Baltimore Ravens' Stars Ray Rice And Torrey Smith Talk Super Bowl, Mike Rice And Congress

Ray Rice: 'There's Only Room To Get Better' For Ravens
NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: Ray Rice #27 of the Baltimore Ravens runs the ball behind a block from Ed Dickson #84 against Patrick Willis #52 of the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Ravens won 34-31. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: Ray Rice #27 of the Baltimore Ravens runs the ball behind a block from Ed Dickson #84 against Patrick Willis #52 of the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Ravens won 34-31. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

It's been a hectic few months for the Baltimore Ravens, winners of Super Bowl XLVII, and The Huffington Post recently caught up with three-time Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice and, later, with wide receiver Torrey Smith to talk about it. Aside from beating Rice in a "Call of Duty: Black Ops II" grudge match, Smith has been busy interning with Congress.

Rice, meanwhile, talks about his campaign against bullying, and reacts to the firing of Mike Rice, former head basketball coach at Rutgers, where the running back played college ball.

You won the Super Bowl but lost some key players, among them defensive leaders Ed Reed, Ray Lewis and wide receiver Anquan Boldin. How tough will it be to come together and become that unit once again?

Rice: The veteran leadership that we still do have have to come together, and right now things might be a little blurry ... But there's only room to get better.

How will not having Boldin there affect your play as a receiver, Torrey?

Smith: The only way it really affects me is that we lose a veteran leader. Naturally I am the one who is going to have to step into that role for us. As a football player, it doesn't really change much for me, you know; I'm still playing the same position. I'm still on the outside, just being a different guy in the middle, working the slot. And guys will lean to me more so as a leader than anything else.

Obviously it has been an eventful few months for you and your teammates. Has it lived up to your expectations?

Smith: When you win a Super Bowl, you definitely notice changes. You're recognized a little more. I was in Barbados, and you know, I have dreadlocks like a lot of other folks down there and people recognized me. It was pretty cool just go to a different country and folks recognize American football and the Baltimore Ravens and that branding.

Ray, you have taken a real stand against bullying. Can you elaborate on what it means to you and why you got involved with that cause?

Rice: It really struck me, when, you know, you find out somebody got bullied. Something crazy, like somebody got bullied to death, meaning that words and cyber-bullying, the Internet, you know, really drove a person to take their life. And why not speak up for something like that? I get to face the biggest people in the world, in terms of playing football ... You don’t have to be the biggest guy in the world, but if you use your voice to go out there and try to make a difference, that really can help.

Given your connection to Rutgers, were you close with the basketball team at all, or have you followed the basketball team with Mike Rice there over the past few years since you left in 2008?

Rice: Well, I’ve followed the basketball team. I didn't know Mike Rice ... It was pretty devastating for those guys to go through that. I feel like [former athletic director] Tim Pernetti, you know, he did a great job at Rutgers. The guy who was supposed to be dismissed got dismissed, and obviously there is a lot of healing and stuff that has to go on over there. I'm still gonna be a great supporter of their sports.

When you look at how physical a sport football is -- obviously it has many intense coaches. Have you ever come across a situation where you felt uncomfortable with a coach or maybe with what you've seen happen on the field?

baltimore ravens ray rice
Ravens receiver Torrey Smith recently took an internship with Congress after the Super Bowl win. (Getty Images)

Rice: There's no such thing where things are going to go perfect, you know; but I think you have to draw the line as a player. If you continue to allow it to happen, then it's gonna happen ... I've had tough coaches, I've had profanities slanged at me -- It happens. Coaches have their different methods. But I think where I'm at right now -- you know, I'm a parent. I think, as a man, if you go to that coach and say, "I don't want to be treated any different, but if you talk to me like a man, you'll get a response."

There's nothing more I think you can do than getting respect out of that ... I don’t know where that belongs but, you know, some coaches do it, some coaches don't.

Torrey, you spent some time working for U.S Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.). What did that do for you and what was that experience like?

Smith: I wanted to do an internship in the offseason because I thought, as an athlete, your time is kind of short, offseason-wise, but it's not that short that you can't do something to better yourself. It's a little bit too tight to try to go back to school and get a master's, but, you know, it's long enough that I can try to do an internship and see what else is out there ... I graduated [from Maryland] with a degree in criminal justice, so I was interested in how that incorporated with the government. I had the opportunity to go to Capital Hill a couple times, even as a lobbyist outside of my internship and also working in the office every day, dealing with phone calls and reading letters and pointing folks in the right direction. I learned a lot and have a lot more respect for what congressmen do.

You're just 24 years old, but is that something you'd want to pursue after football?

Smith: Oh no, I don't think I would want it. I could see how it's a lot of responsibility, and I can't say I would never want to do it, because they really do have an impact on the community ... I had the opportunity to match with one who really does lobby for other people, and I just had the opportunity to learn something new.

Was there a specific reaction from teammates or other guys asking you about that?

Smith: Yeah, definitely. ... A couple people were interested in trying to do it themselves. I'm excited about that for them, that I can motivate them to see what else is out there and that they would even try to do that same internship. Football only lasts for so long -- that's my motive behind it: trying to see what else is out there while I'm still a player and while I have time, rather than when my career is done, just floating out there and then having to find my way.

Email me at jordan.schultz@huffingtonpost.com or ask me questions about anything sports-related at @Schultz_Report.

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