now, but you know, just last season, I wasn't playing and I was kind of figuring out, what are some things I'm interested in, trying to set myself up for post football and actually chat and Tom when kind of the guys that kind of recommended I do that and applied for the boot camp, and really
glad I went. Learned a lot and met a lot of cool guys and very influential people in the media of the space. So I was very useful and very glad I was able to get out there.
You started to feel like you're selling.
And I was feeling pretty good during ot as you know it's ohtas Is, uh is a different time of year. So I would say like coming back out for training camp, that was kind of like I made it back because that was kind of the hurdle I didn't.
Get to last year. I didn't didn't make it to training camp.
So once I got back here, I was really exciting, kind of relieved a little bit, and uh started feeling normal again. So I was glad to be back into a routine.
I guess.
Route in private, I know, yeah, they went, yeah, the film did support that one of the referees wasn't paying into and I guess, but uh.
But no, we do.
Those are those who are extremely difficult kicks to make.
Uh.
You know, you're out in front of the you got fan out here, you got your teammates, you got harp standing right there behind Tuck. I could see him right through my legs. So it's definitely a very scary kick. And it's really good for us to get that experience because we do attempt those kicks in the game.
I mean, last two years I played, we attempted.
Sixty six and sixty seven, so we're we're looking for sixty eighth this year.
I guess, Nick, how have you with Jordan Stout fine tune the snap to hold operations? Do you guys go studied Phil and the right special drills that you guys do.
We watch a lot of tape.
We've we've worked together for a while on last year he was with Tyler and we were still able to get some work in throughout the season, and then we started working I guess in February, right when the season was over together trying to get our chemistry back. But we watched a pretty good bit of tape and we're hyper critical of our day to day out on the field, so we're you know, I feel like we picked right up where we left off in twenty twenty two.
Involved in you involved me a trick along snapping that we hear about some of the long staffers in the league.
Where I have never participated in that.
So thank you.
Signed a deal while overcoming from any injury and I could pick the Ravens.
What did that meal to just have the trust you to al?
Yeah, you know it.
Eric was very generous. He didn't they didn't owe me anything.
I signed a deal in March and unfortunately in July tore my achilles and you know, for them to come in September right when the season started and and want to resign, you resigning for an additional year really spoke to the confidence that they have in me. Put a lot of faith in me, and it kind of gave me. You know, at that time, I was pretty down. Just
had surgery at the beginning of August. So I was in a pretty difficult spot and wasn't playing and wasn't out here with the guys, and I was kind of figuring out, it's my first time being hurt.
So for Eric and John and mister.
Mashati to put that faith in me, you know, really really headed home for me.
And I was very appreciative of that.
And I think I showed in my work ethic throughout the last twelve months to get back here.
You don't mind living.
It wasn't play or that markets at that play fellow.
So I was running the conditioning test four days before training camps started last year. I was over at McDaniel College, Uh, just trying to get a practice in. I was gonna have to run and when I showed up to camp, so I wanted to make sure I could do it. And then I was planning to change the direction, and when my right foot hit the ground, it.
Just kind of popped a little bit, and I.
Heard it and I thought that my cleat had kind of maybe separated a little bit. But unfortunately it was not the cleat and uh, my achilles tour. So it wasn't a fun experience.
And lastly, today we heard from Senior Special Teams coach Randy Brown.
Everyone.
Uh, first off, I wanted to send out my best wishes.
To Joe da. Uh. I've been around here a long time.
I've seen a lot of assistant coaches come come through these doors, and uh, there's great love for Joe d here in the building. I missed my meals with him, so now I'm stuck eating with like hort and Harves and Sam. So but best wishes Jody. I know he's gonna fight through this, gonna make it there. So secondly, it's my wife Tricia's birthday today, So happy birthday Tricia.
Yet tomorrow, oh Samorrow? Hey, Hey, I was right, I was close.
And so my my my daughter McKenzie is starring in Mean Girls as Regina. So any of you guys from South Jersey watching this, you want to go to the Ritz theater over the weekend, let's go see McKenzie and mean Girls.
But uh, but all right, questions with Justin?
Is there something pret in this camp that.
Anything?
So the thing with Justin is he constantly wants to get better. So I've been around him long enough that we plan out not just the week, but the day, and then we'll go ahead of saying, Okay, hey, we're gonna kick X number of balls today, we're gonna work on these particular kicks today, especially now with the new kickoff, we've got to incorporate some of that in. And what's great is he's so open minded too. Hey let me
try this. See what you think. And and whether it's me or Sam or Whart or whomever, but you know, here's a guy that the other day hit a sixty eight yarder and oh, by the way.
We've seen the film it was good.
Don't quite know what the officials were looking at, but I think somebody said, maybe not, but sixty eight yard are good and hit the ball really well.
So what do I look for in Justin when he comes out.
Is foot the ball, foot the ball, foot the ball, That ball sounds good coming off his foot. Then then I know he's where he's at, and he is. He's striking the ball as well as he ever has.
Says the rules impacted what you can vote your time to like that, how much time you spend the normal stuff compared to how much time you up to a lot to what's a new thing for a lot of time.
Yeah, that's a really good question, Jeff. So because the intensity of the kickoff. Prior I would try to limit justin to maybe only kicking off once a week because it's an intense kick, right, But.
Now with this kick, he can do it a little shorter.
Right, doesn't have to take the full seven eight.
Yard run up. So we've devoted some time to it.
But he's such a technician and he's a perfectionist, which helps me being able to say, Okay, hey we're gonna do twenty kicks today.
But when we're only talking a two.
Step or three step, it takes a little bit of wear and tear off the body.
So we've practiced it.
A little bit more in this camp, and in past preseasons I haven't been very excited for him to kick in it. But this year, you know, you saw a last game he had kick some so he's got a kind of get a feel of it too.
It's just.
For new kicks to his no doubt, no.
No, just because it's a different ball now, right, So when you when you used to hit a ball, you've seen this week, right, I think there was four kickoffs that didn't reach the landing zone.
Guys were trying their different kick. You know, back on.
The old kickoff, that ball might actually not be a bad ball because you know the guys are running down field. But now he's got to be able to have multiple kicks now, all right, and now we're only talking it's eighty and Sonny now today, well what do we do when it's thirty and we've been at the bank when it's thirty and the thirty mile prior winds coming out of that far corner.
How are we going to kick off?
Then?
So he's creating some scenarios where that that's what he's practicing now. And I think that's the one thing that we don't know what's going to happen with this play. Is it's nice that it's eighty ninety or you're indoors, but what are we gonna do?
We are they gonna do? In Buffalo in December and January.
If you think if it's a take a discussionists in having there, they're only going.
To play as it was, but.
A weere they're in, so the line of fire and how to make the time, you know, I think it's going to be the same amount as it's been in the years past. That seemed to be a narrative early, but I don't think so when you really look through the years of kickoffs. I mean, we remember we used to kick off from the thirty yard line, So I think specialists will be just as involved as they were before, you know, and nothing.
I don't see anything additional to it. I really don't.
Dan Stout he's holding in particular the last couple of years, but Justin is off a tick.
Relativity to the rest of the league. How would you break Jordan's.
D So you're Jordan's Stout and you're following Sam Cook, who's arguably the greatest holder it's ever played the game. So Jordan has now had a chance to learn from Sam and learn from Justin. So I would say today Jordan's the best holder in the National Football League. And why do I say that is because we've got a kicker who demands that the ball be at that spot that he needs it every single time. And Jordan's taken
it as a challenge. And you know when when I first met Jordan a few years ago and I had breakfast with him, you could talk to him right then and there. I mean, he was a competitive soccer player, like a high level soccer player, and you could see where his detail orient orient it is and you see it with his punning. But right now where he's gone with his holding, I'd pick him over any other the thirty two holders in National FOOTBA League where he's gotten and Justin demands it too, as we.
Know what effectually time a lot, pick all stuff, seams consider and like that, take it out of the back, take give the offense.
And start at the thirty get saved practice time.
As well as why would that be in an advantage or where.
Is that a disadvantage for those teams that did send any news.
Well, I don't know about other teams, but I know John Harball is the head coach of this team, and him and I've been together for nineteen seasons and special teams is very important to him and it's very important to me, and I love covering kicks I love returning kicks. I love the idea of putting the ball in play and playing football so and I know Chris Wharton does, and I know the head coach does, and I love it. What other teams are going to do or think, I
don't know, but I know what we do. We love returning kicks and covering kicks.
Around here, you're listening to the Ravens Press Past podcast. Make sure you hit that subscribe button. Also, head over to the Lounge podcast feed. We do a full breakdown of everything that we saw during training camp and pass out some training camp awards. You could subscribe to that feed as well. Search the Ravens Lounge podcast and subscribe to the Press Pass feed. Also, thank you so much
for listening. We'll be back with you on Saturday after that game against the Falcons at M and T Bank Stadium.
M