Ravens Q&A with Kelly Gregg

Each Wednesday we'll bring you a Q&A with a Ravens player to help you learn a little more about the team. Today's guest is defensive tackle Kelly Gregg, who is tied for fourth on the team in tackles with nine and is part of a defense that ranks first in the NFL against the run. Gregg chatted about playing in his first regular-season game in more than a year, matching up against one of the toughest offensive lines in NFL history and "noodling."

Question: The season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 13 was your first game of consequence since Dec. 30, 2007. How did it feel?

Answer: It was great to get back. Preseason is one thing, but you definitely want to be out there, playing at 1 o'clock. I missed it a lot, but it was good to get back.

Q: How did the left knee - the one that underwent microfracture surgery - feel afterward?

A: It was good. I had a goal with the knee during training camp. If I could go through two weeks of training camp without it swelling up, I thought I'd be all right. Knock on wood, she's going good.

Q: Who was or is the toughest offensive lineman you've faced?

A: Tom Nalen, who used to be the center for the Denver Broncos, was a hell of a player. He was tough. And [guard] Dan Neil, who used to play for the Broncos. I usually liked the Broncos guys because of the way they ran the ball. They were always smaller guys, but they used technique and they were tough. It was always a good challenge going against those guys.

Q: Who was or is the toughest quarterback to sack?

A: Steve McNair. Man, I had a couple times where I just ran free at him and he shook me. He was a beast.

Q: What have been the high and low points of your career?

A: Definitely, the low point was sitting out last year. That was definitely the worst thing. The high point, I'm still searching for that. I hope we win the big game one of these days.

Q: Can you describe what it was like to be on injured reserve while the team went 11-5 and reached the AFC championship game last season?

A: Oh man, it was tough. In my career, I've seen those guys that get on [injured reserve] and I never thought about what they were going through. When your body doesn't respond and do what you want it to do, you want to be a part of something. But your body is aching and your mind is sort of lost. I tell those guys like Lamar Divens [a fellow defensive tackle who is on injured reserve with a hip injury], "Just keep your head up. Keep working." It does help once you do the surgery and you start feeling your body coming back. It gives you something to look forward to.

Q: Would you rather have a Super Bowl ring or a Hall of Fame bust, and why?

A: Super Bowl ring, for sure. That's what you play this game for. You want to win the big one. I'm still mad we lost the high school state championship game [in Oklahoma].

Q: Did you have a childhood fear?

A: I'm definitely afraid of heights. My wife and I, we always laugh about it because when we go to the fun park, she knows there are rides that I won't ride. She takes the kids on the big ones. I hate heights.

Q: You told the Ravens Web site that you took part in "noodling." What is that?

A: You catch catfish with your hands. You go into holes and catch them either through the gills or through the mouth and pull them out. It's big in Oklahoma. I did it a couple times in high school. It's difficult, but it's fun.

Q: Do you have any pre-game superstitions or rituals?

A: I go through the same ritual. I always get my baked potato before the game, my pre-game meal is the same, the way I get taped. Repetition is calming. Nothing changes.