Terrence Cody had plenty of motivation for getting onto the practice field at Ravens training camp.
The rookie had already been given the nickname "Cheeseburger" by fellow defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. National experts began to question the organization's decision to spend a second-round draft pick on Cody after he failed his conditioning test and was forced to watch Tuesday's practices. And Cody had to explain his failed test when family members began calling him.
With that as a backdrop, Cody tackled the conditioning test on a practice field at McDaniel College in Westminster again Wednesday morning and passed.
"It felt good," said Cody, who was activated off the team's non-football injury list and participated in Wednesday's morning and afternoon sessions. "It was hard at first. I came in yesterday. I knew about the test but didn't quite know how to run it. I tried two times and got close but couldn't quite finish. I got up there early this morning and knocked it out. It was a big relief."
Rookie cornerback Prince Miller also passed his conditioning test, was removed from the non-football injury list and practiced Wednesday.
Cody got added inspiration from a group of players led by linebacker Jarret Johnson, defensive tackle Kelly Gregg and Ngata, who cheered him on during the test.
"We weren't too hard on him," Johnson said. "That's a tough test, especially for those big guys, and for those guys who are around 350 [pounds] or so, to run that test is pretty impressive."
The low point for Cody might have been explaining to his family why he didn't pass the first test.
"I had my family calling me and asking me what was going on," Cody said. "And so I had to tell them. It was like, 'Well, OK, you got this far, so don't quit.' So I slept on it and got up this morning with a head full of steam and got out there and passed it."
Coach John Harbaugh clarified the test for the media Wednesday.
He said players are required to run 25yards up and back three times under a specified time. Between one interval (a total of 50 yards), the players receive a 70-second break.
The times are modified for each position. So, cornerbacks have to complete the test faster than a 350-pound nose tackle.
Harbaugh conceded that he was pleasantly surprised by Cody's passing result on the conditioning test.
"Well, somebody asked me if I was surprised, not about Cody, but about whether guys failed conditioning tests. I will have to admit that I was surprised this morning when they told me he passed the conditioning test," Harbaugh said. "But we have it on tape, and we will verify the results of that test."
In the next breath, Harbaugh seemed to indicate that the team wasn't overly concerned about Cody.
"It shows you that he's done the work," Harbaugh said. "The fact that he knows how to run the test and really push through it and get it done the next day is a credit to him."
Cody, who is listed at 6 feet 4 and 349 pounds, struggled with his weight at Alabama and showed up at the Senior Bowl at 370 pounds. He said he weighs about 350 pounds, and Harbaugh said the team has an undisclosed weight it would like him to reach.
That's what training camp is for. The heat and intensity of practices usually trim players of any extra fat and prepare them for the rigors of the season.
Blessed with strength and athleticism, Cody is expected to rotate with Gregg. Cody said he understands the team's expectations.
"When I got here, they told me I wasn't going to just be a two-down player, that they would use me for three downs and all kinds of scenarios," he said. "They wanted me in the best shape I can be, and if not, they're going to help me get into that shape."
Cody still has a lot of catching up to do, and he spent a significant amount of time getting schooled by his defensive linemates and position coach Clarence Brooks.
"He got a lot of reps today, and we want to make sure that he understands that there's a lot involved here, the conditioning, keeping yourself sharp," Brooks said. "But to get him back was good. It was good for him to come back out here and get some reps and start practicing football."
Cody said he is grateful for an opportunity to validate the club's faith in him.
"It feels good to be out there," he said. "[Tuesday], as I was sitting to the side watching them practice, I was feeling bad. I felt like I was letting them down and stuff. So now that I'm back out there, it feels good. I'm ready to go."
Baltimore Sun reporters Jamison Hensley and Kaitlyn Carr contributed to this article.