Matt Elam, Marlon Brown take part in charity kickball game

Ravens safety Matt Elam booted the kickball into the outfield, rounded first base and later coasted into home plate to score during the first inning Sunday afternoon at Ripken Stadium.

Elam and wide receiver Marlon Brown captained their respective teams in a celebrity kickball game to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

"It's a good event for the kids," Elam said. "It's good giving back to the community and all the fans who take the time out and spend a lot of money to watch us. Just giving back to the community and making their day is big.

"I played kickball as a kid in elementary school. I'm just trying to make it fun. It's been a long time. I'm just having fun and doing it for the fans."

The game, which was won by Elam's team, included defensive linemen Kapron Lewis-Moore and Brandon Williams, safety Brynden Trawick, wide receivers Gerrard Sheppard (Towson, McDonogh) and Kamar Aiken, long snapper Morgan Cox, as well as former Maryland basketball player Rodney Elliott, retired professional wrestler Nikolai Volkoff, MMA fighter John Rallo, Baltimore Blast all-time leading scorer Denison Cabral and members of the Baltimore Charm.

"Everybody played this as a kid, if you had any type of childhood," Williams said before the game. "I've played kickball since I was knee-high to the tree-high. I just hope I don't miss the ball entirely and fall on my butt."

Former Ravens defensive lineman Arthur Jones, who signed a $33 million free-agent contract in March to join the Indianapolis Colts, arrived just before the game started.

"I'm excited to be here, I pretty much never left," Jones said. "I still have a place in the area. This is for a great cause, and it's a lot of fun to be here with the guys."

awilson@baltsun.com

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