Ravens week is coming up and the game has huge stakes for both teams. A division championship is on the line. See what former Steelers have said about this rivalry in our interviews with them:

Carey Davis

“I think there is a mutual respect for one another, but once you get on the field all that goes out the window.  Coach T would always say the toughest team would win the game. Both physically and mentally.  Most times that’s what it boiled down to.  There were a lot of hard hits in those games and we tried to make sure that we were the team hitting the hardest.”

Mike Quinn

“The first time I saw regular season action was against the Ravens at Three Rivers – I remember that well. It was 37-0 – we were blowing them out. Cowher was about to put Tomczak in and Mike asked Cowher “Why don’t you put the kid in?” Cowher thought about it and said, “Ok, go tell him” – Tomczak came over to me and said he got Cowher to put me in the game, “but it was going to cost me 50 bucks ” So I came in in the fourth quarter and finished the game. The next day Tomczak asked me if I had fun – then asked me for the $50. I laughed and he said “No, where is it?” So I gave him the $50! It was pretty funny.”

Max Starks

“Playing against the Ravens and Ogden helped a lot because I got to watch a lot of film on him since we played similar opponents. I learned some from him on how to change my sets.”

Tyler Grisham

“Having the opportunity to play in four games with the team and record a catch against our rival, the Ravens, for a first down are memories that will last a lifetime.”

Bam Morris

“I had something to prove and on the field I proved it with the Ravens.”

George Jones

“Kordell matured too – he went from Slash – option running back and receiver – to starting quarterback. He put it all together. He threw well and ran well when he needed to.  I remember he won the game for us against Baltimore. He ran for 60 yards or more to win the game. He carried the team to the AFC Championship Game.”

Jovon Johnson

“One thing I remember. In the first game of the season we played Baltimore. We were playing Cover Two – I was pressing the receiver. Troy Polamalu was supposed to be the safety covering my side but I looked over and he was in the box. I was waving to him – I didn’t know if he knew what the play was – I was yelling at him asking what he was doing. Well, they threw the ball, and I looked and saw Troy had intercepted the ball twenty yards downfield! When we got to the sidelines I told him he had me clueless. He just told me  not to worry about him!”

Nick Eason

“I think my best moment was at halftime, being down 24-7 to Baltimore in the playoffs. I knew we were going to win that game. I trusted our offense and knew we could win.”

Brian St. Pierre

“When the Steelers cut me in 2005 I was angry. I felt I had earned the right to make that team and was actually told I did two days prior to being cut. I still, to this day, don’t know what happened, but when Coach Whipple asked Bill if he was going to put me in for the fourth quarter versus Carolina (fourth preseason game) and the answer was no, I knew my fate was sealed.

Baltimore picked me up and I was ready to move on. When Ben got injured mid-season vs. San Diego, Kevin Colbert called to try and sign me off of Baltimore’s practice squad, but I declined because I wanted to play and Baltimore.”

Bobby Shaw

“Going ninety yards versus Baltimore to win the division was definitely one {of my favorite memories}.”

Will Blackwell

“I remember when we beat Baltimore my rookie year. We played on a grass field and I had some key plays in the game. I returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown and earned a family in the stands free season tickets from a contest for that!”

Don’t miss Ron’s book Steelers Takeaways – taking the best stories and quotes from over 400 Steelers interviews and breaking them down by topic and generation. Now available to order via Amazon and Barnes and Noble!