Ravens' Chester is the total package

When most of us think about the personal lives of NFL players, the images we conjure up tend to be a celebration of excess. We think of large men living larger lives - fancy cars, big-screen TVs and sprawling houses. We don't think about energy-efficient light bulbs or reducing one's carbon footprint.

Ravens offensive lineman Chris Chester thinks about the latter often. But you won't catch him handing out copies of Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," or lecturing teammates about their gas-guzzling Hummers. Ask Chester about his interests outside football, and he's happy to explain his aspiration for a simplified, "greener" lifestyle. This year, he's hoping to host an event at the National Aquarium in Baltimore to educate people on how they can go green.

"It's something I'm very passionate about," said Chester, 26, who was a political science major at Oklahoma. "It's something I really want to make a lifelong commitment to, just to do my small part to make the world a better place."

Ravens fans probably care a lot less about Chester's environmental concerns than his ability to open running lanes for Ray Rice or recognize zone blitzes, thus keeping quarterback Joe Flacco off the injury report. But with Chester, his thoughtful approach to life is just a small part of the package that represents who he is as a football player.

He might not be the Ravens' best offensive lineman, having earned the start against the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener at least in part because guard Marshal Yanda is recovering from knee surgery. But the 6-foot-3, 315-pound Chester might be the team's most versatile and athletic blocker, coaches say, and he'll likely play a big role this year for an offense that grows more formidable each week. Many of Rice's most effective runs against the Chiefs were to the side anchored by Chester and rookie tackle Michael Oher.

"Chris' strength is that he has no weaknesses," Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said. "I don't know that I've ever said that about a player before. But it's true. He's a good run blocker. A good pass protector. He can pull both ways, which most guys can't do. He can play right guard, left guard and center. He can even play tight end in some packages for us. I think in a bind, we could probably play him at tackle. And honestly, he's only going to get better."

Cameron considers Chester a perfect example of a philosophy that he and coach John Harbaugh reference repeatedly: The Raven Way.

"The Raven Way is: Be a football player. Be someone who can do multiple things and give us some options when people start getting hurt," Cameron said. "It's the same philosophy we have defensively. That's why those guys can do all those different things. Very seldom can a guy do just one thing and be active for us. Maybe the starting quarterback, but that's it."

Chester's limitations in the NFL have never been physical. Drafted in the second round in 2006, Chester was a bit of a reach for the Ravens, especially when you consider he started just nine games for the Sooners and wasn't even an offensive lineman for most of his college career, having been recruited as a tight end. But his athleticism was evident when he ran a 40-yard dash in 4.84 seconds at the combine, the best of any offensive lineman in the draft.

"I don't think he was physically ready to play, and he would try to do a lot of things athletically," said former Ravens lineman Mike Flynn, who tried to mentor Chester when he was a rookie. "When you get to the league, you realize there are a lot of good athletes and you can't do that. He didn't have success early, and I think he got a little down on himself."

One of Chester's greatest strengths - thinking deeply about all things - initially resulted in him dwelling on failures.

"He got over a major hurdle last year when he became less critical of himself," Cameron said. "I think he's a very good player who is on his way to being a great player."

Growing up in Southern California, Chester wasn't one of those athletes for whom an NFL career seemed preordained. His family debated politics at the dinner table far more often than sports, and that passion followed him to Norman, Okla. Two of his favorite books are "Cradle to Cradle" by William McDonough and Michael Braungart and "Hot, Flat and Crowded" by Thomas L. Friedman.

"I was really interested in social issues, and the more I read, the one issue that seemed to be the unifying thing for all the issues the modern world is facing is the environment," Chester said. "Whether it's our energy policy, our security or something like poverty, it's all connected. I think it's the most important issue of our time."

Chester doesn't just talk the talk. He and his wife, Kirbie, have remodeled their Westminster home with energy efficiency in mind. They have native plants to cut down on watering, their water heater is insulated, the soil in the garden is recycled and organic, and they had their kitchen redone with the help of a "green designer." Everything that can be recycled is recycled.

But Chester's dream home is in Oklahoma, where he and his wife recently purchased an acre near Broken Bow, a town of 4,200. They plan to build a cabin of wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, equipped with solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling - a far cry from the houses owned by NFL players occasionally featured on MTV's "Cribs." But the home is a reflection of who Chester is and of the lessons he wants to pass along to his sons, Sean and Sylas.

Chester doesn't talk much in the locker room about his political beliefs.

"He's a soft-spoken guy, and he doesn't speak too much," Yanda said. "But he's a great guy, a team guy, with a positive attitude. ... We've all been over to his house and seen how he's got all the containers for recycling. That's his thing. That's what he believes in, and that's cool."

Notes: The Ravens signed tight end Davon Drew to the practice squad. Drafted in the fifth round by the Ravens, he was released in the final cut. Drew was signed by the Miami Dolphins before getting injury-waived. The Ravens released tight end Isaac Smolko from the practice squad. ... Wide receiver Hank Baskett was released by the Philadelphia Eagles, but it's unlikely the Ravens will be able to pick him up on waivers. The Ravens were one of seven teams that contacted the Eagles about a potential trade for Baskett before his release.