The Ravens LoungeKyle Van Noy Gets Something Off His Chest, Shares Why He's Still Balling Out, Talks About Ravens' Super Bowl Makeup, And More
Welcome into the lounge presented by DraftKings. I'm Ryan Mink here at Clifton Brown and we are so excited to sit down with Kyle van Noy, a podcaster himself, but more importantly guy who's getting after the quarterback. Oh wow, yeah exactly. So, Uh, Kyle, I have to ask you. You're now part of the double digit sack club. Yes, you got the sweatshirt from coach Chuck Smith. Are you wearing it everywhere? Was that like what you're wearing on Christmas morning? Like you're just walking? I'm surprised you didn't wear it today.
Yeah, you know, I was very honored to get that. Chuck has been an awesome positive coach for me and when I come into the Ravens, he was an advocate for me to be here. So Chuck, you know, was grateful to get a sweatshirt from him. But that's going in kind of the memorabilia section at the house.
Okay, all right, man cave. You know.
This is pretty sweet, Qush.
Yeah, yeah it was. It was awesome.
It's comfortable too, Yeah, so got it warred a couple of times.
It's clean and now it's in the man k.
What did that mean to you to enter that club.
Yeah, it meant a lot, a lot of hard work, I think.
You know, it's the second year I've been able to focus on strictly pass rushing, so you know, just the enjoyment of all the hard work and then seeing the success from it. But I wouldn't have had the opportunity if it wasn't for the guys that I've been with up front. You know, Matta Bak's done a great job, Travis Jones has done a great job, a da f A, Tavus Broady MP. You know those guys that are when I'm in those guys being able to do their job, staying in their lanes, and then the secondary holding off their guys a long long time for me to be able to get a couple of sacks. So it's a group effort. It's kind of like when you have an MVP or somebody goes to the Pro Bowl, you know you have a little uh a spoke in their wheel a little bit like you feel you know you contributed to their success. So you know, it's been awesome. There's been a lot of players have had success here, so it's just awesome to be part of that. Raven's brotherhood, not only right now but before me.
Yeah, Kyle, you know there's been a lot of talk about you doing this at age thirty three. Yeah, stop it ta Yeah, you're not old man.
Right, That's what's crazy. It's like you're thirty three. Yeah, I'm forty clips what he is? You know, we're not going to talk about it.
He's twenty one. You look good.
It's wild. How like just the world sees thirty three in NFL years, It's like dog years. It's crazy how that's like perceived as like old.
Yeah. Right, I mean I'm trying to I'm trying to be an advocate. Honestly.
I think more guys need to have opportunities later in their career. I think, you know, you've seen a lot of players have success on good teams that are veterans. You know, Bobby Wagner is another prime example. Seattle they've had a linebacker issue, you know, this year he goes to Washington. He's the spokesperson. He's the veteran on defense, paired up with Jade and Daniels on offense like that, you have him and Frankie lov Louva louv excuse me that are kind of the veterans, but Bobby is the super veteran that you need that I think more teams should have that Eu Donnis Haslam kind of guy that's been in your system a long time or have been in the league that you kind of have an understanding with, you know, Uh, he knows his role.
That's talked about.
And I think it's just a great way for young players to see a professional one because it's such a young league now where you know, they don't know what being a professional is all about. And if you have a veteran like a Bobby Wagner or myself, or there's Kile's Cambo's down in Miami, if you have one of those guys, the young guys can see, oh, this is what it's like to be a professional. Oh, this is what you have to do to be you know, I'm not necessarily a Hall of Famer, but a productive player in the league.
This is what it takes.
Yeah, you've also know what it takes to win a Super Bowl. I mean, you've gone to Super Bowl winning team with the Patriots. I'm just curious. We're almost down the last game. This team seems to be peaking the right time. Do you see that this Hey, this team, what are the things you see in this team that makes you feel like, hey, this could be a super Bowl winning team. Because as we feel that this team can do it, I'm curious that somebody who's done it you see the same things.
And why?
Of course, I think you have the recipe for success, right especially in the playoffs.
It's start with a quarterback.
We got that, Okay, stopping the run, you got that, been doing a good job of that. We need to keep doing that. Then you look at you know, the O line and D line. How does that look? Okay, We're we're looking pretty fair there. And then you look at all, right, is that team playing complimary football during the part where it gets really serious? And I feel like we're trending towards that way. You know, there's other teams where you could say the Chiefs, you know, they're still the best team in the league. Nobody's knocked them off. There's still the champs, there's still the team to beat. You look at Buffalo, they're starting to play complimary football. The Chargers looking complimary football. So that's how I look at the recipe for success. Who's playing complimentary football, who's got a quarterback, who's got a who's stopping the run? Those type of things, because in January weather comes up, and do you want to stop the run when you have Derrick Henry coming at you or a good scheme coming at you.
So a lot of good teams. You know, you can look at the NFC.
You got the Goals that are playing compromary football, the Vikings playing compromary football.
So you just look at those.
Teams and who's playing that offense, defense, special teams, how they're clicking, who's running the ball, who's stopping the run.
That's kind of what I look at.
Obviously, you played a long time for New England Patriots and their heyday and they're a great franchise. Yeah, obviously had a ton of success. Now you come here to another great franchise.
Has been super blessed.
Yeah, I mean back to back career years for you in terms of sack production. What is it about the Ravens and this program that has helped you thrive the way you have?
You know, I think it starts with the top, right, mister Bushati, awesome owner, mister b I can't say any you know enough good things about him. He makes himself available. That's not everywhere I've been.
So you just hitting him up, You text him, no.
I can't, I can't, I can't. I have the opportunity to. He's left that door open, which is awesome.
You know.
My big thing to him is he's a golfer too, So I'm always like, when are we gonna you know what, am I going to get to beat you on the course. You know, I've heard his sons are pretty good too, so I'm kind of like, all right, like I'll beat your sons too, but yeah, who knows. You know, I just like to have a good time on the course. And you know, he just when it starts with that being understood that he you know he's in charge, and then he has such a good communication line to where you have the front office like edc Ozzy still Sosh Brown doing a great job as president. Then you have the football side where you have John obviously holding it down, and then you just know that everything's in place and you know who's in charge and you know how it works that in that regards and it makes it comfortable going to work versus you know, when those things aren't aligned, then it's like you have all these different moving doors, right, and it's this organization is top to atomn first class. Have nothing but great things to say about it. They've been you know, treating me like royalty, which is awesome. And then you know, also the fan base got to mention them too in this because they're a huge part of.
Everything.
They're the ones that you know, get to come to the game, spend their money and cheer us on. And you know, they've been showing me a lot of love too. I have told it and I'll tell it again, Like it's awesome going to the grocery store and people are like let's go. You know, they're they're hyped, and you know, I feel honored and proud to represent Baltimore.
That's cool. You know, we talked a little bit about your age, and I did dig up on this. Yeah, exactly, So, I mean I agree with you that, like, hey, people should recognize that veteran players like can be very productive into their thirties. And one, yeah, with that said, what you're doing is still pretty rare. Right, there's only eleven players that have been thirty three years older older who have had more sex than season that you did. That you have the season in NFL history only eleven guys, So still pretty special. What you're doing right now. How have you individually been able to do it and keep this high level of play.
Yeah, you know, that's a good question. I think it's you know, one couple of things I would like to get off my chest is I feel like it's never been a resurrection Personally, I think that narrative has been thrown out. Yes, I've had career years here, but I've always been a productive player. That goes back to when I got out of Detroit and was actually put on a football field. It was like Bam, I hit the ground running. You know, whether it was in Miami, it wasn't you know, the expectation I wanted down there, but still was productive. Whether it was with the Chargers, still productive. So I don't I want that narrative gone. The other one too, is like to mee age is just a number. To me, think, if you take care of your body, you eat the right way, you work out the right way, and you have that football football stamina, I think you can do anything. And then just what I've done, I think I've just surrounded myself with a lot of awesome people, not a bunch of yes yes people people that like my wife, who's been my biggest cheerleader. She's the reason probably, you know, she's probably the reason why I'm still playing, because there's been a couple of times like, you know, I'm over this and she's like, no, you have more, you have more to do. You know, you don't want to regret being done. She's the reason why I'm why I'm here with the Ravens, that's for sure. She just pushed me to play, keep playing. I was to the point whereas you know, early in the season, I'm like, well, you know, I feel like I should be on a team right now. This is kind of crazy. Yeah, And she was like, well, you know, let's just keep working out, keep doing your thing. You're ready, like you work out in the backyard and you know your son's been watch and just keep going. So you know, then the call came and it was just like hit the ground running. She's like, I told.
You, yeah, yeah, and she can.
Yeah she can.
So you know, I've been very blessed to have her as you know, my sidekick, my co pilot throughout my entire NFL career and you know, as a team we've done pretty well.
Yeah.
Yeah, speaking of family, I know it's your son was in the locker room.
And yeah, let's go after the game.
How cool is that that you can share what you're doing this year with him your family in the ways that maybe ten years ago you could not.
Yeah, that's a really good question. I think for me, it's just the memories, right when you go through life, when you really look at it, likes about memories and creating memories and that everlasting impact. I just want to be able to do that for him that he got to, you know, later in life. You know, he's five and I'll play again next year. Let's get that out. He'll be six. Being around understanding you know, he calls Lamar Jackson Amar Jackson, Aamar Jackson.
That's his favorite player.
But just being able to be in that setting, be around Uncle Mark Andrews and being able to go up to him on the football field and say good job, uncle Mark.
You know, it's awesome.
It is very cool. What you know. We talk about the production that you've had, and I think it's a great point that you bring up, Like over your career, you've kind of evolved to the role that you've been assigned right, Like in New England, you had a lot of coverage responsibilities and you, yeah, built a reputation is one of the best coverage outside linebackers in the league. Yeah, you know, getting picks and past places and all that stuff. And now you come here and like you said, it's you've been able to focus on Hey, get after the quarterback. Yeah, pass Rush. Can you talk about the work that you've done with Chuck and how you two have worked together to kind of unlock that aspect of your game to another take it to another level in that way.
Yeah, that's a good question. I think it started with.
When I was transitioning or wanting to transition, because I felt like it's time in my career where I'm done trying to cover these twenty one, twenty two, twenty three year old running backs who.
Are a lot fashion in the open field.
When it comes down to like, especially in previous employment up North, we won't talk say their name anymore, but I was guarding a lot of running backs then and we played a lot of man coverage, and so it was kind of like, all right, now I'm getting kind of they're trying to single me out.
Good friend, I'll tell you a quick story. Good friend of mine.
Fitsmagic, when he's playing for the Jets, motioned out CJ. Spiller and he's looking at me. I'm looking at him. I'm like, oh, he's coming at me. I backed up, like to twelve yards and C. J. Spiller still ran by me, of course, but I ended up being incomplete pass and I'm acting like a dB like no, no, no, you know, yeah, yeah, no, flys over steep belt, you know, all that good stuff. But I was just done doing that, and it was like, I'm ready to rush the passer. And then when I was in Los Angeles, you know, I went there to be you know, kind of the three man crew with Joey and Kmack. They had an injury off the ball. They saw I've done that in the past. They were like, hey, you know, Kenneth Murray not be might be ready, you know, let's throw you in there.
And so I was like, oh, you know, I did all that.
Work to pass rush, you know, ended up unfortunately Joey goes down. I go back to rushing, and then I was able to showcase that I could rush. I think that gained the attention of the Ravens and then that off season I worked with a personal coach that I still work with, working on the craft of rushing, and then getting here with Chuck Smith, who they dedicate time for, was able to just work with him and then just get down in a rhythm and just it's still new for me. So I still like have that joy like a young kid in the league because I'm learning so much and having a good time doing it.
Yeah, you strike me as one of these guys that like is probably good at every sport that you play, Like you know what I mean, Like you know, and you're not like the biggest guy I necessarily you're not like, don't have as much maybe burst as it're dofing right like, but like you just get the job done consistently. There we go and by a variety of means, like sometimes like this last sack, you were setting the pick for Namdi and then you end up splitting the sack with him, and it was gracious of you, by the way to grant him that half sack. I saw, So like, what is it about, Well, what is it about you? If you had to pinpoint like just your knack for getting the job done.
Yeah, when I first got here, I told Mike Mack he didn't believe me.
At the time.
I was like, I'm not your first pick, I'm not your last pick, but I'm gonna be your best pick.
And I truly believe that.
I've always said to myself, I'm built different, and nobody's gonna tell me no, and if you do, I'm gonna end.
Up showing you. And then it's like, oh, like you know, like he did tell us.
But like we didn't believe him, or you know, I'm not the fastest, strongest or biggest.
I'm just a football player. And I've always said that. I'm like, I.
Don't care how big you are, don't care how fast or strong. Like at the end of the day, I know football and just my mindset with that, I just think that's just how I go.
A little cut from the old school.
Yeah, I like it.
I like it.
God, this defense is going from you know, have some struggles early to over the last six seven leagues, maybe being the best defense in the NFL. As a vet, I'm just curious, Like I know, there were some frank conversations with coaches players that you guys played a part in turning things around. What do you think click with you guys, and what part did you play in kind of helping that turnaround?
You think that's a good question.
I think it was a little hand in for everybody right personally, Like something that I did was I got the group together. That was one of the things I did. I want to say like what we were talked about or anything, but it was just I felt like it was just time to get everybody together, you know, have a deep breath for a second. Then you know the changes that they made in the secondary helped, and then you know, just continuing to believe in Zo's plan and adjust, Like I think where teams go wrong, not wrong or I just think teams every year is different.
You got to always adjust, right. You can't just.
You know, there's very few places that can just be the same every year. Like the league changes adapt so fast. If you look at all of the top defenses, you know, over the course of time, even this place from the decordinators of DMP's when he started, like Bellock, Bellock, I want to say that Billock, Yeah, Brian Billock to you know, wink to Mike Mack to z O. They've changed over the course. Yes, their foundation pieces are still there. That core message is still yet there, but they've adapted over time.
And I think.
That's what we were doing, is we were adapting into a new a new guy at the Helm. They adapted from Wink to Mike Mack and now we've gone from Mike Mack to z O and it's adapted over time. Now, other organizations, to me, don't do that as successful, but this place is number one of that being successful because the standard and the message is always it's set way before myself walking through the doors.
It's just a way of raving. Football is defense.
Well, how did you see Zach handle all that? Because you know he was under a lot of heat yeah, on and then you know talking with the players and work with you How did you see him handle all that like a.
Pro, like like somebody you would want, somebody who cares about their job, cares about winning, cares about doing the things the right way.
Yeah.
I think he's done an awesome job. It's like people are funny. It's like the only way up for him was down right. You come in and you're replacing the number one defense and it's like, oh, the expectations is like, oh, you're just going to do it over again. And it's like, no, he's you got to do it. It's your own way and your own like it's just different and you know you have the same pieces, it's just a different year. And I think that wasn't in our cars has just come out right of way and just be dominant. It was a work in progress and it's been awesome. And I think we've all grown and the players have grown a lot. You know, a lot of players have stepped up in leadership roles and we got a lot of defenders playing again through this entire season at a high level.
I'm curious about one guy that you talked about, not the biggest, not the strongest, necessarily Ardarius Washington. Yeah, the favorite player really, So yeah, what is it about our Darius that you love so much?
Man?
That's I've told him since I've gotten here, you're my favorite player. Like he really defines the word football like just a football player where he just got a knack of playing football, Like you just said, like that's a that's because I see myself and him, Yeah, I see that chip on his shoulder. I see a good football player. I see somebody who just loves football, has a knack for it, just makes place. Don't matter where you put him, Nickel, you could put him at corner. I'm sure if you put him at nose tackle he would find he would legit, find a way under. Yeah, he would do whatever it took to get the ball or make the tackle. That's just the type of attitude he has, and that's the type of players I like to play with.
It's awesome you have been around at least two goats, you know, with Brady and out Lamar. Yeah, I'm just curious you've seen both of them up closed. Lamar, I've heard you talk about his development as the leader. Just what you're seeing in him now, the way he's growing. What what other thing he's doing that you say, he you know, he's got it.
Yeah, he's just got I don't know how you can't put into words. It's just like once you've been around that. That was the other thing too. I've been around really good quarterbacks. Stafford, he's won a Super Bowl, arguably Hall of Famer. His stats are insane, like the first to everything at young ages. I think Justin Herbert's an incredible quarterback. I mean he's playing really well this year. And then Lamar, he's just In a different category. He's electric with the football, and I think the thing that is impressive most about him is he's just got the it factor. You can't pinpoint exactly what it is. It's just he's just that dude, and it's awesome. To be honest, team, I would hate to go against him, it would be a headache. But the way he's just handling business this year, the way he's you know, not satisfied with anything. I think that's what drives him to be great is you know, he's pissed off when he throws a pick, even though maybe it wasn't his fault. He's saying, that's my fault. I need to deliver a better football. I need to be better. And when you have somebody like that, you got a man on a mission and you want to be a part of that mission and do everything you can to hold up your end of the bargain.
Nice last question for me, what happened to the sact? I really like that one.
I did you know that was just an inside joke for the week. Yeah, that was just an inside joke with the with the with the fellas.
That was good.
Who started it? Did somebody do that first?
Yeah? It was. It was a jobo. I'm gonna give him credit for that. He did.
We did it during the week, like messing around, and then it kind of grew into its own little thing, and you know, it would have been awesome to keep it up, but you know, we kind of were like, let's not go crazy with that because we don't want to have to, you know, now discuss what that meant.
Right, Well, this has been really a treat. Thank you so much, and listeners, make sure you go check out Kyle's podcasts. Yeah Sports, that's right, McCoy and vang NOI check that out. Awesome podcast. So thank you, thank you for joining us. Yeah, thank you guys, thank you for listening to Lounge. We are coming to you from the seat Geek Studio. We also want our listeners to know that this week, the Draft Kings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the Baltimore Ravens, has a limited time offer you won't want to mess download the Draft Kings Sportsbook app now use code flock. New customers can get a deposit bonus of up to one thousand dollars only at Draft Kings Sportsbook with promo code flock. Please play responsibly and for help visit Maryland Gambling help dot org or called one eight hundred gambler. You must be twenty one or older to play. So just great stuff from Kyle, and he's having a great season. I mean, he's on another one of these runs. It's kind of crazy his season so far.
He had the.
Orbital I fracture in the first game of the year in Kansas City, and then he came back and he had six sacks and three games, went on a crazy run despite that injury, and now he's on another one of these runs. He has four and a half sacks in his past four games played, So he's on a hot streak right now. And this pass rush as as a whole is getting cranked up too.
Kyle, he's a baller to me.
I mean, he was one of those guys, like you said, you know it might not be the best athlete on the field, but he's an incredibly smart player.
To me too.
He knows what's happening times before the ball is snapped. Very rarely see him take a step in the wrong direction. So when you have those things, you can make plays. And yeah, I think going into playoffs, having a vet guy like that who not only helps himself but can tell other guys. I go Dafe and you know, you have a rogue line and guys he works with on defense, they're always working together. He's one of those guys you want because he just sees the game.
So well, yeah, he's just a guy you want on your team, point blank. And you know, he was a free agent in this past offseason. There's a lot of time spent talking about, oh, do the Ravens bring back Jadavion Clowney or you know, is it van Ney or whatnot? And Clowney ends up signing with the Panthers back kind of near his where he grew up a little bit closer to home. And the Ravens inked Kyle van Noida a two year deal, and boy has that move worked out. I mean, that was just a great move. And it was also good to hear Kyle say, hey, yeah, I'm playing out these two years on this contract. This is not my final year. So I was also happy to hear that.
Yeah, why wouldn't he exactly, But with doing a great job with a great team, I do think he gets extra jews from being with the Ravens.
A true contender your career.
You know you don't want to be in a place, you know where this time of year, you don't have anything team wise to play for it. He loves playing here. The Ravens love Avane. It's a great marriage.
Yep.
Absolutely well, thank you for listening. As always, you can reach us at the Lounge at Ravens dot NFL dot net. Garrett, we'll be back later this week and we'll break down all you need to be looking forward to in this upcoming game against the Cleveland Browns. Thank you very much.
