super bowl

Shaquil Barrett left Baltimore as a 15-year-old, seeking structure and motivation, and wanting to avoid getting caught in a trap that had ensnared so many teenagers around him. He has since been to many places in between. His latest stop might be the most improbable one of them all. Barrett, a reserve outside linebacker and special teams standout for the Denver Broncos, will play in Super Bowl 50 on Sunday.

From his seat at the Super Bowl on Sunday, Vonta Leach will summon the past — the Ravens' ascent to the top in the 2012 season and that glorious scoreboard, at game's end, which he'll not forget: Ravens 34, San Francisco 49ers 31.

With virtually no broadcast experience, Evan Washburn has worked his way up from production assistant to Super Bowl sideline reporter.

Super Bowl 50, Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers

A framed photo of the Super Bowl XXXV champions hangs on Edwin Mulitalo's bedroom wall; a "Festivus" T-shirt, in his closet. They are cherished keepsakes for Mulitalo, a starting guard for the 2000 Ravens when they won their first NFL title.

The NFL playoffs may be settled, but the Puppy Playoffs will rage on through Super Bowl Sunday and the Humane Society of Carroll County has a dog in that fight. The name is Killian. Cute is what Killian needs in this contest, a social media fundraising competition between 30 shelters and human societies across the U.S., according to Rachel Skolnick, director of marketing for D.C.-based start GoodWorld, which is organizing the "playoff."

It's not about how you play the game, but how you do at media day.

Gary Kubiak acknowledged that the Broncos¿ head coaching job was probably the only position that he would have left the Ravens for following the 2014 season. He's now in the Super Bowl.

It has been 15 years since the Ravens won their first Super Bowl. They won another in 2012, which is remarkable for a franchise that has been in existence for only 20 years. Often there are questions about which team is better, but maybe they can be tied into one. Can Ray Lewis of the 2000 team beat Ray Lewis of the 2012 squad?

The week leading up to Super Bowl will produce some ridiculous moments -- particularly on media day -- but the pregame hype is all part of the greatest sports show on earth.

The welcome to the NFL moments for Darius Kilgo were plentiful during his first season with the Denver Broncos this fall. The former Maryland defensive tackle endured two-a-days at rookie minicamps last May, appeared in the Broncos' season opener against Baltimore in September and watched Tom Brady try to lead a last-minute New England comeback in the AFC championship game last week. And there's a bunch more ahead for him in the next week.

There will be no storyline unturned during the week-long buildup to the enticing Super Bowl 50 matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos, but there will be one that dominates all others. It is, of course, the matchup between 39-year-old quarterback Peyton Manning and soon-to-be-named NFL Most Valuable Player Cam Newton — the once and future kings of the NFL.

Gary Kubiak's loss was the biggest of the offseason for the Ravens. He just has that type of presence about him. Some guys are born to lead, some guys are followers. Kubiak was born to be a head coach and he might end up being one of the best ever when he is done.

If Cam Newton wins the NFL MVP award on Feb. 6, the style-conscious quarterback will debut gold cleats at the Super Bowl, according to Under Armour, which will design them and sell 50 pairs for $500 apiece.

Peyton Manning told Bill Belichick that this might be his "last rodeo." It probably should be, considering the opportunity provided by the Super Bowl and the apparent advice of Father Time.

Cam Newton's talent on the field and easy embrace of showmanship has long made him an invaluable ambassador for Under Armour, the Baltimore-based athletic apparel and footwear brand. And his value to the company is about to skyrocket as the Panthers, who defeated the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, prepare for Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7.

Cam Newton brings an added dimension to the quarterback position. There have been signal-callers — like Steve Young, Fran Tarkenton and Steve McNair — who ran out of necessity, and others, like Seattle's Russell Wilson, who took it further with some designed runs. But Newton is a threat as both a passer and runner, and unlike the others, he just doesn't give a damn who he has to fly over to win the championship.

In his first training camp with the Ravens, tight end Owen Daniels didn't look like he had a whole lot left. As it turns out, he had plenty of good football in front of him.

The Carolina Panthers dismantled the Arizona Cardinals so completely it's hard to imagine Peyton Manning getting his second ring.

The Denver Broncos defense made life miserable for Tom Brady all afternoon at Sports Authority Stadium, and that's why they are going to the Super Bowl.

LaQuan Williams, who won a Super Bowl with his hometown team, has put his ring up for auction.

When owner Steve Bisciotti last spoke publicly about the state of his team, the Ravens were about seven weeks removed from the conclusion of a 10-6 season and a berth in the AFC divisional playoffs. Bisciotti graded the 2014 Ravens' performance as an "A," saying that the only thing preventing him from adding a plus to the grade was falling short of the Super Bowl. The owner's tone will probably be far different Thursday afternoon at the "State of the Ravens" address.

The win culminated a three-game playoff sweep and one of the more unlikely championship runs in recent Carroll County rec sports history. The Cavaliers won only three of eight regular season games and seemed to be among the least likely to succeed in terms of winning a football championship.

It was easy for the Ravens to get up against the biggest rival at home. Can they do the same on the road against the Bengals?

The Ravens are again looking up at the Bengals and Steelers in the standings, and the gap between the three franchises is wider than it has been in several seasons. When the Ravens (4-10) face the Steelers and Bengals over the final two weeks of the regular season, they'll be playing out the string while their division foes are priming themselves for potential playoff runs.

The business card reads; Earl Christy-Mr. Inspiration, Super Bowl III Champion.

An examination of why the Ravens and Seahawks have traveled divergent paths since winning Super Bowls in back-to-back years.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick end frustrating years with season-ending injuries and lots of questions about their future.

Carlton Bailey (Woodlawn) has three conference championship rings and the memory of that AFC title game in 1992, when he intercepted a pass by the Denver Broncos' John Elway and ran for a touchdown in a 10-7 victory that sent the Buffalo Bills to the Super Bowl.

The Ravens could still slip into the playoffs. If that doesn't work out, there's still the Blast.

Former Ravens wide receiver and return specialist Jacoby Jones, a hero of the team¿s Super Bowl XLVII run barely three years ago, is now a Pittsburgh Steeler.

There's seemingly no surefire recipe for success in building an NFL secondary, but one thing could become abundantly clear when the Ravens face the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals have found a formula that works for them, while the Ravens haven't.

Ray Lewis said he was treated "worse than any dog" when he was arrested and jailed in Atlanta while a suspect in the murder of two men after Super Bowl XXXIV on Jan. 31, 2000.

On the evening of Feb. 3, 2013, the Ravens and San Francisco 49ers met to decide NFL supremacy. On Sunday afternoon, the two teams play again, hoping to stave off 2015 irrelevance. Staying on the NFL mountaintop has proven difficult for both organizations since Super Bowl XLVII. Retirements, free-agent departures and injuries have whittled away talented and deep rosters. There have been off-field issues and on-field deficiencies. After engaging in a classic shootout on the sports' biggest stage,

Tom Brady on Deflategate, the Colts and Gisele

Can Joe Flacco carry an inexperienced and relatively unknown supporting cast, and raise the level of everybody around him? More than at any point in his career, that's the challenge that he now faces.

It used to be a scenario that the Ravens' defense would relish — a three-point lead to protect, just over two minutes to play and a young quarterback tasked with putting together a lengthy game-saving drive against them.

Tom Brady-themed 'No. 199' shirt quickly sells out. New Englanders seem to like the subtle reference to quarterback's draft position.

The Ravens, a trendy Super Bowl pick, lost to the Oakland Raiders, a perennially-bad team already competing for the role of NFL's worst in 2015 after a Week 1 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

In celebration of Super Bowl 50 -- the golden anniversary year -- the NFL has had those numerals painted gold at midfield in each NFL stadium.

After an inspiring run in the playoffs during the 2014 season, the Ravens hope to improve this season, but a tough opening game in Denver awaits.

Entering their 20th season as an NFL franchise, the Ravens have won two Super Bowl championships and become a consistent presence in the postseason. These players -- the 20 best in the history of the team, according to The Baltimore Sun's experts -- are a big reason for that success.

A couple of days after they got down to 53 men, the Ravens' roster remains unchanged. What gives?

The Ravens are Sports Illustrated's pick to win Super Bowl 50.

As the Ravens start their camp, they do so with a desire to build a smoother path through the playoffs by winning a division title to earn at least one home playoff game. Their bigger goal is earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with the top record in the AFC.