Defensive Back

Pro footballRonnie Lott, who was voted to the Pro Bowl an NFL-record-tying 10 times as a defensive back, retired yesterday."I realized that I've exhausted my ability to play the game," he said. "I'm not able to be a productive player in the NFL any longer. I didn't want to hang on."Lott, 36, spent 15 years in the NFL. He went to four Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and also played for the Los Angeles Raiders, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. He was on the Chiefs' injured reserve last year after breaking his left leg in an exhibition game.

Today is the final day of The Sun's look at where the Ravens stand at each position, the likelihood that they will address that spot early in the draft and some of the prospects that they may consider. The first round of the draft is tomorrow and the Ravens have the 32ndpick. Today we'll examine defensive backs: Current defensive backs under contract : Cornerbacks - Lardarius Webb, Corey Graham, Jimmy Smith, Chykie Brown, Asa Jackson, Chris Johnson; Safeties - Michael Huff, James Ihedigbo, Christian Thompson, Omar Brown, Emanuel Cook, Anthony Levine.

Ravens coach Brian Billick has this thing about not declaring starters. Billick insists that because a person isn't in on the first snap of the game, he should not be viewed as having a lesser role. Ravens defensive back James Trapp exemplifies that philosophy. "How do you not consider a guy who probably took 35, maybe 40 snaps of defense, and another twenty-something on special teams, a starter?" Billick asked. "I know in a conventional sense that people don't buy that. But to me, that's a starter.

Tattoos adorn the torso and arms of Ravens reserve cornerback Chris Johnson, covering his body in a mosaic of smiling faces and names. It's Johnson's way of paying tribute to his family, of ensuring that those loved ones remain close to his heart. "This way, they're always a part of you," Johnson said. "They're literally on your skin permanently, just like family is permanent to me. " On the left side of his ribs is a tattoo of a face and two numbers. The face is that of his sister, Jennifer Johnson.

Less than two weeks ago, Jeremy McGown was diligently lifting weights when his young Naval Academy football career suddenly took a 180-degree turn. Now, the sophomore from Houston is the sensation of summer camp. With the secondary ranks depleted, Mids coach Paul Johnson decided to shuttle McGown from wide receiver to defensive back, a move he welcomed with open arms. "I took it as a compliment," said McGown, who originally enrolled at the academy as a quarterback. "I figured I'd get to play some more, and I want to be on the field."

Anthony Lott was trying to catch a break. But the one the McDonogh football player wound up catching -- a foot injury three weeks before the start of his senior season -- wasn't quite what he had in mind. "I was doing pretty well at a combine in late July, but midway through, I fractured a bone in my right foot. I had to sit out of practices and miss our only scrimmage," Lott said. "We only play a few games and we don't have playoffs at McDonogh, so I thought I'd miss half the season, not have time to prove myself to colleges and wind up at some prep school."

The Ravens have agreed to terms with Deion Sanders on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, a league source said last night. The deal won't be finalized until the seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback officially decides whether he will come back for a 14th NFL season. The source said Sanders is expected to announce his return to the Ravens today or tomorrow. Under his agreement with the Ravens -- which was structured just like his contract last season -- Sanders could make as much as $4 million with incentives.

Offensive Player of the Year: Aaron Thompson, Mount St. Joseph Defensive Player of the Year: Robert Gross, Lake Clifton Co-Coaches of the Year: James Monroe, Lake Clifton; Steve Turnbaugh, HerefordFIRST-TEAM OFFENSEName, School, Year, PositionLucas Phillips, Mount St. Joseph, Senior, QuarterbackAli Culpepper, Dunbar, Senior, Running backDarnell Pearsall, Lake Clifton, Junior, Running backTaber Small, City, Senior, Running backAaron Thompson, Mount St....

THE TEAMS Defensive Player of the Year: Brady Smith, Loyola First-team defense Name School Class Position Melvin Alaeze Randallstown Junior Lineman Ryan Burns South Carroll Senior Lineman Jeremy Navarre Joppatowne Junior Lineman Billy Rueter Hereford Junior Lineman Justin Frederick Glenelg Senior Linebacker Tyler Moyer Broadneck Senior Linebacker Carl Stokes Aberdeen Senior Linebacker Larry Strickland Loyola Senior Linebacker Kevin Barnes Old...

UrsinusBearsCoach: Steve Gilbert, fourth yearAssistant coaches: Dave Alwine, Merle Bainbridge, Glen Leonard, Pete Spurio, John VoganLast year's record: 4-5-0, 2-5-0 in the Centennial Football ConferenceTop returnees: Seniors, offensive guard Dan Nicastro, tight end Scott Flannery, wide receiver Mike Cohen, wide receiver Bill Engro, wide receiver Mike Kane, defensive back Todd Klinedinst, defensive back BillBunnell, defensive back John Leszczynski; juniors,...

Cornerback Chris Johnson - signed by the Ravens on Nov. 13 - didn't take much time making an impact for his new team, stripping Mike Wallace after the wide receiver caught a pass in the first quarter of the Ravens' eventual 13-10 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night. Johnson, who was signed two days prior to Jimmy Smith undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia, lined up as the fifth defensive back in the team's nickel package - a role that had previously gone to Chykie Brown in the Ravens' 55-20 rout of the Oakland Raiders on Nov. 11. Brown, the organization's fifth-round pick in last year's draft, tried not to sound disappointed about getting leapfrogged on the depth chart by Johnson.

- For at least one night, the Ravens returned to their defensive roots. Taking advantage of the absence of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the unit harassed replacement Byron Leftwich, knocked out running back Isaac Redman (concussion) and kept speedy wide receivers Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders in check to propel the Ravens to a 13-10 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on Sunday night. The defense that helped the Ravens win for the third time in their past four trips to Pittsburgh did not look like the unit that had surrendered an average of 390.2 yards through the first nine contests, a number that earned the defense the No. 27 ranking in the NFL and proclamations that the Ravens were now built on the offense.

In his longest stretch on defense of the season, Corey Graham finished Sunday's 25-15 win against the Cleveland Browns with six tackles. But the cornerback was unable to register an interception or a pass breakup, which contributed to the sixth-year veteran feeling unfulfilled about his play. “It was all right,” Graham said Thursday. “Obviously, some things have got to be better, and I feel like I can play a lot better. I've got to find a way to make more plays. It was up and down, and to me, it wasn't that good.

When Adrian Amos arrived at Penn State last summer, veteran cornerback Stephon Morris took the Calvert Hall graduate under his wing. Morris wanted to show him the ropes and how the team's secondary did things, especially since both are from Maryland. From Day One, the pair hit it off. "Ah, Amos, he's like my little puppy," Morris joked. "That's my guy. " Amos, figuratively anyway, may be like a small animal to his mentor: fun to teach new tricks and play around with. But the Nittany Lions will need Amos to be much more than that this fall, and his large frame coupled with high football intelligence and speed will only help.

Jesse L. Thomas, a Baltimore Colts defensive back in the 1950s who then spent four decades at Morgan State University, serving for several years as its head football coach, died of dementia complications May 16 at his Columbia home. He was 83. Born in Guthrie, Okla., and raised in Flint, Mich., he was a much-praised athlete at its Central High School, where he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. He was Flint's 1945 Athlete of the Year and held letters in basketball, baseball, track and football.

Baltimore Charm player Kelly Campbell travels frequently in her dual role as a defensive back and marketing manager of the city's all-female Lingerie Football League team. Campbell was nominated this year for the league's award for most improved player, as well as for its Mortaza Award, honoring a player's efforts on and off the field. Campbell says she prefers vacations at beaches, where she can enjoy the activities she doesn't have time for during the football season. With Valentine's Day on the horizon, Campbell, 24, reveals to us her favorite and most romantic getaway — which would also be her ideal spot to receive a proposal.

For years, the Ravens have wanted to have a thumper in the secondary, a defensive back with a strong physical presence. Interestingly enough, the Ravens finally found a safety who causes receivers to flinch because they refused to do so. Ravens@Browns Sunday, 4:05 p.m., Ch. 13, 97.9 FM, 1090 AM Line: Ravens by 6 1/2

Defensive back Isaac Goins, who just finished two years at California's Contra Costa College, has signed a letter of intent to play for the Terps. Goins will join the team in the spring and have two years of remaining eligibility. Goins was recently profiled by my colleague Matt Bracken in Recruiting Report . Here are some of the highlights from Matt's story to get you up to speed: *Maryland hasn't made a habit in recent years of recruiting junior college players, save for defensive back Michael Carter out of Erie (Pa.)