After a weekend hospital scare for partner Karina Smirnoff, Baltimore Ravens WR/KR Jacoby Jones put together his best overall week of the season on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars”. First up was the Argentine Tango, which earned the Super Bowl XLVII hero his first ever perfect score of 30/30.

Later in the show ABC aired interview pieces with many people from Jones’ life, including Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, WR Torrey Smith and former Ravens LB Ray Lewis. He then performed the Lindy Hop, bringing in a score of 29/30 from the judges.

On Tuesday night’s show Jones found out he had advanced to next week’s finals as soap star Ingo Rademacher was eliminated. Also advancing to the finals are Disney Channel star Zendaya Coleman, county singer Kellie Pickler and Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman.

Since the Baltimore Ravens claimed a 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, I’ve found myself asking one particular question in regards to QB Joe Flacco. I’ve probably asked some 15 or 20 NFL analysts who have appeared on “The Reality Check” on WNST that same question.

“Do the Ravens need to put the right playmakers around Flacco to prop him up or should they assume he’s good enough to make lesser players around him better?”

I have probably tended to lean a little bit more to the former. I made my feelings about the team’s decision to trade Anquan Boldin over a desire to save a couple million bucks quite clear. The Ravens however have made it clear at least thus far that they’re operating with a lean to the latter.

The Ravens lost six starters from their Super Bowl winning defense, replacing them with potential starters in Chris Canty, Marcus Spears, Elvis Dumervil, Rolando McClain, Michael Huff and top Draft picks Matt Elam and Arthur Brown. At this time, three starters from their Super Bowl winning offense are currently not on the roster and the Ravens have replaced them with…well…I mean…I guess they DID draft a reserve fullback?

Coming out of the NFL Draft, the Ravens still find themselves particularly thin at receiver. Torrey Smith and his freshly-trimmed locks lead the way with Jacoby Jones, Tandon Doss, David Reed, LaQuan Williams, Deonte Thompson, Tommy Streeter and Aaron Mellette falling in some sort of similar order behind. The Ravens will certainly have high expectations for TE Dennis Pitta (who we might not see back in Baltimore for awhile as he hopes to get a long-term deal) as well as fellow TE Ed Dickson.

This group makes you believe the Ravens are thinking more along the lines of “Joe Flacco is good enough to make these guys better.” It’s not so terribly unthinkable that this group could help the Ravens win a third straight AFC North title. Certainly the New York Giants felt comfortable enough with Eli Manning under center that they were willing to simply elevate Domenik Hixon and some unknown receiver from UMass named Victor Cruz going into the 2011 season. For their troubles, the Giants were rewarded with their second Vince Lombardi Trophy in the Tom Coughlin era.

Returning with this group would inherently mark a belief that Joe Flacco has reached the level where his ability in Jim Caldwell’s offense is enough to make those he throws the football to better. A decision to obtain a veteran WR cut before the start of the season (similar to what the Ravens did with T.J. Houshmandzadeh in 2010) or to deal for a veteran WR (similar to what the Ravens did in 2011 with Lee Evans) or even to add one more current free agent receiver (Brandon Stokley remains on the market?) might mark more of a belief that the team still needs to help prop up their quarterback via more talented offensive weapons.

A similar situation continues to play out at left tackle. 5th round pick Ricky Wagner is unlikely to be of any sort of help this season, meaning the Ravens’ options are Kelechi Osemele, a possible return of Bryant McKinnie and similar late offseason considerations.

The Ravens may well believe Flacco’s quicker release in the Caldwell offense makes the need for a left tackle upgrade less necessary. The team won a Super Bowl with a left tackle who played significantly in only one regular season game. The Super Bowl winning left tackles in the prior three seasons were Jermon Bushrod, Chad Clifton and David Diehl. All were nice players, none Hall of Famers. The quarterbacks they protected for were Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning.

The Ravens made it quite clear that they feel Flacco is in that group, giving him a contract worth $120 million ($52 million guaranteed) this offseason. That decision made the organization’s faith in their sixth year starter evident, but the decisions they’ve made since then have made it even more so apparent.

The roster we see at OTA’s and minicamp in the next month won’t be a direct reflection of the roster that invades Denver September 5th to face the Broncos, but there won’t be many drastic roster changes to be made.

The Ravens won’t be better offensively in 2013 because of the big splash they made in free agency. They won’t be better offensively in 2013 because they drafted a hot shot receiver or mountainous offensive tackle out of the SEC at the back end of the first round.

Instead, they’ll hope to be better offensively in 2013 simply because of how they REALLY spent their money in free agency…their quarterback. They clearly think the guy is ready to make the rest of the group even better.

I guess my question has essentially been answered. The only question moving forward will be whether or not the decision was the right one.

-G

I still haven’t been able to stop replaying the events of February 3^rd on my DVR.  I’m still flipping through the newspapers and magazines that flew off shelves in the subsequent days.  When my team, the Baltimore Ravens, wins the Super Bowl I’m going to live with it for a while and savor it…certainly for more than a month.

Hell, I milked Super Bowl XXXV for twelve years.  I still have tremendous memories of the 2000 championship.  That’s the beauty of winning a championship in sports.  It’s something no one can take away.  You hear the players say that a lot.  It’s the same for us fans.  So with the two titles in mind (one fresh and one fairly distant) let’s compare some facets of the two.

Game Site:  XXXV Tampa, XLVII New Orleans.  I can’t really compare the two cities per se because I have been to neither.  I hear good things about both.  As for the venues, I’ve never been one much for domes or artificial turf.  Give me grass stains and a slight breeze any day.  Working lights are preferable too.  Advantage:  XXXV (1-0)

Regular Season:  XXXV 12-4 Wild Card winner in the AFC Central, XLVII 10-6 AFC North Division Champs.  In 2000, the Ravens darted to a 5-1 record before losing three straight and never lost again.  They went 5 games without a TD in October as well.  But they had one of the most dominating defenses of all time.  This season, Baltimore shot out to a 9-2 record against a tough schedule before again losing three straight games.  After beating the Giants in week 16 and clinching the division, they lost a meaningless game in Cincinnati.  It was somewhat of an anti-climactic end to a season that started on all cylinders.  Advantage: XXXV (2-0)

Uniforms:  XXXV all white, XVLII white jersey blank pants.  I have always liked the classic all-white look for an NFL team.  And some grass stains never hurt.  The last few years though, the white top, black pants combo has grown on me.  If there is one team in the NFL that should wear a lot of black it’s the Ravens.  Plus the old white socks with purple and black stripes killed the look in 2000.  Advantage: XLVII (1-2)

Playoff run:  XXXV Denver, at Tennessee, at Oakland.  XVLII Indianapolis, at Denver, at New England.  In 2000, the playoffs came to Baltimore for the first time since 1977.  It was a huge deal and solid performance in beating Denver.  Winning in Tennessee was a blood bath between the NFLs two best teams.  Oakland was almost an afterthought.   This year’s games included Ray’s Last Dance, the Mile High Miracle and the exorcism of the demons (i.e. a certain WR and kicker) in New England.  Advantage:  XLVII (2-2)

Radio announcers:  XXXV  Scott Garceau and Tom Matte.  XLVII  Gerry Sandusky, Stan White and Qadry Ismael.  Garceau was smooth and clean in my book.  He rarely made mistakes and had a great grasp of the game’s intricacies.  Matte was the stereotypical homer but he added the right amount of insight if a bit bumbling at times.  Sandusky has certainly made his mark with “Touchdowwwwwwn Ravens” and “The hay is in the barn!”  but I think the trio can miss things that, to me, seem obvious.  Plus, I don’t see where the two man analyst combo works that well on the radio.  Advantage:  XXXV (3-2)

TV Crew.  XXXV CBS Gumble and Simms, XLVII CBS Nantz and Simms.  I think both play-by-play guys did admirable jobs.  Simms is solid but pulls out the “Golly Card” or the “Shucks Card” a bit too much.  I have major beef with the Gumble/Simms pairing though.  When Jamal Lewis scored a TD late in XXXV, the play was reviewed at the request of the Giants.  If you remember, he fumbled the ball forward as he crossed the plain.  It was debatable whether he got in or not.  Not debatable was the fact that Qadry Ismael scooped up the ball in the end zone.  It was going to be a TD either way.  No one ever mentioned that.  To this day, I haven’t heard anyone address that.  But that oversight could be offset by Simms’ constant gushing over Colin Kaepernick this year.  Advantage:  Push

Halftime Show:  XXXV Britney Spears and guests, XLVII Beyonce and guests.  I must admit, I don’t really watch the halftime show but Britney in her heyday was no slouch.  But they had to junk her up with Aerosmith and NSync for some reason.  At least they let Beyonce have the stage mostly to herself.  Advantage: XVLII (3-3-1)

Pregame intros:  XXXV The Squirrel, XVLVII team unity.  Ray Lewis busted out “the squirrel dance” for the whole world in 2000.  This year, the Ravens came out together as one (as did the Niners) in what I would call a little cliché and a downright buzz kill.  The intros to me were always kind of cool.  Advantage: XXXV (4-3-1)

The game itself:  XXXV Baltimore 34, NYGiants 7.  XVLII Baltimore 34, San Fran 31.  From a nerves standpoint, XXXV was a relative breeze.  Up 10-0 at half, a 17-0 lead was cut into late in the 3^rd only when the Giants scored on the kickoff after which, Jermaine Lewis returned the favor and restored order.  The rest of the game was a celebration.  This season’s game was certainly enjoyed more by the rest of the country.  Watching teams hang onto big early leads isn’t my strong suit though.  We could debate the better long TD pass (Stokely or Jones) or kickoff return (Lewis or Jones).  The better offensive performance came this year.  The better defensive show was in 2000.  The end results were equally fantastic however.  Advantage: Push

Emotional Attachment:  I don’t think there is much doubt that the city is more emotionally attached to the Ravens now than in 2000.  The first championship team still had guys that were signed by the Cleveland Browns and were only five years removed from that ugly divorce.  It’s faded from memories now.  The 2012 bunch had two certain hall of fame players that had been in Baltimore their whole careers.  The Super Bowl XLVII Champs had been so close before, twice losing the AFC Title game.  Though there is always something special about your first time, there is a lot to be said for that long, invested relationship.  Advantage: XLVII. (4-4-2)

So in my scientific break down, it’s a push!  As it should be.  Or maybe the better Super Bowl Champ hat here and here should break the tie?  That’s a tough one for me to call too.   I guess we can wait a few months and use Better Looking Ring !  That’s a lot more fun than already worrying about who will or won’t be here in September.

For the second time since the Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII, I spent the weekend away from Charm City.

I was in New York celebrating a friend’s birthday for a few days, rocking out with the Allman Brothers Band, staring at Manhattan while drinking beers on a Brooklyn rooftop and discovering what a “Yotel” was. (They seem nice.)

For the second time in as many trips away from Baltimore in recent weeks, I also spent a good chunk of my time away reminding as many folks as I could that I was “from the home of the World Champions” in as nonchalant a way as possible.

I will admit that at one point while sitting on the Brooklyn roof, I was telling a story about LB Brendon Ayanbadejo’s courageous fight for marriage equality. I started a sentence by dropping the term “I know a guy who plays for the Ravens” to which I received the response “you act like that’s not a big deal. They’re the Super Bowl champions.”

I can assure you the purpose of the story was not to illicit said response, but every time I hear those words I can’t help but smile.

No matter what your connection is to the team, there’s no question it matters a great deal to all of us to know that our hometown is held on a greater pedestal due to the incredible success of the organization with whom we share a home.

Over the course of the weekend a bevy of news flew around about the future of Ravens WR Anquan Boldin, First came a Saturday morning FoxSports.com story that said the two sides were prepared to part ways Friday after Boldin balked at the idea of cutting his $6 million base salary in 2013. It was followed by a USA Today report that stated the Boldin camp had flat out rejected an offer from the team and was readying for the postseason hero to be released and see unrestricted free agency Tuesday.

That particular report didn’t sit too well with those who remembered Anquan saying recently in a NBC Sports interview that if the team were to cut him he’d choose to retire instead of playing elsewhere. I never believed it, so it won’t bother me if he doesn’t follow up on his words. I understand why not everyone will feel how I feel.

Later Saturday news came from ESPN that Boldin was not prepared to be released but instead was planning on playing under his contract in 2013. The Baltimore Sun reported Sunday the team asked the receiver to slash his pay by $2 million.

(I was actually a bit afraid of writing about Boldin for this week’s column out of fear that when I woke up Monday morning the news would already be different.)

What the Sun report didn’t explain was how the team asked Boldin to cut his pay. If they asked him to cut his figure for 2013 but convert the money to bonus dollars in future years of a contract extension, it would seem fair. Boldin is in the last year of a four year, $28 million contract but has certainly shown a level of play that would make you think he has more than just one solid season ahead of him even at the age of 32.

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OWINGS MILLS, Md. — It’s been the narrative opening uttered over and over this month as Joe Flacco won a Super Bowl and then signed a $120.6 million deal to become the highest-paid player in NFL history.

The Ravens quarterback took a major gamble and won — or that’s what makes the story sound juicier.

Believed to be offered a contract in the neighborhood of $16 million per season last summer, Flacco didn’t think he was being reckless or risking much of anything after he had led the Ravens to a playoff win in each of his first four seasons and hadn’t missed a single game due to injury. His reason for walking away from general manager Ozzie Newsome’s best offer was quite simple.

And it had nothing to do with being a riverboat gambler.

“I thought I was worth more,” said Flacco, who viewed a serious injury as the only real risk in playing out his contract. “I didn’t really see any circumstances where I wouldn’t end up getting paid more than what they were willing to give me at that point. It wasn’t like I was going to make any different salary last year than I was making already [other than] I might have gotten some upfront money.

“I figured play one more year and see what we could do as a football team. Have confidence in myself, have confidence in the guys around me, and just let it play itself out from there.”

It played out perfectly for the 28-year-old as he took his $6.76 million salary in the final year of his rookie contract and completed one of the best postseason runs in NFL history by throwing for 11 touchdowns and no interceptions, resulting in wins over two of the league’s all-time great quarterbacks along the way and leading the Ravens to their second NFL championship.

Flacco figured the original offer — claimed by owner Steve Bisciotti to be in the range of the top 5 quarterbacks in the league — would remain on the table at worst but said his opinion of his own value would have remained as high as what he ultimately received, regardless of how the postseason played out for Baltimore. In his eyes, becoming a Super Bowl MVP didn’t transcend what he had already meant to the franchise.

“If we didn’t win the Super Bowl this year, I still think I’m worth the same and I still think I’m the same person to this organization,” Flacco said. “It may not be seen that way, but that’s the bottom line. I still think I give the team the best chance to win moving forward, whether we won or lost this year. I think it makes it a little easier for Steve to reach into his pockets having said that we won the Super Bowl. People don’t have to look at him as crazy as they may have if he had given me this much last year.”

We’ll never know how the Ravens ultimately would have valued their franchise quarterback this offseason had they not made it to New Orleans or triumphed in Super Bowl XLVII, but it’s a hypothetical question general manager Ozzie Newsome is glad he doesn’t need to answer. Forking over the richest contract in NFL history is easier to swallow as you’re awaiting your second Super Bowl ring in the last 13 seasons.

And that’s not to mention any of the bad memories of searching many years for a franchise quarterback, sifting through first-round busts, declining veterans, and a number of projects and placeholders who didn’t pan out. The feeling of being stuck in the quarterback abyss was not a pleasant one for a franchise with a championship-caliber defense for nearly a decade before finally striking it rich with the University of Delaware product.

“We just returned from the [NFL scouting combine], and I remember the days of going there and studying and hoping that one of the quarterbacks could be our guy,” Newsome said in a team statement. “‘Could so-and-so be our third-round Joe Montana or our sixth-round Tom Brady?’ We’ve been out in that desert before. That all changed when we drafted Joe in 2008.”

Some critics have dismissed Flacco’s accomplishments over the four-game postseason run, citing the gaffe by Broncos safety Rahim Moore on Jacoby Jones’ 70-yard touchdown at the end of regulation in the divisional-round win in Denver.

Key changes such as the elevation of Jim Caldwell to offensive coordinator and the insertion of Bryant McKinnie at the left tackle position, the improved health of several key players, and even good fortune were all important factors creating the necessary momentum for Flacco and the Ravens to reach the top of the mountain.

It started with a dismantling of the New York Giants in Week 16, continued with the luxury of resting starters in the regular-season finale in Cincinnati, and snowballed after a wild-card playoff win against Indianapolis in the returning Ray Lewis’ final home game. Before they knew it, the Ravens were raising the Lombardi Trophy in the Superdome and Flacco was named Super Bowl MVP.

“There are a lot of things that happened late in the season that if they hadn’t happened, we probably wouldn’t have won the Super Bowl,” Flacco said. “But they did. I’ve always said that there’s definitely a little bit of luck involved in winning the thing. It’s about the team that gets hot at the right time.”

The record-setting contract awarded to Flacco resulted in a perfect storm of his strong play, the financial difficulties by way of the salary cap, and a little bit of luck.

That’s not a knock on the quarterback, who played his best football over the most important four-week span of his career. The six-year deal will inevitably be revised as it’s structured to essentially be a three-year contract before cap numbers spiral out of control.

But it’s put Flacco on track to finish his career with the Ravens.

“That’s the plan,” Flacco said. “I can’t see it happening any other way.”

It’d be tough to bet against him on that one.

As he taught us this season, it’s not really gambling if you know what you’re doing.

Long before the Ravens marched to their second Super Bowl title, many wondered which player would ultimately accept the torch passed on from Ray Lewis after his 17 years as leader of the vaunted Baltimore defense.

And now that the last of the confetti has fallen and the Ravens look ahead to life without the future Hall of Famer, linebacker Terrell Suggs admits he’s still not giving too much thought to a defense sans Lewis. The uncertain future of free-agent safety Ed Reed has led many to anoint Suggs as the logical replacement as the spiritual leader of the unit.

According to the 30-year-old linebacker in an interview on AM 1570 WNST on Wednesday, there will be a time this offseason to delegate responsibilities within the defense.

Just not yet.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Suggs said. “I didn’t want to rob myself or my teammates of what we just accomplished together. There’s going to come a time where we’re going to hand out stripes and assignments and jobs and what have you, but right now, we’re just all still on this magic carpet ride just enjoying it. We don’t want to rob each other talking about who’s the defense’s next leader.”

Regardless of how the Ravens solve the gigantic dilemma of replacing Lewis’ leadership, they apparently will have a fully-healthy Suggs, who confirmed he will not undergo surgery to repair the torn right biceps suffered against the Pittsburgh Steelers in early December. That injury coupled with the partially-torn Achilles tendon suffered last spring limited Suggs to eight games and a career-low two sacks in 2012.

The Ravens hope a full offseason for the 2011 Defensive Player of the Year will mean a more productive version of the rush linebacker, who is schedule to carry a $13.02 million salary cap number in the penultimate season of a six-year, $62.5 million contract signed in the summer of 2009. Suggs will be counted upon to regain his 2011 form to offset the anticipated departure of pass-rushing specialist Paul Kruger in free agency.

Suggs collected 25 sacks and nine fumbles combined in the two seasons prior to the Achilles tendon injury last offseason. Initially feared to be lost for the season, Suggs returned by mid-October to provide a much-needed presence for the defense despite lacking the same explosiveness he enjoyed before the injury. The torn biceps injury cost Suggs another game in December before the veteran decided to push through the injury.

The 2003 first-round pick says he will be 100 percent for training camp instead of spending his summer days rehabbing like he did last year.

“I feel great; I went to see the doctor about the whole biceps thing,” Suggs said. “He said it’s strong enough that I don’t need surgery. That was good news because I didn’t want to be down for three, four months again. I get to hit the offseason full-stride with a clear vision.

“Now that I have the Lombardi and I have all those awards, I can go into the offseason with no pressure whatsoever and kind of just enjoy it.”

Currently promoting “The Coalition,” a film co-written and produced by the five-time Pro Bowl selection, Suggs quipped that he wouldn’t have bought into the unbelievable story of his championship team had someone tried to sell him the script prior to the season.

Instead, the linebacker enjoyed the first-person account.

“To finally get that done, just thinking of everything we’ve been through since I entered the league in 2003, it was just like, ‘Finally, you’re a champion,’” said Suggs, who joked that he’s now trying to buy the movie rights for the story of the Ravens’ run to Super Bowl XLVII. “I can’t describe it. I will never be able to. It was amazing to do it with my teammates.”

After tasting Super Bowl glory, Suggs will now adjust to playing without the man he affectionately called “The General” for the first time in his professional career. Whether he’s ready to assume Lewis’ gigantic shoes remains to be seen, but Suggs knows the defense won’t soon forget the expectations and vision largely cultivated by Lewis over the first 17 years of the franchise.

It’s a legacy that must be carried on as the veteran prepares for his 11th season in Baltimore.

“No matter what happens in the future, Ray Lewis’ presence will always be felt in that locker room [and] on that field,” Suggs said. “Our defense will still be held to a certain standard.”

BALTIMORE — After a 15-year NFL career and finally winning a Super Bowl earlier this month, Ravens center Matt Birk figured it was the perfect time and setting to reveal he was walking away from the game.

In lieu of a fancier press conference at the team’s Owings Mills facility next week, the 36-year-old offensive lineman announced his retirement on Friday morning while dedicating a literacy center at Battle Grove Elementary School in Dundalk. Wearing a t-shirt with the slogan “Finish Everything,” Birk couldn’t specify a time when he made his final decision but spoke to head coach John Harbaugh for roughly an hour last weekend and said he hadn’t made up his mind at that point. He phoned the coach and general manager Ozzie Newsome on Thursday afternoon to reveal his decision.

Taking questions from the Battle Grove students before opening up to the gathered media, Birk was asked why he was retiring. The quick-witted center didn’t disappoint in laying out his answer.

“Why am I retiring? I’m old, I have six kids, and it’s just time. I really enjoyed football. I got to play for a long time. I’ve been very fortunate, but I just feel like it’s time to do something else.”

Birk spent the last four seasons with the Ravens after playing for his hometown Minnesota Vikings for the first 11 years of his career. Named to six Pro Bowls in his career, the Harvard University graduate was selected in the sixth round of the 1998 draft and earned his first championship in being part of the Ravens’ 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3.

It was the perfect ending for a career that began with Birk struggling to make the Vikings’ 53-man roster in 1998 and ended with the grizzled veteran celebrating with teammates and his family on the turf of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans after finally reaching the pinnacle of the NFL for the first time.

“You can’t ask for anything more,” said Birk, who went to work out at the Ravens’ practice facility a final time Friday morning. “It is a great way to end it, but like I said, no one’s entitled to a Super Bowl. Certainly not me. I was just so grateful and fortunate that I was able to be part of this team. It is a special team and the run that we made — the championship that we won — is something that I’ll never forget. I was telling [Harbaugh], you get a reason to come back and get together and relive those days. You’re forever linked, and that’s pretty cool.”

Despite playing well this past season, Birk was expected by many to retire to spend more time with his family as the father of six children. He said Friday that his wife Adrianna had offered her blessing for him to continue playing if he wanted to return next season. Birk signed a three-year, $8.525 million contract after contemplating retirement last offseason, but the deal was structured in a way that many expected the longtime lineman to either retire or be released after the first year of the deal.

Asked whether he thought he had anything left in the tank to continue playing if he desired, Birk quipped that no one would be able to find out the truth.

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” said Birk as he laughed. “Anyone who wants to challenge me, yeah, I’ll tell them [I can still play] because there’s no way you’re going to find out. It was great. Last year, I felt great and that was a blessing. It’s a physical game; it’s a violent game. I was able to feel good about what I put out there on the field. It was just a good way for me to end.”

The Ravens will save $2.05 million in salary cap space with Birk’s retirement, which will provide some relief as they deal with limited space and hope to work out a long-term contract with quarterback Joe Flacco. Baltimore drafted Delaware’s Gino Gradkowski in the fourth round of last year’s draft with the intention that he’d eventually take over for Birk.

The retiring center expressed confidence that Gradkowski would be ready to take over at center in his second professional season.

“Gino will be fine. The biggest thing about football is it’s a character game because it’s hard,” Birk said of his 2012 understudy. “It’s different from other sports. Gino’s got that. He’s a great guy. Gino will do whatever it takes to be successful.”

Birk was named the NFL’s 2011 Walter Payton Man of the Year for his work in the community, which includes his HIKE foundation to improve literacy. His foundation’s goal is to “impact the lives of at-risk children by providing interactive programs and resources needed to guide a child through the key educational transitions between elementary, middle, high school and college.”

Several teammates expressed congratulations to Birk via social media on Friday morning as the veteran was considered one of the leaders in the locker room in a different way from the demonstrative and vocal leadership of Ray Lewis, who was the first member of the championship team to announce his retirement back in January.

Birk was touched by messages posted on Twitter from several teammates including Vonta Leach, Jameel McClain, and Torrey Smith.

“That means a lot,” Birk said. “You play the game for a lot of reasons, but the respect of your opponent and more so the respect of your teammates is probably the biggest thing you’re shooting for.”

Cognizant of player safety concerns in the NFL, Birk has said he will donate his brain to Boston University’s School of Medicine for research into concussions.

His post-football intentions remain unclear, but the Minnesota native predicted Baltimore hasn’t seen the last of him by any shot.

“I’ll continue to advocate for player safety and retired players’ rights — now that I am a retired player,” Birk said. “We’ll see. I don’t have any plans for what’s next. I certainly didn’t plan on playing football for 15 years. Kind of not having a plan has worked out for me so far. I’m going to stay with it.”

Making the difficult decision to leave the hometown team he grew up rooting for following the 2008 season certainly wasn’t part of any plan, but he was immediately impressed with Harbaugh’s vision for the Ravens despite the coach having only finished his first season in Baltimore.

It’s safe to say the gamble paid off in choosing a new football home after 11 seasons in Minnesota.

“At the time, I just said, ‘[With] the limited information I have about the Ravens, I’m going to bet on this guy and I’m going to come here,’” said Birk, who labeled Harbaugh a friend first and foremost. “I’m sure glad I did. From the beginning, the organization and the city just welcomed us with open arms.

“I don’t need to tell anybody what this team means to this city. It’s definitely a special connection. To have the honor of playing here for four years and playing under coach Harbaugh and his staff, it was truly an honor.”

You’d forgive Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones for being skeptical of the celebration held in Baltimore on Tuesday to celebrate the Super Boxl XLVII Ravens.

Growing up in The Big Easy, the 28-year-old return specialist knows a thing or two about a citywide party. But even Jones couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief as more than 200,000 Ravens fans flocked to the downtown area for a parade and rally at M&T Bank Stadium to celebrate the second championship in the 17-year history of the franchise.

As he did following his record-setting 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, Jones offered his rendition of Ray Lewis’ famous dance after the 37-year-old linebacker showed it off one more time in front of the hometown fans. It was just one of many memorable scenes on a day few will forget in the history of Baltimore sports.

“I’m from New Orleans and we have Mardi Gras,” Jones said. “We have parades and we have people out there and you’d be like, ‘Wow.’ But that right there, that was times 10. That was crazy. I don’t think nobody went to work. No kids in school, no nothing. Baltimore just shut down. I hope no doctors were out there. Somebody would have died!”

It was quite a change from a year earlier for Jones, who encountered death threats and heard stories of Houston Texans fans burning his jersey in outrage over a critical fumble on a punt in a divisional playoff loss to the Ravens last January. Released a couple months later, Jones found a home in Baltimore after signing a two-year, $7 million contract.

The sixth-year receiver and former third-round pick immediately felt right at home with the Ravens as the organization simply encouraged Jones to be himself as he had a reputation for being a bit of a free spirit in addition to doubts about his hands. He is among countless players to declare this year’s team as the closest they had ever been a part of.

His two-touchdown performance while playing in the Super Bowl was the icing on the cake for a season that included Jones’ first Pro Bowl selection as the return specialist in the AFC.

“Never in a million years you would think one year you come in and play with a group like that,” Jones said. “That’s crazy. I don’t think you can ever have another team like that again. I hope we can all stay together.”

Jones accumulated a Super Bowl-record 290 all-purpose yards and set three other records in the NFL’s championship game, including longest play, longest kickoff return, and longest kickoff return for a touchdown. His 56-yard touchdown catch on a moon-ball from quarterback Joe Flacco gave the Ravens a 21-3 lead late in the first half.

The performance wasn’t good enough to outdo Flacco as the game’s Most Valuable Player, but Jones received another honor instead. The Lane College product was surprised to learn he was chosen to be on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated magazine.

“What? Me? Nah,” said Jones in disbelief following Tuesday’s celebration. “They get my good side? I had the helmet on? Alright, I’ll take that one any day.”

Jones was just what the doctor ordered this season as the Ravens finally cured their problems at the return spot and at the No. 3 receiver position from a year ago when they received next to nothing from a number of returners and former wide receiver Lee Evans respectively. He averaged 30.7 yards per kickoff to lead the NFL and had three returns for scores during the regular season.

Though finishing with only 30 catches for 407 yards and a touchdown in the regular season, Jones’ 70-yard miracle touchdown against the Denver Broncos — nicknamed “The Prayer in Thin Air” — and acrobatic touchdown catch against the 49ers were as big as any plays in the Ravens’ improbable postseason run to a championship. His speed on the outside paired with second-year wide receiver Torrey Smith made the Baltimore passing attack one of the most dangerous in the league this season as Flacco had vertical options on each side of the field in three-receiver sets.

He may not have taken home the MVP award or the Corvette Stingray that accompanied it, but Jones’ unique skill set was on full display for the entire world to see on Sunday night.

“Jacoby has just been a blessing to this team and we are so grateful to have him,” said coach John Harbaugh following Super Bowl XLVII. “The kick return was well-blocked and Jacoby made it with his speed. The other play, to go up and make the catch, go down and outrun someone to the corner of the end zone — it should go down in Super Bowl history.”

For a time, it appeared Jones’ return score to open the second half would turn out the lights on San Francisco’s title hopes, but a power outage in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome made that play on words less than amusing to the Ravens. The 34-minute delay was a catalyst for the 49ers to regroup and erase most of a 22-point deficit before Baltimore prevailed with a final stand at the goal line late in the fourth quarter.

However, the quirky Jones may have been the only Raven who was pleased when the lights went out in New Orleans just moments after his record-setting kick return. It was the latest example of how his sense of humor and candor were accepted with open arms in the Ravens locker room.

“I was happy, man,” Jones said. “I was tired after that 108. I was on the sideline throwing up. I was trying to catch my breath. I wasn’t even tripping. It came right on time. I got a chance to get a little water. Still caught some passes and slowed my heart rate down. We got back on track and still got the [win].”

Getting back on track — and much more — was exactly what Jones did this year in finding a perfect home with the Ravens.