Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning is one of the best to ever do it on a professional level. Manning also had a prolific college career at the University of Tennessee.
However, new Baltimore Ravens coach Tee Martin was able to do something that Manning was never able to do for the Volunteers. Martin led the University of Tennessee to a National Championship in 1998. Following an outstanding college career, Martin was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. During his six seasons in the NFL and the Canadian Football League (CFL), Martin played for the Steelers, Rhein Fire, Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Martin is now entering his first season as the Ravens’ quarterback coach. The former QB is super excited to coach the position he once played.
“First of all, it’s just great being back at my natural position,” Martin said. “It’s a position I grew up playing throughout my career. I started [in coaching] coaching quarterbacks, so it’s like riding a bike.”
Martin replaced former wide receivers coach David Culley in 2021 when Culley was named the head coach of the Houston Texans. He served the last two seasons as receivers coach before replacing James Urban as the quarterback coach in February.
One of the big tasks that Martin will have is helping the team make the transition to new offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s scheme. That’s a drastic change for quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“The things that we’re doing with coach [offensive coordinator Todd] Monken’s system is a little different than what we have done here in the past, and so we just adjust,” Martin said.
Part of the adjustment has been tweaking drills to utilize Jackson’s mobility and assimilate that into Monken’s offense. It’s a tall order for Martin, but fortunately he’s seen things from a similar skill set when he played.
“You’re coaching a quarterback [Lamar Jackson] who’s different than a lot of different other quarterbacks. [It’s] very similar to how I played, but way better,” Martin said.
That previous experience is something that Martin believes will help make the pairing with Jackson a productive one.
“Having someone that played the position that kind of sees the game very similarly, in terms of when you decide to do things like pass or run or decide to do something athletically that is hard to explain unless you have done it,” Martin explained. “I think there’s a comfort level with that, and when I say something to him or suggest something, it goes a little bit further. The comfort level is there, and the trust is there. [I’m] just looking forward to continuing to work.”
It’s only minicamp, but so far there seems to be a great foundation. The Ravens have championship aspirations after revamping the offense and adding new wide receivers. Stay tuned.