Back in mid-October, then-Ravens Secondary Coach Chuck Pagano sat down for an interview for a feature story about himself.
Entering a Week 6 game in New England, Pagano’s secondary was ranked No. 2 in the NFL after many pundits predicted it would be Baltimore’s anchor.
The national recognition was starting to roll in for Pagano.
“Before the season, I’d have sworn the secondary would be such an Achilles heel for the Ravens that it would end up ruining their season,” Sports Illustrated’s Peter King wrote.
“If I had an assistant coach award for the first quarter of the season, there’s a good chance I’d reward secondary coach Chuck Pagano, because he has this group playing terrific football.”
Ultimately, a modest (and superstitious) Pagano asked to hold the story. He didn’t want the attention to be on him and felt the credit belonged to the players.
But now that the attention is on Pagano following his promotion to defensive coordinator, here are some highlights from that interview and perspective from his players.
Chuck Pagano
On his coaching philosophy: “I think the first thing is a trust factor. And it works both ways with coaches and players. You build relationships when you build that trust. We have to all know we all have each other’s back.”
On the joys of coaching: “You prepare and you study and study and practice and make corrections with technique and everything. Then on Sunday, let the fur fly. Go play. You know this team, you know our plan inside and out. Let’s go play and see where we’re at. That’s the exciting part is seeing these guys go out and execute.”
On what he’s like on gameday: “I have my moments. Every time a quarterback drops back to pass and that ball gets launched down the field, it’s an adventure (laughter).”
On the preseason injury to CB Domonique Foxworth: “Adversity doesn’t build character; it reveals it. You find out a lot about people in those adverse situations by how they react.”
CB Fabian Washington
“It’s always good when you’ve got Chuck. I haven’t been around a DB coach that’s like this guy yet.”
“He’s unusual. A lot of coaches try to keep things business because it is a business. But me and Chuck have been around for so long that he knows me and I know him. We go through the business as usual type of things, but we can sit down and have regular conversations too.”
“Chuck likes to joke around in meetings. He likes to cut jokes on all the DBs. If you have a flaw, he’s quick to go at it (laughter). I’m not talking about a football flaw; I’m talking about if there’s something wrong with you. He jokes just like he’s one of the guys. That’s why we all love him.”
CB Lardarius Webb
“He’s just like Ray Lewis or Ed Reed the way he prepares for the game. He prepares like he’s one of us, like he’s getting ready to go out and play ball. He knows his [stuff] 100 percent, 101 percent. He knows everything that’s going to happen on that field.”
“He just knows his [stuff], man. When it comes down to what another team is going to run, he knows it. If I knew what was in his mind, I would have like three picks a game. I can’t focus it like that. He sees it differently than I do. He knows everything.”
CB Chris Carr
“He’s a player’s coach. We’re kind of on the same level. Everybody respects Chuck and listens to him, but there’s also that element where it’s a team. If I have something that I think we should do or I have a suggestion, he’s willing to do it. It’s not as much a dictatorship, it’s a democracy.”
“Chuck’s a very emotional guy during a game. He wants you to stop every single play all the time. I just tell him, ‘Hey, Chuck. We got it. Just relax a little bit and tell us what we need to know and we’ll be fine.’ He has done that and its made him an even better coach than he already was. For somebody who’s already a great coach, to humble themselves and listen to a player, to continue to try to get better and be open to suggestions, that shows how he is.”
“He just allows us to go out there and make plays. He’s always had great confidence in us. We really appreciate that.”