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D.A. sits down with Roquan Smith for a rare, thoughtful conversation about a difficult season for the Baltimore Ravens — and what it revealed beneath the surface.
Roquan opens up about “complacency” creeping into the locker room, the hard truths that come with missing the playoffs, and why those moments force real self-reflection.
He also discusses his first meeting with new head coach Jesse Minter, why he’s energized by the hire, and what stood out immediately about the new direction of the team.
More than football, this is a conversation about life inside the NFL — how lessons come every day, how easy it is to get lost in wins and losses, and why staying grounded matters in a league defined by chaos and constant change.
Honest. Reflective. Human.
An interview that goes far beyond the stat sheet.
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0:00
You had said you got to guard against
0:01
complacency and that sometimes you felt
0:04
like the team got a little complacent.
0:06
How do you think you can chase after
0:08
getting that hunger this off seasonason
0:10
having that edge to start off next year?
0:12
I think it's very simple. I think we
0:14
look at the season that we just had
0:16
wasn't to the standard. If you look at
0:18
it based off talent, talent don't win
0:19
you anything in this league. It's a lot
0:21
more that goes into it. You have to have
0:22
the intangibles. You have to have the
0:24
right mindset. We didn't quite echo in
0:26
ourselves and including myself. Q and
0:28
the A. [music] Relax and press play.
0:31
It is Super Bowl week from San Francisco
0:34
and a very cool event. If you've ever
0:36
finished last in your fantasy football
0:38
league, this event is for you. There's a
0:40
giant statue of banana at the end of
0:42
this thing. He is a four-time Pro
0:44
Bowler, a two-time AllPro, and he's a
0:47
starting linebacker for the Ravens and
0:49
four straight trips to the Pro Bowl for
0:51
him. Rocoan Smith joining us. Rocoan,
0:53
how you doing, man?
0:54
Doing really well, man. Thank you for
0:56
having me. excited to be here.
0:58
You got it. How's the vibe of of Super
1:00
Bowl week early right now?
1:02
Uh, it's been awesome out here, man.
1:03
Just being able to mingle amongst the
1:05
guys around the league, being able to
1:08
hang out, get to know guys who you
1:09
normally wouldn't really communicate
1:11
with, and just like starting um new
1:12
relationships. So, it's awesome and I'm
1:15
just grateful to be a part of it.
1:17
Man, talking about new relationships,
1:18
you got a new head coach. Have you
1:20
talked to Jesse Mentor yet?
1:22
Yeah, I actually did. I actually I was
1:24
fortunate enough to be able to chat with
1:26
him uh early on and yeah man had have a
1:29
great deal of respect for him. I've
1:31
heard so much about him prior to uh
1:33
meeting him and then I just think it's
1:35
going to be awesome and I think it's
1:36
something that we're very excited for
1:38
and I know he's going to do a great job
1:40
at the helm.
1:41
What was your initial impressions of the
1:43
type of coach he is, the type of
1:45
personality he has and how you connected
1:46
with him?
1:48
Yeah, absolutely. I think he's a very
1:49
cerebral guy. uh put his players in the
1:52
best possible situations. Uh a guy that
1:55
sees a lot of things coming um before
1:57
they actually happen. And so, you know,
1:59
as a defensive player and a guy that
2:01
likes to uh process things and like see
2:04
the full picture, I think it's going to
2:05
be really good for myself and a lot of
2:07
other guys, just being able to have a
2:09
guy like that and have a guy you can
2:11
actually um depend on for that. So, just
2:13
very excited for it.
2:14
I know that, you know, missing the
2:16
playoffs is not a barometer for the
2:19
Ravens. the Ravens expectation is Super
2:21
Bowls and you were really thoughtful,
2:23
introspective after the season about
2:25
lessons learned. You said there's going
2:27
to be a lot of lessons learned. Now that
2:28
you've had about a month removed from
2:30
that final game, what are some of the
2:32
lessons that you you took away from this
2:34
year?
2:35
Yeah, man. First and foremost, I think
2:37
you just have to be grateful. You have
2:39
to be grateful for each and every
2:40
battle,
2:42
every opportunity that you have and just
2:44
being able to play the game of football
2:45
because knowing that it's truly a dream
2:47
come true and we're all living a dream
2:48
and just knowing how there's countless
2:50
people who would give up a lot just to
2:51
be in our position just for one second
2:53
and we get to be in it all the time. So
2:56
I think that and then just knowing that
2:58
each and every week it's a new week in
3:01
this league and it's a very unforgiving
3:03
game, unforgiving league and don't take
3:05
it easy on anyone. So whoever you are,
3:08
you the game is gonna get deal with you
3:10
one way or another. And then I think
3:12
it's just another thing just being
3:13
grateful for the relationships inside of
3:16
the game and just like knowing how
3:18
people are here one day and then they're
3:20
not here like far as if they leave or
3:23
going to other places and that's just
3:24
like life and you just have to process
3:26
things like that while also not letting
3:28
that get in the way of you trying to
3:30
create uh relationships and bonds that
3:32
you can cherish with people for the rest
3:33
of your life. So, but I think it's a lot
3:35
of great things uh that I've learned
3:37
this year. So, it was a despite the
3:39
outcome, I still I'm still very
3:41
grateful.
3:42
Was those those people that can come in
3:44
out of your life, was that typified by
3:46
John Harbaugh, you know, leaving? I
3:49
mean, that that must have been pretty
3:50
jarring. What when you got the news,
3:51
were you kind of stunned?
3:53
Uh yeah, but at the end of the day, in
3:55
this league, you can't really be stunned
3:57
by much because it's a week- toeek
3:58
league and someone can be here today and
4:01
go on the next. Obviously, we know that
4:03
more so from a player perspective and
4:05
knowing guys don't really the average
4:08
career is 3.3 years. Guys will be here
4:11
one year or a couple months and then
4:12
boom, they're gone and it could be like
4:14
a best friend or whatever and it's an
4:15
unforgiving game in so many ways. So,
4:17
it's just one of those things that you
4:19
just have to truly digest and just know
4:21
that like that's what you sign up for
4:23
and so you have to be ready for all
4:25
outcomes.
4:27
You had said you got to guard against
4:28
complacency and that sometimes you felt
4:31
like the team got a little complacent.
4:33
How do you think you can chase after
4:36
getting that hunger this off season,
4:37
having that edge to start off next year?
4:40
I think it's very simple. I think we
4:42
look at the season that we just had
4:44
wasn't to the standard. If you look at
4:45
it based off talent, talent don't win
4:47
you anything in this league. It's a lot
4:49
more that goes into it. You have to have
4:50
the intangibles. You have to have the
4:51
right type of people. You have to have
4:53
the right mindset. So I think that's
4:55
like something that we didn't we didn't
4:57
quite echo in ourselves and including
4:59
myself like play in play out throughout
5:02
the year. So I think that's going to be
5:03
the fuel right there. And then just
5:05
knowing that we have the opportunity to
5:07
play this game and we get the
5:08
opportunity to play this game because
5:09
like it's not forever and nor is next
5:12
week the one week is promised. So it's
5:14
just about taking each and every moment
5:15
and saying hey I'm going to give it
5:17
everything I got right here and count up
5:18
the dice at the end of the game. So at
5:20
the end of the game each and every week.
5:22
So I think that's something and we just
5:24
got to use all this as fuel for
5:25
ourselves and just knowing there's a
5:27
sour taste in our mouths and like for
5:29
everyone that's coming back in the new
5:30
people and then there's new blood in the
5:32
building as well and I know every each
5:33
and every one of those guys are very
5:35
hungry as well. So I think it's a great
5:36
recipe when uh a lot of hungry people
5:39
get together so you have to find a way
5:40
to eat by any means.
5:43
When you're a Georgia Bulldog you got a
5:45
lot of defensive colleagues around the
5:47
NFL and you'll see them at the Pro Bowl,
5:49
you'll see them Super Bowl week. What's
5:51
that brotherhood like to see fellow
5:52
Bulldog defensive players all around the
5:55
NFL?
5:56
Yeah. No, that's an awesome feeling,
5:57
man. Just knowing guys that's in this
6:00
league uh that kind of been through the
6:03
same type of thing as I have. Like being
6:05
in Athens, which I think is the best
6:06
college town, being at the University of
6:08
Georgia, which I think is the best
6:10
college um and playing for the
6:12
University of Georgia as well, who I
6:13
think plays some of the best football
6:15
year in and year out. and just like
6:17
seeing so many guys like small town
6:19
guys, guys from Georgia just truly like
6:21
live out their dreams, man, work hard
6:23
and it it's just awesome when you truly
6:25
see that. So, it's it just makes me
6:27
smile and a lot of guys who are actually
6:29
like recruited in a sense to come to
6:30
Georgia and then when you see them
6:32
thriving at Georgia and then on into the
6:35
league. So, it's just an awesome
6:36
feeling, man. And it's something that I
6:37
don't take lightly and you just have to
6:40
enjoy it for all that it's worth.
6:42
And dude, it's not okay. The Big 10 has
6:44
won three straight national
6:45
championships, so it's time for the SEC
6:47
to get back on top.
6:48
Yeah, absolutely. [laughter]
6:51
You are there on behalf of Dentech. This
6:53
is a really cool event where the biggest
6:55
loser of the fantasy football season has
6:58
a banana statue unveiled to him. Dent
7:01
has dental guards to guard against the
7:04
stress at night when you grind your
7:05
teeth. I love this partnership. That
7:07
must have been a fun event today.
7:09
Yeah. No, it's been pretty awesome.
7:10
Yeah, man. The statue is quite
7:12
hilarious, man. So, I would hate to be a
7:13
loser and actually [laughter]
7:15
uh looking like that statue. It's It's
7:17
pretty funny.
7:19
And you know, we could all use dental
7:21
guard tonight as well. In terms of being
7:22
stressed out, I'm sure there's a little
7:23
bit of stress that comes with playing
7:25
linebacker in the AFC North with those
7:26
quarterbacks.
7:27
Oh, absolutely, man. Those guys will
7:29
keep you up long hours, man. Preparing
7:32
uh and then just the games just very,
7:34
very physical as well. So, yeah, I got a
7:37
lot of respect for all the guys in the
7:38
AFC North. Uh, and just knowing how
7:40
tough each and every guy is week in and
7:42
week out. So, it's something I don't
7:44
take lightly and it's something I'm
7:45
grateful for and knowing that it's just
7:47
going to bring out the best in everyone.
7:49
They listening everything.
7:51
What's good everybody? [music] What's up
7:53
everybody? We like to welcome you to the
7:56
Q&A party and be good to one another.
7:59
Get comfortable. [music] Sit down and
8:00
enjoy the show with your lover. Feeling
8:03
good. That's the vibe [music] that we
8:05
bring from your mic to your mind. From
8:07
Cal to M. Q and D A Q and D A Q and D
8:11
[music] A relax and press play.
8:15
The ultimate fantasy football
8:17
punishment. Dentech is there. Banana
8:20
statue. I love it. Former NFL players,
8:23
current NFL players at a big party.
8:25
Super Bowl week. Roquan, this is awesome
8:27
to catch up, man. Have a great Super
8:29
Bowl week. Thanks so much for taking
8:30
time.
8:31
Absolutely. Thank you guys so much. Take
8:33
care. All right, buddy.
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