Harbaugh credits Ray Lewis for inspiring with pre-game speech

After the Ravens held off the New Orleans Saints to capture a 30-24 win Sunday, several players pointed out that they were fired up by a speech delivered by 11-time Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis the night before.

Coach John Harbaugh concurred with the players.

"It was really good," Harbaugh said Monday. "Guys are always really good. These guys are grown men. And Ray, sometimes he’ll say, ‘I’m going to need some time,’ and other times, he just ... I always say at the end of the team meeting on Saturday night after I get done going through the game plan and talking a little bit, you know, ‘Does anybody got anything?’ And Saturday night, Ray said, ‘Yeah, I’ve got something.’ So he stood up and he spoke from the heart, like he always does. He was spot-on, and I think it really resonated with all of us.”

Lewis said he wanted to make sure that his teammates were aware of the significance of coming away with a victory over the Saints.

"I’ve been in this business 15 years, and I’ve seen some good teams, and I’ve seen some OK teams, but what we have right now, the question was very simple, ‘What would you give for the man beside you?’ That’s it. That’s it," he said after the win. "I don’t care what the score is here and there. If we come out of here with the win, we became a better team. And that’s basically what it was all about last night. Now, of course, it was much deeper, but that’s kind of personal because I really went into some personal stuff with my teammates to really share that these moments will never be again, ever. Ever. I remember when I was in my first year, and I went all the way back to that, and now I’m in my 15th. And if they understand this – the young guys that we do have – then they’ll appreciate every second, every time we step on that field.”

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(baltimoresun.com)