But the Ravens were still on a three-game losing streak and still trying to get healthy in addition to find a way to win these last two games to qualify and still win the division.
On the Friday before the Giants game, Harbaugh’s “Wise Words” point person was local swimmer Jessica Long, who was just getting back from the Paralympic Games in London where she had won five gold, two silver, and one bronze medal, giving her 17 total medals through three Paralympic Games dating back to 2004. She also competed in Athens and Beijing.
Born in Siberia without legs (fibular hemimelia), she was given up for adoption when her unwed teenage parents didn’t have the means to care for her and came to America with a brother from the same orphanage in 1993. A family from Essex in Eastern Baltimore County adopted Jessica, and she fell in love with swimming in her grandparents’ pool. She is a diehard Ravens fan, who spends time in Colorado Springs training for 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, but who wanted to meet Ray Lewis while she was home for the holidays. She said he inspired her to be great and to work hard.
Long addressed the team at the end of Friday’s practice and broke the huddle with the word “family” on the advice of Ray Rice.
Several players waited to get pictures with her and her bevy of thick, heavier-than-you-think gold medals, which just happened to be fitted with purple ribbons. Torrey Smith, Arthur Jones, and Ray Rice were all eying up the gold.
Ray Lewis was wearing a No. 1 practice jersey – Rice was wearing his 52 that day as Lewis was still injured and telling anyone who’d listen that he’d get back on the field for the playoffs – and approached her to say hello. “Your journey is awesome,” he said to her.
“It’s been a struggle, but it’s only made me tough,” she said.
“It reminds me that no matter what you’re going through, never get down,” Lewis said.
“It’s only made me stronger,” she said, as she flexed her arms.
“That’s life,” Lewis said.
“It only makes you so much more determined,” Long said.
“I’ve always said that adversity is a gift from God,” Lewis told her, as she nodded her head in agreement. “Because it brings out who you really are.”
“God…is…awesome,” she said.
“He is everything,” Lewis smiled.
She asked Harbaugh how she did with her speech to all the rough and rugged “Mighty Men” of the Baltimore Ravens and he said, “It was an A-plus on the speech. We’ve had a lot of people talk to the team – mostly from our own team – and compared with our guys, we’ve had a few who were up there – but you were up there with the best. It’s a great message whenever you speak from the heart, it’s the best.”
“Now if we win, it’s on you. It’s because of your speech,” he joked.
“No pressure, then,” she laughed.
“No pressure at all,” he said.
“You know, pressure is a privilege,” she said while looking him in the eye.
“Ohhhh, I like that,” Harbaugh said. “Pressure is a privilege! Love it! Mind if I borrow that? That might make the pre-game speech on Saturday night.”
And it did.
That was Harbaugh’s whole thesis for his team in three words. ‘If you want to win, you have to win big games. It was a privilege to be playing a game on Christmas weekend that kept your dreams alive to be a Super Bowl champion.’ They knew that from seeing O.J. Brigance every day, who’d love to be on that field. They knew from looking at Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Lardarius Webb, and Jameel McClain who all wanted to be out there but struggled with physical issues all year.
