Baltimore Ravens: Top 5 All-Time Ravens

5) Rod Woodson

Feb 2, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; NFL former player Rod Woodson speaks about the pro football hall of fame nominations during the NFL network presentation at the New Orleans Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Many forget Rod Woodson was a Raven. Moreover, I think a lot of Ravens fans don’t realize just how important Rod Woodson was to the 2000 squad.

Woodson arrived in Baltimore in 1998 after an impressive 10-year stint in Pittsburgh that unfortunately yielded zero Lombardi trophies. At that point, the Ravens were full of young, promising players with no shortage of talent. So why a disappointing 6-10 finish? Size, strength, and speed were all there, but something was missing.

Leadership.

Sure, Ray Lewis is the face of the franchise, but even No. 52 was once was an upstart player who needed guidance to truly understand the fundamentals of the game.

And that’s where Rod made his impact. Woodson showed this young, stout defense to work as a unit. No surprise going from 6-10 to 12-4 and a Super Bowl victory.

The defensive line devoured opposing offensive lines, Lewis and company stopped any chance to set up a running game, and defensive backs flew to the ball. The 2000 squad had all the talent. Thank Rod Woodson for instilling discipline.