Jarret Johnson retired a Raven in May. It’s now late-July and he’s already come out of retirement – kinda.

The former outside linebacker will be a Ravens scouting intern for two weeks during training camp.

Johnson is joined by former Ravens cornerback Duane Starks and former Ravens wide receiver Patrick Williams as part of the Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship, which was created by the NFL in January 2015 to educate former players interested in a career in professional scouting.

Starks is a former first-round pick who played in Baltimore from 1998 to 2001 and was a key member of the team’s Super Bowl XXXV-winning defense. He scored a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXV. Williams spent some time on the Ravens’ practice squad in 2011.

The three new interns will be doing a bit of everything. That includes watching practice on the sideline, studying practice tape, giving their evaluations on Ravens and other players around the league, looking at college prospects and all the day-to-day duties of a scouting intern such as meal checks and player weigh-ins.

“We want to immerse these guys because it’s about teaching them the business of scouting to see if this is something they want to pursue, career-wise, moving forward,” DeCosta said.

“We’re proud of these guys. It’s great to give them an opportunity to see what we do and see if this is something they want to do the rest of their lives. They have the experience as a player and they know our organization. … They’ve earned it.”

Starks has also been around the game since retiring. In May 2014, he participated in the NFL sports journalism boot camp. That summer, he was a part of the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship program with the Cincinnati Bengals, working for his former defensive coordinator, Marvin Lewis.  

Starks has been looking for a way back to Baltimore. This was his third year applying for a scouting position with the Ravens.

“I’ve always wanted to be a scout,” Starks said. “I think Ozzie’s been testing me to see if I’m serious or not.”

Starks said he’s had teams call him to get his evaluation on different players over the years. He feels he has a knack for spotting talent.

“Me being a smaller player, I’ve always had to study guys and understand their weaknesses and strengths,” Starks said. “Despite my disadvantages, I was able to have success against guys because I was able to know what they do.”

Williams is also an offensive graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Colorado. He first worked for them as the assistant director of recruiting before moving into coaching in his second year.


(baltimoreravens.com)

BALTIMORE (WMAR) - Volunteers came to Hilton Elementary School as part of the NFL's season kickoff program. Their goal is to convert an old, dilapidated and underused playground into something that children wouldn't be afraid to play on.

Fencing, cement and power tools are being used to replace splintered benches and outdated play equipment. Former Ravens and Superbowl champs Jamal Lewis and Duane Starks were among the many workers who helped renovate the playgrounds.

"You know if you're gonna do it you gotta do it right so I can't miss a spot," Duane Starks, former Ravens DB said.

The two have been very busy since retiring but haven't retired from representing the NFL and the Ravens. The NFL’s play 60 program encourages children to be active for at least an hour a day, something Starks highly supports.

" When I was a kid it was more about basically going out playing football going out playing sports you're always outside and then they came with all these video games and now a lot of kids are inside doing this and working their thumbs instead of working their minds and their bodies," Jamal Lewis, former Ravens RB said.

Youth also learned that eating balanced meals helps them perform at top levels on the field and in the classroom.

" If you have fast-food on every corner a lot of times that's what you resulted to, but I think if we educate these parents and educate the kids as well what they should be eating and what they should put in their bodies," Lewis said.

They also planted a garden to further emphasize the points of healthy eating.

" And then they'll take it right thru the crop and then my wife who's the art teacher does cooking classes with the kids she actually teaches them how to eat cooked foods and eat that they've never done like swiss chard and Brussels sprouts things like that," Kevin McCarthy, the art teacher’s husband said.

In the end the children showed their appreciation and cheered for their favorite team.


(abc2news.com)

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Jan. 29, 2013 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Loanlook, Inc. today announced that former NFL cornerback Duane Starks has joined the Athletes for Loanlook program. Starks will join fellow athletes Wes Welker of the New England Patriots; Israel Idonije of the Chicago Bears; Fred Taylor, former running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars; and Eric Winston of the Kansas City Chiefs in support of loanlook.com.

Through events at their alma maters, partnerships with the athletes' charitable foundations, and scholarship funds, Loanlook builds awareness among students regarding the importance of proper financial and credit management, particularly surrounding student loans.

"I'm excited to partner with Loanlook and the other athletes to help students get the most out of their education," said Starks.

Duane Starks played in the NFL from 1998-2007. After winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, who drafted him 10th overall in the 1998 draft, Starks spent time with the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, and Oakland Raiders.  Starks had his best season in 2000 as part of the Super Bowl champion Ravens. He was a consistent contributor on one of the best defenses the NFL has ever seen (they allowed only 10.3 points/game).  During his career he maintained a reputation for making big plays totaling four interceptions in just six playoff games including one returned for a touchdown during the Super Bowl against the NY Giants.

With mobile apps for Apple and Android users, loanlook.com combines federal and private student loans (as well as grant information) in one convenient, refreshable dashboard that delivers up-to-date loan information to current and former college students. Users have access to payment optimization, income-based repayment, and consolidation calculators. The site also offers a monthly budgeting tool, customizable loan alerts (via email, text, and mobile app), and cloud storage for important documentation such as master promissory note and lender/servicer correspondence. For borrowers requiring additional support, the site provides access to loan counselors via its LIVE HELP chat feature and a toll-free number. Unlike other loan management sites, users receive information about both their federal and private student loans.

Loanlook™ uses bank-level security to safeguard student information. The site actively monitors compliance with, and conducts annual security assessments against, all applicable information security standards including the: Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA);

National Institute of Standards and Technology SP 800-53 (NIST); Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS); Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 16 (SSAE 16); and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

About Loanlook™ Loanlook.com is used by college and college-bound students, borrowers in repayment, and parents with loan obligations to track, understand and manage their federal and private/alternative education loans from pre-enrollment into repayment. Based in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, Loanlook, Inc. is a subsidiary of CEANNATE Corp., a leading education finance organization employing over 500 employees with expertise that spans the entire student loan lifecycle.


(sacbee.com)