Thread: Corey Graham rips Lovie

Corey Graham is latest, and most surprising, Raven to fear

Ravens' hero rips Lovie Smith: He never gave me a chance

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Corey Graham is a Baltimore Ravens' playoff hero after picking off Peyton Manning twice in an upset victory in Denver. And he's fast shedding the "special teams guy" label he believes was unfairly forced upon him during his first five NFL years with the Chicago Bears.
The Ravens brought in Graham this offseason to round out the depth chart, but injuries to teammates have pushed him into the starting lineup since Week 10. He has no complaints and earned lots of praise.

"From my rookie year, I was put in the special teams and I felt like I did well at it," he says. "When they label you as a special teamer, it's tough to get that label off of you, no matter what you do."

Graham says recently-fired Bears coach Lovie Smith never gave him or current Ravens and former Bears linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo a chance to be position players. Graham started 10 games over five seasons for Smith while Ayanbadejo started one game during a three-season stint.
"Lovie Smith, he loved what I did as a special teamer and that's what he wanted from me, no matter what," Graham says. "So I could go out and practice, get six interceptions at corner, but no matter what I was going to be Corey Graham, special teamer. That's just how it was. That's what he wanted from me, so I went out there and tried to be the best special-teamer I could possibly be."
Ayanbadeio started three games late this season at inside linebacker with injuries to Ray Lewis, Jameel McClain and Dannell Ellerbe. He recently ceded his starting job to Lewis, back on the field after right triceps surgery.
"In Chicago there was no way (Ayanbadejo) was going to touch the field on defense. There's no way," Graham says. "Then I come here and I'm watching games and I'm seeing him out there playing and I'm like, 'Wow, he's getting a chance.' And that's all you want as a player, is a chance to play."
Graham says he knew he would get that opportunity even before practicing with the Ravens. He could tell from conversations with coach John Harbaugh, despite the Ravens having a surplus of capable corners in front of him. It took injuries to Lardarius Webb, Jimmy Smith and Chris Johnson to make it happen.
Harbaugh says the Ravens had a hunch Graham could compete as a defensive player despite his limited NFL experience. The former fifth-round pick out of New Hampshire didn't start a game last season for the Bears, but did pick off three passes during a three-game midseason stretch.
"You are always hoping for great things when you bring players in," Harbaugh said Monday. "There wasn't as much to look at, because he hadn't played that many snaps on defense in Chicago. But, the thing that was interesting about Corey, is when he did play on defense, he played really well.
"Corey knew that if he came in here and he earned the playing time, he would get it. And that's what's happened."