November 22, 2025 • 38 mins
Ravens Legend Michael Oher joins team insiders Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing to reminisce about the Super Bowl XLVII run, why Ozzie Newsome means so much to him, why 'The Blind Side' hurt him professionally and personally, and share his emotions coming back to a Ravens game.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome into the lounge presented by DraftKings. I'm Ryan Ink
here with Garrett Downing and we are thrilled to sit
down with Ravens legend Michael or a key part of
the Super Bowl winning team back in twenty twelve and
doing big things still with his foundation and across the board,
and he will be our legend of the game for
this matchup against the New York Jets. First time back
(00:25):
seeing a Ravens game. Just kind of what are your
emotions coming into this one?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Man? I'm fired up about it. You know, obviously, you
know the Ravens our favorite favorite team in the house,
and you know we watch him every Sunday, and just
to be back, a lot of great memories, you know,
life changing memories being drafted to Baltimore and you know
that they're doing great things. Now. Yeah, I asked about
(00:50):
a month ago. I wrote in my notes, I didn't
know I was coming to this game, but I wrote
in my notes that the Ravens will go over five
hundred against the Jets. Well, I'll show you afterwards, but
uh yeah, I mean, you know, just to know you've
got an organization, the way that they do things and
from top to bottom. It's always been great and you
(01:11):
know that's why they're in the running year and then
you're out. So it's just a great organization to be
a part of.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I got to hear more about this notes situation. So
you're watching the Ravens games and they're sitting there at
one and five, and you wrote down either whatever journal
or on your phone that the Ravens are going to
go over five hundred against the Jets, Like, what take
me through this here?
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Well?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
I mean I when I think of something, I take
out my notes and uh, you know, I write things down.
Whether you know, I do motivational speaking, I go talk
different places in schools and just like the right things down,
just to you know, keep track of all the great
things that I come up with.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
I do stuff with sports like that all the time.
But I wrote that down that they in the midst
in the middle of the slump. And uh. But you know,
when you got an organization like the Ravens players, like
the Ravens coach, you know, you see how the games
go about, in the turnouts, and you look at the schedule,
you see what's going on, and uh, you know it
(02:10):
was that's that wasn't hard for me to do.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
You spoken, you manifested with my predictions, we might have.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
A new guy. I mean, it's it's just a lot
of guessing. It's kind of like gambling. You know, you
you lose a lot more than.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
You like me.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
If you throw out a million predictions, you're gonna hit
on one.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
No doubt about it. You have to throw them out there.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
All those notes, and right, the Ravens are going to
win the super Bowl this year.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Let's get that done.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
That's the next Uh, that's the next step. I mean,
it's no reason why they shouldn't uh be close to
getting that done. I want to I want to talk
about it right now. Super Bowl Now that's a little
bit bigger than one, you know. But you know it's
like I always say, uh, you know, I was just
(03:00):
thinking about that, and you know, looking at him, I
like to say, looking in the mirror, you know, and
you know, they they have everything that they need to
get the job done and win a Super Bowl. But uh,
you know, obviously we got a long way, a long
(03:21):
way to go. But you know they definitely have the
guys for their job.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Well, you know what it takes, you know, being a
Super Bowl winner yourself, and can you take me back
to that time in that run and specifically the offensive
line was really a catalyst in that whole turnaround and
getting hot in the playoffs and and the work y'all
did protecting Joe allowed him to thrive the way he
did eleven touchdowns no picks.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
In the playoffs. That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
And so tell me about take me back to that
run and you as an offensive line kind of coming
together during that time.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, it was. I said, you know, we had Brian
Kinney had to get healthy on the offensive line. I
was playing left tackle uh that season, and once he
got healthy, uh, he was able to come back in
uh ko going to guard, uh, Matt Burker at center,
Marshall me at right tackle. You know, it was just,
(04:17):
you know, we we had a great group where you know,
everybody just loved being uh, you know in that room
and just playing football. And you know, for us, we
always talked about, you know, the five best guys being
on the field on the football field, and we were. You know,
getting healthy is a key part, uh to any group,
(04:39):
especially a football team, and that's what's going on now
that the Ravens are getting healthy, right now. But uh,
you know, we just came together. Man. I can remember
just uh you know, when we made the changes and stuff,
and I was in the in the facility here just
watching film and uh I think we we opened up
with the coach, you know, Robert Matthis and those guys,
(05:01):
and and then we put on went up to Denver
and I remember just watching uh tape on Von Miller
that year. If you go back and watch film on
von Miller what he was doing, and you know he
was watching film and just cut the film off on
you know. I think they were playing uh, the Panthers,
and he was just man, it was just scared me.
(05:27):
I got to get out of here. I just just
made uh I made my mind up. Man, We're just
going to sell out man, moving forward here on out.
And uh, we just we were just able to come together.
We had a veteran center and Matt Burke and being
on the road was me and Matt. We still talk about,
you know the silent count. Uh snot silent count until
(05:50):
this day. Text him a couple of weeks ago because guys,
you know these d ns now they're jumping. They got
these motorcycle stands. Now thereus of miles off the ball
and I just text mec bing up. We had you know, breakfast, lunch, dinner, uh,
different things like that on the road, and he'd always
asked me what I wanted to what I wanted to
(06:11):
count to be on because you know, these he respected
the fact that, you know, the tackles had the toughest job.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Yeah, you had to deal with these guys flying all.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Doubts and I think I don't if I we always
get uh so many guys jumping off sides with our
snap count, and Matt he just text me back, Man,
we can make a lot of money going to sell
that stuff, because I mean, these tackles needed in these
d ns, and you know, guys like von Miller at
the time, Myles. I want to talk about guys currently
(06:44):
but uh, you know grays playing them, But yeah, you
need those. All of that helps the offensive line, That
helps the offense. Everybody has to be thinking in touch,
you know, to to go get the job done, you know,
especially on the road and on the offense in general.
Everybody has to be one.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Can you take me inside the mile High Miracle? Because
I'm replaying this and I could still picture the play
and my mind's high, and Joe's running around like a
chicken with his head cut off kind of, and he's
just trying to find the space to step up and
launch that sucker. And I want to say that you
got a piece of somebody real late that was That
was vn wasn't it?
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Or Elvis?
Speaker 2 (07:27):
That was Vin? Might have been Marshall. He might have
got I was on. I can remember. I see the
clip all the time. Yeah, but somebody I think, I
don't know who it was. Hit just Nick Nick the
guy ye And Joe was able to get out of
there and throw it and uh six sixty yards seven
(07:48):
yard whatever it was to Jacoba, And man, I was
you know, it was amazing play, you know, just seeing
it and finishing that, and you know in that game,
it was it was. It was a crazy game, and
it was back and forth, back and forth, and the
you know, I was me and Marshall, I remember over
his beard froze and man, we were just sitting back
(08:09):
and just we're in disbelief just knowing that there was
it was coming down to be a classic and uh,
just being a part of that, and you know, we
were so exhausted after the game, not to disrespect anybody.
But we knew we'd just walk go through the Patriots
and get to the super Bowl because you know, we
were that game against Denver up there. It was you know,
(08:35):
it was gladiator type stuff and uh, you know, it
was an amazing thing to be a part of. And
it was a tough, hard fall battle and anything else
after that was gonna be pretty easy.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I gotta get your take on this. Is it crazy
to turn on football on Sundays and see Joe Flacco
in a Brown's uniform, in a Bengals uniform. He's still playing. Obviously,
guys won a super Bowl together. But is that crazy
for you to see that?
Speaker 2 (08:59):
I mean in today and age with the way uh sports, uh,
medicineas exercise, size, nutrition and everything. You know, he's a
quarterback as well. Uh and Joe man, he was always
he always had that it factor as far as talent,
arm arm strength, Uh, being cerebral, uh, having the knowledge
(09:22):
of the game and just not letting anything bother him.
And I think, you know, especially now, I think that's
a plus. Uh. With the mind, Uh, because football, believe
it or not, you have to be you have to
be intelligent and smart. I'm not saying, you know, these
guys aren't smart anymore right now, but uh, he's always
(09:43):
had those things. And when you have the stature that
he's had that he has, his size and quarterbacks, you know,
they're hard to find, hard to find, and you don't
have a lot of time like you used to to
get quarterbacks up the speed. And I think a lot
of that has helped him stay ahead of the curve
(10:05):
with the younger quarterbacks. So, uh, no, I enjoy watching him.
I enjoy seeing him. He was the toughest guy I knew.
I mean, you know, you get him hit sometimes and
you know, you see these quarterbacks now, they're you know,
like about to die. I'm like, you know, that's a
part of having confidence, given your offense, confidence, your old
(10:28):
line confidence. If you're getting up like you're about to
die all the time and you get hit, You're like, Jesus,
I'm scared this guy. I mean, I need you to
I need you to die in peace. You know, you know,
just don't let me see it, you know, because I'm like, man,
you just get him here a couple of times and
he just and don't worry about it. Just you know,
(10:48):
they gave me the confidence to keep batting for you, you know,
so if I always loved him for that.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
The point the worst kind of that way too, he doesn't.
He does slop around big about that. That's good, that's.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
A very good point. You can't you know that let
your line. I know you're with them, yep, because if
you're doing all that stuff and you're talking about me
behind closed door.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
Exactly your job is to protect them. And then.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Can you talk about when the Ravens drafted you? You know,
they they traded up to come get you. They really
wanted you, you know, and you come in here and
and you became a starter like that, you know, I
mean it was a high bar and expectations and all that.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
Can you talk about you know you.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Still I feel the loyalty that you have, you know,
for this organization for coming and getting you and drafting you.
What that experience is like and the feelings that it
still gives you.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
But it changed my life. Uh, you know, I was
a kid. I had nothing, uh even up until that
that point, and a lot of teams didn't believe in
me because you know, obviously the Blindside book came out
while I was in college, and you know, it had
that I couldn't read. I couldn't write, I couldn't learn, So,
(12:05):
you know, and through that process, you know, a lot
of the teams questioned, you know, in the NFL, it's
a this is a I understand that looking back, I mean,
this is a big bus. You're investing a lot of
money in kids and these young people, and you know,
the things that they had on Michael or Big mic Man,
I wouldn't have drafted because I'm a you know, uh,
(12:30):
you know a lot of people don't know me, but
you know, I love football. I was in love for
football and took a lot of pride and being smart
at it from the time I started watching the Cowboys
when I was ten years old, and took a ton
of pride in being smart at it.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
And I don't like players who can't get it the
first time. Me coaching now and kids and being around
NFL guys, college guys, I mean that's important. Though a
lot of teams, teams, you know, they backed off from me,
and they just didn't think. They didn't get to know me. Uh,
they didn't get to know me at all. And the
(13:08):
Ravens they were the only team that sat down with me.
I was here. Probably felt like a couple of days.
I talked to everybody in this building, every single person
in this building. They got to know me who I was,
got to know my personality, and they understood that I
was loved football, I knew football. I want this, I
(13:30):
wanted I wasn't this dumb guy that everybody thought I was. So,
you know, I just sitting me in the office, I
can remember him, you know, in the South. We you
got to get to know people. I'm not going to
open up to you if I don't know you. You know,
and he's obviously he's, you know, one of us. I'm
trying to play shots. He's cut that out with me,
(13:53):
you know, get your look, you know, I get to
laugh and we get to talk and have a good.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Time out of Yeah, you see the real person, no.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Doubt, no doubt. So that's what they did when I
was coming out and nobody else did that. Uh, and
that's why nobody else did that. I was going visits
and come by and all. Let nobody got to know
who I was. The Ravens. What's the only team that
did that for me? And Uh, that's to be honest
(14:23):
with you, I think the only reason I was drafted
in the first round because they got to know who
I was. And uh that's why I love the Ravens
tell this day. Uh so they gave me the chance
that I needed.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Yeah, that's really cool.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Do you did you get the sense of that time
that everyone in the perception of you, like people just
took it from the book, the movie, the Hollywood version
of you, and that they didn't really have any sort
of perspective on who this guy is. They're like, all right,
well we've made our mind up on who this guy
is based on what I've read or what I've seen,
and that was enough for teams.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
It was definitely and I understand, I just you know,
wish And one of my biggest regrets is I was
just too I was so focused on the NFL. Uh
from I didn't read the blind Side book. I regret
that not reading that in college. That's one of my
(15:17):
biggest regrets. And you know that's why, you know, I
always tell people you got to get to know people.
You got to reget the no people and you know,
not you know, take somebody work, somebody's word for it,
or or something that you seen or heard. You know,
so just watching a Football Life. I've seen all the
(15:41):
football lives and that I was watching Jimmy Johnson's A
Football Life, and at fifteen minutes and fifty three seconds
on the YouTube, Bill Belichick and they were on the
boat and he said one thing Jimmy Johnson told him
was not the draft of player. And I can remember
(16:04):
the Patriots. They had a scout at the Senior Bowl,
big guy, about four hundred and fifty pounds, and remember
him grilling me on just all kind of stuff about
education stuff and all that, and and the Patriots was
actually had to pick that. The Ravens traded, you know,
things like that, sit with me and make it, you know,
(16:26):
things like that. So you have to get to know
people like the Ravens. They do their due dealings just
what they used to do. They're still in the running
every year for Super Bowl, so they're still doing the
same thing. But you have to sit down and do
the work and put the time in. And you know,
that's what the Ravens, uh, that's what they always done,
(16:49):
was put the And we always had guys who loved
football in the football when I was here, and they
you know, took a serious and a lot of the
guys had the same personality. You know, we uh we connected.
We hung out and still got group text mess you
can call and have the same conversations, and you know
(17:09):
that's uh, you know why every year I think they're
you know, in consideration for a Super Bowl year and
and year out.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
So you know, did you did you leave here feeling like, oh,
they're they're asking different questions, like they're Ozzie is getting
to know me on a level different than I've experienced
at other teams, Like did you come out of that
visit here feeling like this is where I'm gonna go?
And you never can predict the draft, of course, but
there at least this is a different conversation here than
(17:38):
I'm having elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Yeah, I man, I was. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it.
Uh uh. I had a great time of sitting in
the sitting in there with ever uh Da Costa and
those guys. Man, and it was just my personality. You know,
you could see all my personality. It was out, it
was out in their shoulder. But you know, I'm thinking
(18:00):
I'm the best tackling in the draft at the time,
So I think they had they was in the hot twenties.
I can't get going to be drafted here. But I
didn't know the other stuff at the time. So no
teams take you off your board, off their board and
stuff like that, because like I said.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Do you get reports the teams actually took you off.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
What I've heard, Wow, you know, like I said, their loss.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
That's it. But you know you said, but I get it.
I get it. You have to this. This is a
very tough business, and you have to have guys in
there that are you know, in it for football, you know,
and man that's in that's important. And you know, obviously
(18:48):
you know, the Ravens say, you know, believe me, believed
in me enough, and uh, through Chad Alexander text me, uh,
you know a couple of months. It was probably a
year or so ago now, But.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
For Ravens front office executive, be a scout.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
You know, he was one of the guys who vouched
for me. Yeah, big time. And I always, you know,
think about text me every now and Dan and stuff
like that. But you know, he I don't want to
say he's from Memphis, but he had some kind of
Memphis ties and you know he kind of knew who
I was as a person as well, So you know,
(19:31):
it's just you know, the due diligence, the resources that
you have to put into being a great organization.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
I remember you kind of grappling with all of this
back during your player days when you were here, And
I remember sitting down with you during the Super Bowl
and actually having the week leading up to it and
having a good conversation about this, and it was a
hard thing from what I remember, It was a hard
thing for you to kind of deal with that you
were the selec out there to so many people who
were reading the book, watching the movie, and you were
(20:04):
you were this celebrity, but you were like that ain't
me right, you know, And like I always felt like
that was a kind of a weight on your shoulders
to a degree, because you were thankful for some of
what that did for you in your life.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
But like, it ain't good to read or watch something.
You're like, they got it wrong.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
And I wrote a story called the Real Michael or
I'll never forget this. The Real Michael Or was the headline.
That story blew up, Like people loved that story because
they loved getting to know like this was fake, this
was not Mike, and Mike is a smart dude or
like yeah, and like you know you're you're a smart
dude who loved football, and like you didn't have nobody
(20:45):
else made your life for you.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
You made your life.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
And so can you talk about what it took for
you mentally and emotionally to get past that.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
I've never got pasted it with you because I was
had the ability mentally and physically to be in ken
That was my goal coming into the NFL, And the
best part of my life was from April to November. Uh,
my rookie year and I was having a heck of
(21:20):
a year. And you know the movie came out after that,
and uh, you know I started to be this bad
football player all over a sudden, not because I was
on the field, but because people I became a target,
Uh you know, if I had done something, did something wrong.
You know, social media was just coming out or or
media putting things in the paper and all that. So
(21:43):
now you know, the fans got this totally different view
of who this football player is, and you know I
became't you know, that's you know one of the reasons why,
Uh it's my first game back in Baltimore because you know,
of fans. They were kind of hard on me. You know,
they would call up to the facility bad uh you know,
(22:07):
letters and just social media. Still to this day, I
get negative things on social media, and it's not because
of me being you know this football bad football players,
because uh, something else that I had nothing to do with.
And you know, I became yeah, the love kind of
(22:28):
uh left of me and I was just doing it
just playing football instead of you know, just being all
out and uh, you know, still something that I deal
with because football is something that I, you know, really
care to care about, you know, so you know when
(22:49):
something that you had no control over coming derails that,
you know, that kind of that upsets me a little bit.
But you know what I always said was it's still
changed a lot of people's lives and it inspired a
lot of people to play football to enjoy offensive line.
(23:09):
Still see kids say they we're seventy four because of
because of me. So but that piece, it's not because
I'm you know, I've seen something and ungrateful all that
kind of stuff. You know, when something that's very important
to you and you believe in and you know, something
(23:32):
that you know got you from being homeless at three
years old, and I was homeless up until I was
up until really I got to college and I lived
with a different at a different home freshman, sophomore, junior,
senior year of high school, and I felt that I
(23:54):
was going to be stable for the next three or
four years in college. And when something like that takes
gets taken away from you, your hard work. You're becoming
all American in high school. I mean, uh, your senior
year while you're sleeping on the floor. Uh, when that
stuff gets taken away from you, I'm gonna get upset,
(24:16):
you know. Yeah, so you know it's something that you know, Uh,
I'm doing better with. But that's a lot of hard
work and a lot of sacrifices that you know, I
turned down from uh doing the total opposite from every
kid I grew up around and turning away from the
(24:38):
streets and uh when I could have easily given up.
So you know, those are things that you know that
uh runs deep. But you know, getting moving on. I
got great thing going and uh you know, so you
know it's all good.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
How much in that time did you was football? It's
interesting to hear you talk about it because in some
ways football is like a safe haven and that's like
you love the game, And that was I started hearing
twenty eleven, and that was one of the things I
remember in meeting you, and of course knowing the story
and all this stuff, and then meeting you, I was like, man,
this guy loves football like he's hard worker, He practices
every day like he's tough. And those were things that
(25:22):
I remember right away from back in that time when
I started here. And I think a lot of guys
talk about how being between those white lines is where
I felt most at home, and there's all this noise
whatever their situation is, and that would allow them to
be kind of in their their safe space. But in
hearing you talk about it, it almost to some degree
kind of felt like there was I don't know if
(25:44):
a burden is the right word. As you try to play,
knowing everything that was going.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
On, how was was it a safe space?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Like how did you look at the football aspect when
you were in the midst of that early in your career.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Now, my safe space was in the being and in
the locker room. That's when I was my most comfortable
being around the guys. Inside the locker room, they they
know who I am as a person wants. Like I said,
after November my rookie year, going outside of these buildings,
I really didn't enjoy, to be honest with you, you know, so,
(26:18):
but being in the locker room, knowing the guys who
know you and uh know what kind of player person
you are. Uh, the love that you have. But you know,
when you're playing safe and not to do stuff and
not to have a penalty and not playing as hard
as you can. Uh, being in the white lines on
(26:38):
game they didn't mean nothing.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
I still uh, I still got the job done adequately,
but not up to to the ability that that you know,
I think I could have. So, you know, but the
locker room and your coaches and you know, things like that,
that's that's what I enjoyed the most. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Well, honestly, I hope like fans listen to this and
realize the impact that they can have on players, Like
this game is is so physical, but it is also
mental and and like players hear this stuff and like
it can resonate with them. So honestly, I just like
hope that fans kind of take note of that.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, it made you know, because I was
a guy. Uh, I'm coming from poverty and I love
the fans, and I was playing for the fans, you know,
because I knew. I felt like I've always been down
to earth and just one of the one of the.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
One of the people, one of one of the people
for the people.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
And you get people dogging you and talking about you
all the time, and you seeing that you know, it's
not uh, you're playing great and you know, you look
up look at something and it's the total opposite. I'm like, man,
what and that's just dry. It just you know, it
drives me crazy. But at the end of the day,
(28:04):
you know, people want to say, you're getting paid a
lot of money to play football and all that, but
this is a kids game and these football players, man,
we are human at the end of the day too,
so and our job is it's to win. But you know,
we want to be able to get out there and
touch the people and you know, and that's what it's
(28:26):
all about at the end of the day, entertainment and
we want to you know, we want to make everybody happy.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Don't matter how much money you're making, you want to
feel valued, respected and like you're doing a good job.
And when fans are saying that it doesn't matter, and
I'm really glad to hear that you're in a in
a great space, in a better place now, Mike, and
I do want to, you know, let fans know. They
always want to know about foreign players. What are you
up to now? Like, so tell listeners and viewers, you know,
what are you doing now? I know you have a
(28:53):
big family. Tell them a little bit about how you're doing.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Yeah, living Nashville, Uh with my family, volunteer UH, coach
my son at Ellipsicomb Academy. Uh offensive line d line.
Also have a foundation. Uh. I partner with different schools,
Ellipschomist one of my partner schools, and kids disadvantaged youth. Uh,
(29:18):
you know, give them an opportunity uh page scholarship intuition,
UH for you know, mentorship. Uh so the kids can
a kid like myself who uh does not play sports. Uh,
because it was I graduated from a Brian christ Christian school,
private school. But the only reason I got I went
(29:40):
to that school was because I was a heck of
an athlete. And that's just the bottom line. And I
want to put kids that who don't have those opportunities
or uh, because you know, I love football, but I
always had planned b's. I always if I didn't make it. Uh.
I can remember my senior year college, you know, all
(30:02):
of this stuff. But I was still thinking of who
I was going to go to if I didn't get
draft or if I didn't making it to the NFL.
Who I was gonna you know, ask for a job
and who you know, things like that. And I always
had those type of things in my mind from a
ten year old, eleven year old kid. You know, I
just wanted to have four or five jobs, you know, football, basketball.
(30:23):
That wasn't going to be the end all for me.
So it worked out, and I'm glad it did. I'm glad,
but for a lot of kids is not so. And
a lot of kids aren't going to have that athletic
ability to uh to be afforded these things. So my
thing is to you know, help as many kids as
I can possibly can to you know, be afforded, uh,
(30:46):
you know, education and being around people that they can
you know, like minded individuals that are motivated, and I
want to be great. I was actually in talks with
McDonald's school here uh in Saint Paul here in Nashville
about bringing the Ore Scholarship here. It's Baltimore. So uh,
(31:07):
you know, that's just want to I eventually want to
have it all over, you know, because a lot of
people talk about education, but they don't really mean it.
And you know, education, that's something that's tangible. You can't
take you can't take that away from. If you have that, man,
you can do You're you shouldn't be poor, you shouldn't
be uh living in poverty. Uh, you can do so
(31:30):
many different things. So I think that's the winning piece
if we want to change as a society, if we
want to you know, see things, uh see things changing
and the communities ah, you know around the country. So
you know that's the you know that that's something that
I'm doing. You know, I'm enjoying it all, enjoying life. Man.
(31:51):
You know. My thing was when I started this journey
was to work so hard where I can be in
this position that I am right now. So that was
always my goal, you know. But uh, you know it
started I'm back here now because it started with the Ravens.
So uh, without them believing in me, and yeah, I
(32:13):
just hold him a ton souse. You know, without them,
you know, I don't know what.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
I think he would have made it, but we helped help.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
I don't know, man, I think I was off the
off the board on thirty one. Other team, the Ravens
was my only hope. I'm telling you, jeez, I'm telling
Big Mike he was. He must have been a hell
of a football player, man, learning football like he did
and you know, can't read and write, and he must
(32:45):
have been dominating out the Ravens said, Man, don't worry
about that. We can we can fix it. But it's it's.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
All, well, is it just quickly before we wrap like
the games this weekend? You're back in this building as
we as we have this great conversation, like, man, it's
it's it's it's awesome to hear like what this these
these four walls kind of meant to you, like in
your career in this place and the people. Is it strange?
(33:20):
Is it emotional?
Speaker 4 (33:21):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Like?
Speaker 4 (33:22):
What do you what?
Speaker 3 (33:23):
What do you feel as you're back here in this
building and then knowing that you're gonna be back in
the stadium on Sunday?
Speaker 2 (33:28):
Oh man, it really felt like the day I got drafted.
To be honest with you, you know, obviously I wanted
to you know, be here a lot longer and all that,
and uh it didn't work out that way. But h man,
I just you know, you just feel like a kid,
feel like a kid because uh, like I said, it
(33:48):
was my safe haven for five seasons here, and uh,
you know, I knew I had to support that I needed,
and I just enjoyed coming in here. Was that why
I was the first one in all the time, first
one in every day and the last one out because
I enjoyed it every I enjoyed it that much, man.
And uh, you know, I'd just be out there practicing,
(34:11):
and you know, like you said, I never missed a
practice of here on time, and I just used to
have tears tears of joy all the time just practicing,
you know, uh those I just enjoyed it all because
I knew how hard it was to get to the NFL,
how hard it is to stay in the NFL, and
(34:32):
how important it is, you know, uh, you know, just
to you know, how special special it is to be
a part of something like that. You know, you see
the guys that has came through here, and you know,
I just I was a fan of every player, just
the star players. Uh, I just enjoy being around everybody,
so uh, you know, just being like you said, these
(34:55):
four walls and being around these people who know uh
you know that, you know when I see guys and
you guys, I played left tackle, right tackle, left tackle,
really making sacrifices. But the Ravens what you know, they
brought you here because they believe in the things that
(35:17):
you can do. You know, so when guys get up, man,
I can be doing this or I can be doing that.
You know, it doesn't It didn't. It never bothered me
because they believe that I can do it, and I
believe that I could do it, and I did it
like I was, like it was normal. But it's really
not normal to do what I did, going from position
(35:37):
to position. I see guys, I see guys try to
do it, and it's not normal and it's hard to do.
Some guy, a couple of guys can, but you know
it's rare because I pay attention to all that kind
of stuff, and you know, they believe in you, and
you know you're here because you're just a guy for
(35:57):
the job.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
So awesome, awesome, but great to see you. Thank you
for sharing your story.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
It's really a pleasure forward.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
Think that that recognition on Sunday at the game.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
I appreciate it. Thank you guys for having me.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Welcome back to the lounge. We are coming to you
from the Sea Geek Studio. We want to mention our
partners with Drafting sports Book. They are an official sports
betting partner of the Baltimore Ravens Draftking Sports Book. The
Crown is yours well. Huge thanks uh to Michael Lare.
Really admire his openness and willingness to to share and
talk about his career, his life. It's awesome to see
(36:32):
how well he's doing down there in Nashville with his
foundation work, his families, coaching football. Uh, it's just it's
it's great to see him doing well. And I'm appreciative
and commend him for for just being as open and
honest as he was.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
Yeah, I think that you could see the impact that
all that pressure, that outside pressure had on him in
his career and and just as a person, you know,
still carrying that with him to this day, like you said,
And so to see him doing well, you know, and
kind of trying to work through that and doing well
(37:07):
in life is really great.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
And hey, I'll say this too.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
You know, for as much criticism as fans gave him
back then, Ravens, don't win the super.
Speaker 4 (37:15):
Bowl without Michael Oh.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
He was a huge piece of that.
Speaker 4 (37:17):
Do not win the super Bowl without him.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
And so, like, I think he did not get the
appreciation that he deserved during his playing days back here either,
and so I really hope he gets that appreciation here
on Sunday with a loud ovation well.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
As he walks out of the building and walks through
the lobby and looks at that second Lombardi Trophy sitting
in the lobby. He was a huge piece of that.
We mentioned it, like that offensive line that season in
twenty twelve shuffle things around, and that was the strength
of the offense that went into the playoffs, allowed Joe
Flacco to be at his best, and that was the
catalyst as you as you said, he was a huge
piece of the equation. So you know, he had a
(37:53):
really good career.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
And you know it's even the name of the book
in the movie, the blind Side like set him up
and then he goes from left tackle to right tackle
and that naturally even put him in this position where
he's like, well, I'm not fulfilling what I was supposedly
supposed to you know, supposed to fulfill, and so uh yeah,
just all of that. But hey, he was a heck
(38:15):
of a heck of a right tackle too. It didn't
matter and uh really important.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
Yeah, So again, thanks to him for joining us. And
I know it's gonna be a great moment for him
and he's gonna get a lot autovation when he walks
on the field at mc bak Stadium on Sunday. So,
as always, you can email us at the lounge at
Ravens dot NFL dot net. Thank you so much to
Michael Orr for joining us today and thank you for
watching him for listening, and we'll be back with you
again soon
Welcome into the lounge presented by DraftKings. I'm Ryan Ink
here with Garrett Downing and we are thrilled to sit
down with Ravens legend Michael or a key part of
the Super Bowl winning team back in twenty twelve and
doing big things still with his foundation and across the board,
and he will be our legend of the game for
this matchup against the New York Jets. First time back
(00:25):
seeing a Ravens game. Just kind of what are your
emotions coming into this one?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Man? I'm fired up about it. You know, obviously, you
know the Ravens our favorite favorite team in the house,
and you know we watch him every Sunday, and just
to be back, a lot of great memories, you know,
life changing memories being drafted to Baltimore and you know
that they're doing great things. Now. Yeah, I asked about
(00:50):
a month ago. I wrote in my notes, I didn't
know I was coming to this game, but I wrote
in my notes that the Ravens will go over five
hundred against the Jets. Well, I'll show you afterwards, but
uh yeah, I mean, you know, just to know you've
got an organization, the way that they do things and
from top to bottom. It's always been great and you
(01:11):
know that's why they're in the running year and then
you're out. So it's just a great organization to be
a part of.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I got to hear more about this notes situation. So
you're watching the Ravens games and they're sitting there at
one and five, and you wrote down either whatever journal
or on your phone that the Ravens are going to
go over five hundred against the Jets, Like, what take
me through this here?
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Well?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
I mean I when I think of something, I take
out my notes and uh, you know, I write things down.
Whether you know, I do motivational speaking, I go talk
different places in schools and just like the right things down,
just to you know, keep track of all the great
things that I come up with.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
I do stuff with sports like that all the time.
But I wrote that down that they in the midst
in the middle of the slump. And uh. But you know,
when you got an organization like the Ravens players, like
the Ravens coach, you know, you see how the games
go about, in the turnouts, and you look at the schedule,
you see what's going on, and uh, you know it
(02:10):
was that's that wasn't hard for me to do.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
You spoken, you manifested with my predictions, we might have.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
A new guy. I mean, it's it's just a lot
of guessing. It's kind of like gambling. You know, you
you lose a lot more than.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
You like me.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
If you throw out a million predictions, you're gonna hit
on one.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
No doubt about it. You have to throw them out there.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
All those notes, and right, the Ravens are going to
win the super Bowl this year.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Let's get that done.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
That's the next Uh, that's the next step. I mean,
it's no reason why they shouldn't uh be close to
getting that done. I want to I want to talk
about it right now. Super Bowl Now that's a little
bit bigger than one, you know. But you know it's
like I always say, uh, you know, I was just
(03:00):
thinking about that, and you know, looking at him, I
like to say, looking in the mirror, you know, and
you know, they they have everything that they need to
get the job done and win a Super Bowl. But uh,
you know, obviously we got a long way, a long
(03:21):
way to go. But you know they definitely have the
guys for their job.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Well, you know what it takes, you know, being a
Super Bowl winner yourself, and can you take me back
to that time in that run and specifically the offensive
line was really a catalyst in that whole turnaround and
getting hot in the playoffs and and the work y'all
did protecting Joe allowed him to thrive the way he
did eleven touchdowns no picks.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
In the playoffs. That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
And so tell me about take me back to that
run and you as an offensive line kind of coming
together during that time.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, it was. I said, you know, we had Brian
Kinney had to get healthy on the offensive line. I
was playing left tackle uh that season, and once he
got healthy, uh, he was able to come back in
uh ko going to guard, uh, Matt Burker at center,
Marshall me at right tackle. You know, it was just,
(04:17):
you know, we we had a great group where you know,
everybody just loved being uh, you know in that room
and just playing football. And you know, for us, we
always talked about, you know, the five best guys being
on the field on the football field, and we were. You know,
getting healthy is a key part, uh to any group,
(04:39):
especially a football team, and that's what's going on now
that the Ravens are getting healthy, right now. But uh,
you know, we just came together. Man. I can remember
just uh you know, when we made the changes and stuff,
and I was in the in the facility here just
watching film and uh I think we we opened up
with the coach, you know, Robert Matthis and those guys,
(05:01):
and and then we put on went up to Denver
and I remember just watching uh tape on Von Miller
that year. If you go back and watch film on
von Miller what he was doing, and you know he
was watching film and just cut the film off on
you know. I think they were playing uh, the Panthers,
and he was just man, it was just scared me.
(05:27):
I got to get out of here. I just just
made uh I made my mind up. Man, We're just
going to sell out man, moving forward here on out.
And uh, we just we were just able to come together.
We had a veteran center and Matt Burke and being
on the road was me and Matt. We still talk about,
you know the silent count. Uh snot silent count until
(05:50):
this day. Text him a couple of weeks ago because guys,
you know these d ns now they're jumping. They got
these motorcycle stands. Now thereus of miles off the ball
and I just text mec bing up. We had you know, breakfast, lunch, dinner, uh,
different things like that on the road, and he'd always
asked me what I wanted to what I wanted to
(06:11):
count to be on because you know, these he respected
the fact that, you know, the tackles had the toughest job.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Yeah, you had to deal with these guys flying all.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Doubts and I think I don't if I we always
get uh so many guys jumping off sides with our
snap count, and Matt he just text me back, Man,
we can make a lot of money going to sell
that stuff, because I mean, these tackles needed in these
d ns, and you know, guys like von Miller at
the time, Myles. I want to talk about guys currently
(06:44):
but uh, you know grays playing them, But yeah, you
need those. All of that helps the offensive line, That
helps the offense. Everybody has to be thinking in touch,
you know, to to go get the job done, you know,
especially on the road and on the offense in general.
Everybody has to be one.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Can you take me inside the mile High Miracle? Because
I'm replaying this and I could still picture the play
and my mind's high, and Joe's running around like a
chicken with his head cut off kind of, and he's
just trying to find the space to step up and
launch that sucker. And I want to say that you
got a piece of somebody real late that was That
was vn wasn't it?
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Or Elvis?
Speaker 2 (07:27):
That was Vin? Might have been Marshall. He might have
got I was on. I can remember. I see the
clip all the time. Yeah, but somebody I think, I
don't know who it was. Hit just Nick Nick the
guy ye And Joe was able to get out of
there and throw it and uh six sixty yards seven
(07:48):
yard whatever it was to Jacoba, And man, I was
you know, it was amazing play, you know, just seeing
it and finishing that, and you know in that game,
it was it was. It was a crazy game, and
it was back and forth, back and forth, and the
you know, I was me and Marshall, I remember over
his beard froze and man, we were just sitting back
(08:09):
and just we're in disbelief just knowing that there was
it was coming down to be a classic and uh,
just being a part of that, and you know, we
were so exhausted after the game, not to disrespect anybody.
But we knew we'd just walk go through the Patriots
and get to the super Bowl because you know, we
were that game against Denver up there. It was you know,
(08:35):
it was gladiator type stuff and uh, you know, it
was an amazing thing to be a part of. And
it was a tough, hard fall battle and anything else
after that was gonna be pretty easy.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I gotta get your take on this. Is it crazy
to turn on football on Sundays and see Joe Flacco
in a Brown's uniform, in a Bengals uniform. He's still playing. Obviously,
guys won a super Bowl together. But is that crazy
for you to see that?
Speaker 2 (08:59):
I mean in today and age with the way uh sports, uh,
medicineas exercise, size, nutrition and everything. You know, he's a
quarterback as well. Uh and Joe man, he was always
he always had that it factor as far as talent,
arm arm strength, Uh, being cerebral, uh, having the knowledge
(09:22):
of the game and just not letting anything bother him.
And I think, you know, especially now, I think that's
a plus. Uh. With the mind, Uh, because football, believe
it or not, you have to be you have to
be intelligent and smart. I'm not saying, you know, these
guys aren't smart anymore right now, but uh, he's always
(09:43):
had those things. And when you have the stature that
he's had that he has, his size and quarterbacks, you know,
they're hard to find, hard to find, and you don't
have a lot of time like you used to to
get quarterbacks up the speed. And I think a lot
of that has helped him stay ahead of the curve
(10:05):
with the younger quarterbacks. So, uh, no, I enjoy watching him.
I enjoy seeing him. He was the toughest guy I knew.
I mean, you know, you get him hit sometimes and
you know, you see these quarterbacks now, they're you know,
like about to die. I'm like, you know, that's a
part of having confidence, given your offense, confidence, your old
(10:28):
line confidence. If you're getting up like you're about to
die all the time and you get hit, You're like, Jesus,
I'm scared this guy. I mean, I need you to
I need you to die in peace. You know, you know,
just don't let me see it, you know, because I'm like, man,
you just get him here a couple of times and
he just and don't worry about it. Just you know,
(10:48):
they gave me the confidence to keep batting for you, you know,
so if I always loved him for that.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
The point the worst kind of that way too, he doesn't.
He does slop around big about that. That's good, that's.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
A very good point. You can't you know that let
your line. I know you're with them, yep, because if
you're doing all that stuff and you're talking about me
behind closed door.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
Exactly your job is to protect them. And then.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Can you talk about when the Ravens drafted you? You know,
they they traded up to come get you. They really
wanted you, you know, and you come in here and
and you became a starter like that, you know, I
mean it was a high bar and expectations and all that.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
Can you talk about you know you.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Still I feel the loyalty that you have, you know,
for this organization for coming and getting you and drafting you.
What that experience is like and the feelings that it
still gives you.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
But it changed my life. Uh, you know, I was
a kid. I had nothing, uh even up until that
that point, and a lot of teams didn't believe in
me because you know, obviously the Blindside book came out
while I was in college, and you know, it had
that I couldn't read. I couldn't write, I couldn't learn, So,
(12:05):
you know, and through that process, you know, a lot
of the teams questioned, you know, in the NFL, it's
a this is a I understand that looking back, I mean,
this is a big bus. You're investing a lot of
money in kids and these young people, and you know,
the things that they had on Michael or Big mic Man,
I wouldn't have drafted because I'm a you know, uh,
(12:30):
you know a lot of people don't know me, but
you know, I love football. I was in love for
football and took a lot of pride and being smart
at it from the time I started watching the Cowboys
when I was ten years old, and took a ton
of pride in being smart at it.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
And I don't like players who can't get it the
first time. Me coaching now and kids and being around
NFL guys, college guys, I mean that's important. Though a
lot of teams, teams, you know, they backed off from me,
and they just didn't think. They didn't get to know me. Uh,
they didn't get to know me at all. And the
(13:08):
Ravens they were the only team that sat down with me.
I was here. Probably felt like a couple of days.
I talked to everybody in this building, every single person
in this building. They got to know me who I was,
got to know my personality, and they understood that I
was loved football, I knew football. I want this, I
(13:30):
wanted I wasn't this dumb guy that everybody thought I was. So,
you know, I just sitting me in the office, I
can remember him, you know, in the South. We you
got to get to know people. I'm not going to
open up to you if I don't know you. You know,
and he's obviously he's, you know, one of us. I'm
trying to play shots. He's cut that out with me,
(13:53):
you know, get your look, you know, I get to
laugh and we get to talk and have a good.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Time out of Yeah, you see the real person, no.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Doubt, no doubt. So that's what they did when I
was coming out and nobody else did that. Uh, and
that's why nobody else did that. I was going visits
and come by and all. Let nobody got to know
who I was. The Ravens. What's the only team that
did that for me? And Uh, that's to be honest
(14:23):
with you, I think the only reason I was drafted
in the first round because they got to know who
I was. And uh that's why I love the Ravens
tell this day. Uh so they gave me the chance
that I needed.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Yeah, that's really cool.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Do you did you get the sense of that time
that everyone in the perception of you, like people just
took it from the book, the movie, the Hollywood version
of you, and that they didn't really have any sort
of perspective on who this guy is. They're like, all right,
well we've made our mind up on who this guy
is based on what I've read or what I've seen,
and that was enough for teams.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
It was definitely and I understand, I just you know,
wish And one of my biggest regrets is I was
just too I was so focused on the NFL. Uh
from I didn't read the blind Side book. I regret
that not reading that in college. That's one of my
(15:17):
biggest regrets. And you know that's why, you know, I
always tell people you got to get to know people.
You got to reget the no people and you know,
not you know, take somebody work, somebody's word for it,
or or something that you seen or heard. You know,
so just watching a Football Life. I've seen all the
(15:41):
football lives and that I was watching Jimmy Johnson's A
Football Life, and at fifteen minutes and fifty three seconds
on the YouTube, Bill Belichick and they were on the
boat and he said one thing Jimmy Johnson told him
was not the draft of player. And I can remember
(16:04):
the Patriots. They had a scout at the Senior Bowl,
big guy, about four hundred and fifty pounds, and remember
him grilling me on just all kind of stuff about
education stuff and all that, and and the Patriots was
actually had to pick that. The Ravens traded, you know,
things like that, sit with me and make it, you know,
(16:26):
things like that. So you have to get to know
people like the Ravens. They do their due dealings just
what they used to do. They're still in the running
every year for Super Bowl, so they're still doing the
same thing. But you have to sit down and do
the work and put the time in. And you know,
that's what the Ravens, uh, that's what they always done,
(16:49):
was put the And we always had guys who loved
football in the football when I was here, and they
you know, took a serious and a lot of the
guys had the same personality. You know, we uh we connected.
We hung out and still got group text mess you
can call and have the same conversations, and you know
(17:09):
that's uh, you know why every year I think they're
you know, in consideration for a Super Bowl year and
and year out.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
So you know, did you did you leave here feeling like, oh,
they're they're asking different questions, like they're Ozzie is getting
to know me on a level different than I've experienced
at other teams, Like did you come out of that
visit here feeling like this is where I'm gonna go?
And you never can predict the draft, of course, but
there at least this is a different conversation here than
(17:38):
I'm having elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Yeah, I man, I was. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it.
Uh uh. I had a great time of sitting in
the sitting in there with ever uh Da Costa and
those guys. Man, and it was just my personality. You know,
you could see all my personality. It was out, it
was out in their shoulder. But you know, I'm thinking
(18:00):
I'm the best tackling in the draft at the time,
So I think they had they was in the hot twenties.
I can't get going to be drafted here. But I
didn't know the other stuff at the time. So no
teams take you off your board, off their board and
stuff like that, because like I said.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Do you get reports the teams actually took you off.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
What I've heard, Wow, you know, like I said, their loss.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
That's it. But you know you said, but I get it.
I get it. You have to this. This is a
very tough business, and you have to have guys in
there that are you know, in it for football, you know,
and man that's in that's important. And you know, obviously
(18:48):
you know, the Ravens say, you know, believe me, believed
in me enough, and uh, through Chad Alexander text me, uh,
you know a couple of months. It was probably a
year or so ago now, But.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
For Ravens front office executive, be a scout.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
You know, he was one of the guys who vouched
for me. Yeah, big time. And I always, you know,
think about text me every now and Dan and stuff
like that. But you know, he I don't want to
say he's from Memphis, but he had some kind of
Memphis ties and you know he kind of knew who
I was as a person as well, So you know,
(19:31):
it's just you know, the due diligence, the resources that
you have to put into being a great organization.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
I remember you kind of grappling with all of this
back during your player days when you were here, And
I remember sitting down with you during the Super Bowl
and actually having the week leading up to it and
having a good conversation about this, and it was a
hard thing from what I remember, It was a hard
thing for you to kind of deal with that you
were the selec out there to so many people who
were reading the book, watching the movie, and you were
(20:04):
you were this celebrity, but you were like that ain't
me right, you know, And like I always felt like
that was a kind of a weight on your shoulders
to a degree, because you were thankful for some of
what that did for you in your life.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
But like, it ain't good to read or watch something.
You're like, they got it wrong.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
And I wrote a story called the Real Michael or
I'll never forget this. The Real Michael Or was the headline.
That story blew up, Like people loved that story because
they loved getting to know like this was fake, this
was not Mike, and Mike is a smart dude or
like yeah, and like you know you're you're a smart
dude who loved football, and like you didn't have nobody
(20:45):
else made your life for you.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
You made your life.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
And so can you talk about what it took for
you mentally and emotionally to get past that.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
I've never got pasted it with you because I was
had the ability mentally and physically to be in ken
That was my goal coming into the NFL, And the
best part of my life was from April to November. Uh,
my rookie year and I was having a heck of
(21:20):
a year. And you know the movie came out after that,
and uh, you know I started to be this bad
football player all over a sudden, not because I was
on the field, but because people I became a target,
Uh you know, if I had done something, did something wrong.
You know, social media was just coming out or or
media putting things in the paper and all that. So
(21:43):
now you know, the fans got this totally different view
of who this football player is, and you know I
became't you know, that's you know one of the reasons why,
Uh it's my first game back in Baltimore because you know,
of fans. They were kind of hard on me. You know,
they would call up to the facility bad uh you know,
(22:07):
letters and just social media. Still to this day, I
get negative things on social media, and it's not because
of me being you know this football bad football players,
because uh, something else that I had nothing to do with.
And you know, I became yeah, the love kind of
(22:28):
uh left of me and I was just doing it
just playing football instead of you know, just being all
out and uh, you know, still something that I deal
with because football is something that I, you know, really
care to care about, you know, so you know when
(22:49):
something that you had no control over coming derails that,
you know, that kind of that upsets me a little bit.
But you know what I always said was it's still
changed a lot of people's lives and it inspired a
lot of people to play football to enjoy offensive line.
(23:09):
Still see kids say they we're seventy four because of
because of me. So but that piece, it's not because
I'm you know, I've seen something and ungrateful all that
kind of stuff. You know, when something that's very important
to you and you believe in and you know, something
(23:32):
that you know got you from being homeless at three
years old, and I was homeless up until I was
up until really I got to college and I lived
with a different at a different home freshman, sophomore, junior,
senior year of high school, and I felt that I
(23:54):
was going to be stable for the next three or
four years in college. And when something like that takes
gets taken away from you, your hard work. You're becoming
all American in high school. I mean, uh, your senior
year while you're sleeping on the floor. Uh, when that
stuff gets taken away from you, I'm gonna get upset,
(24:16):
you know. Yeah, so you know it's something that you know, Uh,
I'm doing better with. But that's a lot of hard
work and a lot of sacrifices that you know, I
turned down from uh doing the total opposite from every
kid I grew up around and turning away from the
(24:38):
streets and uh when I could have easily given up.
So you know, those are things that you know that
uh runs deep. But you know, getting moving on. I
got great thing going and uh you know, so you
know it's all good.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
How much in that time did you was football? It's
interesting to hear you talk about it because in some
ways football is like a safe haven and that's like
you love the game, And that was I started hearing
twenty eleven, and that was one of the things I
remember in meeting you, and of course knowing the story
and all this stuff, and then meeting you, I was like, man,
this guy loves football like he's hard worker, He practices
every day like he's tough. And those were things that
(25:22):
I remember right away from back in that time when
I started here. And I think a lot of guys
talk about how being between those white lines is where
I felt most at home, and there's all this noise
whatever their situation is, and that would allow them to
be kind of in their their safe space. But in
hearing you talk about it, it almost to some degree
kind of felt like there was I don't know if
(25:44):
a burden is the right word. As you try to play,
knowing everything that was going.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
On, how was was it a safe space?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Like how did you look at the football aspect when
you were in the midst of that early in your career.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Now, my safe space was in the being and in
the locker room. That's when I was my most comfortable
being around the guys. Inside the locker room, they they
know who I am as a person wants. Like I said,
after November my rookie year, going outside of these buildings,
I really didn't enjoy, to be honest with you, you know, so,
(26:18):
but being in the locker room, knowing the guys who
know you and uh know what kind of player person
you are. Uh, the love that you have. But you know,
when you're playing safe and not to do stuff and
not to have a penalty and not playing as hard
as you can. Uh, being in the white lines on
(26:38):
game they didn't mean nothing.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
I still uh, I still got the job done adequately,
but not up to to the ability that that you know,
I think I could have. So, you know, but the
locker room and your coaches and you know, things like that,
that's that's what I enjoyed the most. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Well, honestly, I hope like fans listen to this and
realize the impact that they can have on players, Like
this game is is so physical, but it is also
mental and and like players hear this stuff and like
it can resonate with them. So honestly, I just like
hope that fans kind of take note of that.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, it made you know, because I was
a guy. Uh, I'm coming from poverty and I love
the fans, and I was playing for the fans, you know,
because I knew. I felt like I've always been down
to earth and just one of the one of the.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
One of the people, one of one of the people
for the people.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
And you get people dogging you and talking about you
all the time, and you seeing that you know, it's
not uh, you're playing great and you know, you look
up look at something and it's the total opposite. I'm like, man,
what and that's just dry. It just you know, it
drives me crazy. But at the end of the day,
(28:04):
you know, people want to say, you're getting paid a
lot of money to play football and all that, but
this is a kids game and these football players, man,
we are human at the end of the day too,
so and our job is it's to win. But you know,
we want to be able to get out there and
touch the people and you know, and that's what it's
(28:26):
all about at the end of the day, entertainment and
we want to you know, we want to make everybody happy.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Don't matter how much money you're making, you want to
feel valued, respected and like you're doing a good job.
And when fans are saying that it doesn't matter, and
I'm really glad to hear that you're in a in
a great space, in a better place now, Mike, and
I do want to, you know, let fans know. They
always want to know about foreign players. What are you
up to now? Like, so tell listeners and viewers, you know,
what are you doing now? I know you have a
(28:53):
big family. Tell them a little bit about how you're doing.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Yeah, living Nashville, Uh with my family, volunteer UH, coach
my son at Ellipsicomb Academy. Uh offensive line d line.
Also have a foundation. Uh. I partner with different schools,
Ellipschomist one of my partner schools, and kids disadvantaged youth. Uh,
(29:18):
you know, give them an opportunity uh page scholarship intuition,
UH for you know, mentorship. Uh so the kids can
a kid like myself who uh does not play sports. Uh,
because it was I graduated from a Brian christ Christian school,
private school. But the only reason I got I went
(29:40):
to that school was because I was a heck of
an athlete. And that's just the bottom line. And I
want to put kids that who don't have those opportunities
or uh, because you know, I love football, but I
always had planned b's. I always if I didn't make it. Uh.
I can remember my senior year college, you know, all
(30:02):
of this stuff. But I was still thinking of who
I was going to go to if I didn't get
draft or if I didn't making it to the NFL.
Who I was gonna you know, ask for a job
and who you know, things like that. And I always
had those type of things in my mind from a
ten year old, eleven year old kid. You know, I
just wanted to have four or five jobs, you know, football, basketball.
(30:23):
That wasn't going to be the end all for me.
So it worked out, and I'm glad it did. I'm glad,
but for a lot of kids is not so. And
a lot of kids aren't going to have that athletic
ability to uh to be afforded these things. So my
thing is to you know, help as many kids as
I can possibly can to you know, be afforded, uh,
(30:46):
you know, education and being around people that they can
you know, like minded individuals that are motivated, and I
want to be great. I was actually in talks with
McDonald's school here uh in Saint Paul here in Nashville
about bringing the Ore Scholarship here. It's Baltimore. So uh,
(31:07):
you know, that's just want to I eventually want to
have it all over, you know, because a lot of
people talk about education, but they don't really mean it.
And you know, education, that's something that's tangible. You can't
take you can't take that away from. If you have that, man,
you can do You're you shouldn't be poor, you shouldn't
be uh living in poverty. Uh, you can do so
(31:30):
many different things. So I think that's the winning piece
if we want to change as a society, if we
want to you know, see things, uh see things changing
and the communities ah, you know around the country. So
you know that's the you know that that's something that
I'm doing. You know, I'm enjoying it all, enjoying life. Man.
(31:51):
You know. My thing was when I started this journey
was to work so hard where I can be in
this position that I am right now. So that was
always my goal, you know. But uh, you know it
started I'm back here now because it started with the Ravens.
So uh, without them believing in me, and yeah, I
(32:13):
just hold him a ton souse. You know, without them,
you know, I don't know what.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
I think he would have made it, but we helped help.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
I don't know, man, I think I was off the
off the board on thirty one. Other team, the Ravens
was my only hope. I'm telling you, jeez, I'm telling
Big Mike he was. He must have been a hell
of a football player, man, learning football like he did
and you know, can't read and write, and he must
(32:45):
have been dominating out the Ravens said, Man, don't worry
about that. We can we can fix it. But it's it's.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
All, well, is it just quickly before we wrap like
the games this weekend? You're back in this building as
we as we have this great conversation, like, man, it's
it's it's it's awesome to hear like what this these
these four walls kind of meant to you, like in
your career in this place and the people. Is it strange?
(33:20):
Is it emotional?
Speaker 4 (33:21):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Like?
Speaker 4 (33:22):
What do you what?
Speaker 3 (33:23):
What do you feel as you're back here in this
building and then knowing that you're gonna be back in
the stadium on Sunday?
Speaker 2 (33:28):
Oh man, it really felt like the day I got drafted.
To be honest with you, you know, obviously I wanted
to you know, be here a lot longer and all that,
and uh it didn't work out that way. But h man,
I just you know, you just feel like a kid,
feel like a kid because uh, like I said, it
(33:48):
was my safe haven for five seasons here, and uh,
you know, I knew I had to support that I needed,
and I just enjoyed coming in here. Was that why
I was the first one in all the time, first
one in every day and the last one out because
I enjoyed it every I enjoyed it that much, man.
And uh, you know, I'd just be out there practicing,
(34:11):
and you know, like you said, I never missed a
practice of here on time, and I just used to
have tears tears of joy all the time just practicing,
you know, uh those I just enjoyed it all because
I knew how hard it was to get to the NFL,
how hard it is to stay in the NFL, and
(34:32):
how important it is, you know, uh, you know, just
to you know, how special special it is to be
a part of something like that. You know, you see
the guys that has came through here, and you know,
I just I was a fan of every player, just
the star players. Uh, I just enjoy being around everybody,
so uh, you know, just being like you said, these
(34:55):
four walls and being around these people who know uh
you know that, you know when I see guys and
you guys, I played left tackle, right tackle, left tackle,
really making sacrifices. But the Ravens what you know, they
brought you here because they believe in the things that
(35:17):
you can do. You know, so when guys get up, man,
I can be doing this or I can be doing that.
You know, it doesn't It didn't. It never bothered me
because they believe that I can do it, and I
believe that I could do it, and I did it
like I was, like it was normal. But it's really
not normal to do what I did, going from position
(35:37):
to position. I see guys, I see guys try to
do it, and it's not normal and it's hard to do.
Some guy, a couple of guys can, but you know
it's rare because I pay attention to all that kind
of stuff, and you know, they believe in you, and
you know you're here because you're just a guy for
(35:57):
the job.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
So awesome, awesome, but great to see you. Thank you
for sharing your story.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
It's really a pleasure forward.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
Think that that recognition on Sunday at the game.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
I appreciate it. Thank you guys for having me.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Welcome back to the lounge. We are coming to you
from the Sea Geek Studio. We want to mention our
partners with Drafting sports Book. They are an official sports
betting partner of the Baltimore Ravens Draftking Sports Book. The
Crown is yours well. Huge thanks uh to Michael Lare.
Really admire his openness and willingness to to share and
talk about his career, his life. It's awesome to see
(36:32):
how well he's doing down there in Nashville with his
foundation work, his families, coaching football. Uh, it's just it's
it's great to see him doing well. And I'm appreciative
and commend him for for just being as open and
honest as he was.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
Yeah, I think that you could see the impact that
all that pressure, that outside pressure had on him in
his career and and just as a person, you know,
still carrying that with him to this day, like you said,
And so to see him doing well, you know, and
kind of trying to work through that and doing well
(37:07):
in life is really great.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
And hey, I'll say this too.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
You know, for as much criticism as fans gave him
back then, Ravens, don't win the super.
Speaker 4 (37:15):
Bowl without Michael Oh.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
He was a huge piece of that.
Speaker 4 (37:17):
Do not win the super Bowl without him.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
And so, like, I think he did not get the
appreciation that he deserved during his playing days back here either,
and so I really hope he gets that appreciation here
on Sunday with a loud ovation well.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
As he walks out of the building and walks through
the lobby and looks at that second Lombardi Trophy sitting
in the lobby. He was a huge piece of that.
We mentioned it, like that offensive line that season in
twenty twelve shuffle things around, and that was the strength
of the offense that went into the playoffs, allowed Joe
Flacco to be at his best, and that was the
catalyst as you as you said, he was a huge
piece of the equation. So you know, he had a
(37:53):
really good career.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
And you know it's even the name of the book
in the movie, the blind Side like set him up
and then he goes from left tackle to right tackle
and that naturally even put him in this position where
he's like, well, I'm not fulfilling what I was supposedly
supposed to you know, supposed to fulfill, and so uh yeah,
just all of that. But hey, he was a heck
(38:15):
of a heck of a right tackle too. It didn't
matter and uh really important.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
Yeah, So again, thanks to him for joining us. And
I know it's gonna be a great moment for him
and he's gonna get a lot autovation when he walks
on the field at mc bak Stadium on Sunday. So,
as always, you can email us at the lounge at
Ravens dot NFL dot net. Thank you so much to
Michael Orr for joining us today and thank you for
watching him for listening, and we'll be back with you
again soon
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