OWINGS MILLS—For several players, the Ravens’ Monday night game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be a homecoming in Florida.
Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Eddie Jackson and Nelson Agholor grew up in the Sunshine State and played football in various competitive youth leagues. Some, like Flowers and Jackson, crossed paths as young football players.
Florida players also have a strong rapport with one another in the locker room and that feeds into the chemistry of the team.
“As Florida boys, I think we just all mesh together well,” said Henry, who is from Yulee in the northeast part of the state. “I don’t know. It’s just … You can’t really explain it. But I feel like, the Ravens – they like Florida boys, so it’s been a thing around here. But yes, I think it just comes [naturally] – that we’re all from Florida [and] that we’ve been around the same things. I’m [from] up north, [and] they’re [from] down south, so it’s a little different.
“We’re just Florida boys; it comes naturally.”
Jackson, a Pompano Beach native, is active in the Florida community during the offseason, hosting youth football camps. He also owns a restaurant called “Play Action Soulfood” in Pompano Beach.
Jackson is not surprised how many talented players come out of the state because football is such a prominent sport.
“That’s what we breed down there, just football,” Jackson said. “There’s a lot of football players [in Florida]. Don’t get me wrong, we have some basketball players here and there [and] probably some doctors and lawyers. We breed football players. It’s something we do down there.
“It’s like a big family gathering on Saturdays – youth football. It’s always been that way from what I’ve known. There’s just something about us loving football down there.”
The Ravens are looking to put on a show for their family and friends at Raymond James Stadium, but it might not be easy.
“We’re going to Tampa; it’s a very good team – a very good team – a very good defense,who plays hard, who flies to the ball,” Henry said. “I think they’re solid all around – very solid. [They’re] probably one of the best defenses we’ve faced this year. So, it’s going to be a good one [and] a tough matchup.”
