John Harbaugh: Monday Press Conference (1/22)

SPEAKER_1 (0:02)

Welcome to the Ravens Press Pass Podcast. It is Monday, January 22nd, and the Ravens are getting ready to host the AFC Championship against the Kansas City Chiefs.

As the team prepares for that game, we had a chance to hear from Head Coach John Harbaugh during his Monday afternoon press conference.

John Harbaugh (0:19)

Okay, appreciate everybody being here. We are preparing for the Chiefs.

First conference championship game since 1971, I've been told, and as a matter of fact, Jerry Sandusky told me that right after the game, so it was pretty cool to hear that from Jerry. I think he was probably about 10 years old when that happened, he said. His dad was the O-line coach. But we're excited about it. We're looking forward to it. It's a huge challenge, playing a great football team, very talented, very well coached, know how to win.

They've been in these situations many times. I think they've been in the championship game. Maybe this is their sixth time in a row. So, they've been here before.

It'll be a big challenge for us. It's our first time with this team and these guys.

But we're up for the challenge, and we're excited. What questions do you have?

SPEAKER_3 (1:09)

John, with Mark Andrews, do you feel he was close at any point, and is the expectation for him to play this week?

John Harbaugh (1:18)

Yeah, we'll just see how he goes. We're looking forward to it. He practiced last week, and I'm sure he'll practice again this week. And if he's ready to play, he'll play.

No question. I mean, you got to factor it in. The fact that he extends plays, he buys time, he buys time to run sometimes, buys time to throw.

He's just a really elusive guy. You'll see him in space sometimes. He'll make guys miss and all that. So, you know, it's just Patrick Mahomes. He's unique, plays his own brand of football, been very successful. We'll just have to study him and do our best to try to keep him under wraps.

SPEAKER_5 (1:59)

Hey, Coach, how much have you been able, or how much are you going to harken back on your AFC championship experience? You obviously had a win after a loss in New England, and you talked about the Chiefs and their streak here, but how much are you able to go back and maybe use some of that as experience for current players today?

John Harbaugh (2:20)

You know, I don't think it really applies too much. I mean, it's a new time, you know, and this is this game, it's just us, it's this team against that team at this time, and that's what we're focused on. We've got to keep it simple, just get ready to play the game.

Yeah, I mean, you know, obviously it's a big deal in terms of the relationship. It goes back a long, long, long way. And utmost respect for Andy, utmost appreciation for what he's accomplished as a coach. We were together for 10 years, you know, the first 10 years there in Philly. And, you know, we were in a lot of championship games, you know, a lot of playoff games. And it was, I learned so much. You know, I just learned so much as a coach and as a person.

Then competing against him now all these years has been really challenging. I mean, Andy's a great coach. He's got a great staff. You name all the guys, Tom Melvin, Dave Tobe, all the guys that have come through there that we knew from the Eagles.

It's just a very talented group of people and have the utmost respect for them.

SPEAKER_6 (3:32)

John, do you remember the first time that you met with Andy, and what are maybe some of those lessons, principles, what have you that you took with you, I guess?

John Harbaugh (3:46)

Yeah, well, I was hoping to be retained. Yeah, I know that. He was coming in, I was one year with Ray Rhodes.

Ray Rhodes brought me into the National Football League. Couldn't have been more, can't be more grateful. I mean, Ray Rhodes is great to be around for a year or two, and if Ray's out there listening, just thank you very much. I'm always appreciative of what I learned from Ray.

And then Andy came in, and I was hoping to stay, and he gave me an opportunity to do it, and I was really, I was young and just figuring things out, so that was good of him. And hope he's glad he did, you know, looking back on it. But one of the things, I tell this story a lot, but one of the things with Andy, he had this three by five card behind his desk on his bulletin board, and it just said, don't judge, don't judge. And I got the nerve to ask him about it one time, and he just basically, you know, it's kind of a biblical principle, you know, and take people where they're at, assume the best, you know, try to communicate with everybody on, you know, equal terms, and I've never forgot that.