21 Super Bowl Champion Ravens Now Suing the NFL
01.21.13
As the Baltimore Ravens prepare to play the San Francisco 49ers in the 2013 Super Bowl, it’s interesting to note the current status of the 2000 Ravens Super Bowl team. At least 21 players from the 2001 Super Bowl are currently listed as plaintiffs as part of the NFL “concussion” lawsuits. And overall, there are 83 former Ravens players involved in the lawsuit against the NFL ranging in age from 27 to 50 years old. The Ravens franchise was first established in 1996, when then owner Art Modell notoriously moved the historic Cleveland Browns franchise to Baltimore and quickly renamed the team in honor of one-time Baltimore resident, Edgar Allan Poe.
Just 12 years ago, the Ravens cruised through the season and won the Super Bowl with their bruising defense led by the rejuvenated and unincarcerated Ray Lewis. (Lewis had spent the off-season prior to the 200 season fighting double murder charges following a brutal murder scene outside Atlanta’s Cobalt Lounge. Lewis later pled guilty to lesser charges in exchange for testifying against two of his friends whom he was with that evening. The jury found Lewis’ friends not guilty. And fortunately for Lewis and Ravens team owner Art Modell, then-Commissioner Paul Tagliabue decided not to suspend Lewis for any of his off the field conduct.)
The Ravens dominant defense made up for the weakest offense to ever win a Super Bowl. At one point, the offense went five straight games without scoring a touchdown.
According the database prepared by Nathan Fenno and Luke Rosiak for the Washington Times, 14 players from that Ravens defense are currently part of the concussion lawsuits: Keith Washington DL, Rob Burnett DL, Larry Webster DL, Michael McCrary DL, Carl Powell DL, Lional Dalton DL, Brad Jackson LB, Anthony Davis LB, Cornell Brown LB, Adalius Thomas LB, Robert Bailey DB, James Trapp DB, Clarence Love DB, and Chris McAlister DB. The hard hitting 2000 Raven’s defense is widely recognized as one of the best defenses in NFL history.
On offense, seven players (counting the punter) are suing the NFL: Tony Banks QB, Jamal Lewis RB, Edwin Mulitalo OL, Frank Wainright TE, Ben Coates TE, and Billy Davis WR. Tony Banks was the quarterback during the touchdown-less steak. Trent Dilfer took over the position after the streak and somewhat improved the offensive output. Additionally, running back Jamal Lewis won rookie of the year honors and would later go on to rush for over 2000 yards in a single season.
It will be interesting to see 12 years from now how many players on the current Super Bowl Ravens team will be affected by brain injuries. By the time of the 2025 Super Bowl, will the current lawsuits and the new concussion awareness have brought any positive changes to the game and to the health and wellness of the thousands of current and future NFL brain injury victims?
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