Mike James
The One... and the Two
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Registered: May 2003
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Location: Rice University
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WHAT'S THE TEAM PICTURE ALL ABOUT?
September 03, 2003
By Ross Hollebon (www.BaltimoreRavens.com)
Picture perfect?
Phil Hoffman, the Ravens team photographer, hopes so from a professional standpoint. But as the 2003 team picture was snapped, Ravens fans are more eager to see if Ozzie Newsome and the personnel department have created another masterpiece.
The next 17 weeks will test Ozzie’s brush strokes and see if a return trip to the playoffs is fit for framing, but in the meantime, the picture holds varying significance.
“It’s great,” said a chuckling head coach Brian Billick. “It’s the first real, true function as a team. You always look back on that with a great deal of fond memories to who was on it and what it represented.”
The annual team picture can also be used as a benchmark for returning players.
“It means a lot,” shared second year safety Will Demps, who made his first team picture last year as an undrafted rookie free agent. “I’m two for two. It’s exciting knowing every year you’ve accomplished something new.”
When asked how he felt about being immortalized within the organization, safety Gerome Sapp put things in perspective.
“Right now I’m just in the picture,” explained the rookie from Notre Dame. “What I need to do is immortalize myself on the field and then I’ll be happy.”
For free agent signee Frank Sanders, the picture and how quickly the process went, showed him how different organizations handle things on many different levels.
“With coach Billick, this went quick—a couple minutes,” said the ninth-year wide receiver. “In Arizona, it took at least 30 minutes.”
This year’s new record for the team shot was four minutes and 28 seconds, as the public relations staff arranged and organized the event.
“I told them (the public relations staff) they had five minutes and we did it in four and a half,” said Billick. “That’s the way this thing works. You plan your work and work your plan. There’s no reason to waste a lot of time. If everybody does what they’re told, things can move along like that.”
When asked to compare this picture to those class pictures that will soon be taken in elementary schools across the country, Sanders grinned.
“You know to smile and always to look your best,” said Sanders. “The biggest difference is in school you don’t have kids in front making fun."
Number 81 is referring to the heckling from the defensive linemen as the team’s four wide receivers posed with position coach David Shaw.
“All we have is four?” howled defensive end Adalius Thomas. “Kemo and I can play some wideout if you guys need help.”
As with Adalius, most veterans look at the team picture as a lighthearted, fun issue.
Kicker Matt Stover and director of player development Earnest Byner have suited up for countless pictures over the course of multiple decades, but both have encountered the same problem.
“One thing that really stands out to me, is I’ve always been in the front row, sitting down every year,” said Byner after smiling for his 21st year of NFL team pictures. “I haven’t grown at all, that’s a bad thing. Maybe I’m even shrinking, I don’t know.”
Stover can relate after 14 years of the same drill.
“I’m a kicker, I’m always front row, to the left,” said the leading scorer in Ravens history. “There’s always a quarterback next to me and Jermaine Lewis used to sit next to me when he was here.”
As fun as it is to look at the different angles, Sanders put a serious stamp on the picture with his final statement.
“You look forward, hoping we can win this thing and we’ll be smiling at this picture when we hold up our Super Bowl trophy.”
There are a lot of people that really want to see that Sanders smile, come February 1.
 
Last edited by Mike James on 09-06-2003 at 05:41 AM | Reason For Edit: Fixed Pics
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09-06-2003 05:39 AM
