:quality(70)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tronc.s3.amazonaws.com/public/VHUD5KCAHJBNRCI5AXBQR3JM64.jpg)
Former Ravens coach Brian Billick, in town for a day of live coverage on the NFL Network, assumed a familiar role Wednesday when he stood in the middle of the huddle in Owings Mills and addressed the team.
Coach John Harbaugh invited Billick to speak to them at the end of the three-hour practice, and on the NFL Network, Billick said his message to the Ravens was that they're fortunate to know they're a Super Bowl caliber team.
Other contenders, Billick said, don't know if they have the Super Bowl pedigree, but the Ravens have been there before and know what it takes.
"It was great fun," Billick said. "I've always appreciated when John has reached out to me. There's only a couple of faces on that team [that I recognize] – Marshal [Yanda], Sam Koch, Terrell [Suggs], But there's so many people in the organization that I still have great affection for, and it's always fun to come back."
Billick was in charge in Baltimore from 1999 to 2007, and coached them to victory in Super Bowl XXXV. He was 80-64 in nine seasons.
Harbaugh began his daily news conference by highlighting Billick's role in the day, and said his presence was a "special treat." Many others enjoyed his visit, too. He had long conversations with team officials, including general manager Ozzie Newsome and president Dick Cass.
"He was … coming back to a place he loves," Harbaugh said. "Like I told the guys, here's a coach that coached a lot of [menacing] Raven football teams around here. It was pretty fun to listen to him coach, and I think it meant something to him. It meant something to all of us."