Matt Stover

We have countless awesome sports photos in the archives here at The Baltimore Sun , and I have decided to share one with you each week in a regular feature called "Throwback Thursday. " With Matt Stover set to retire Thursday afternoon, he was an obvious choice for this week's search. I was torn between this photo and one of a floppy-haired Stover looking like a crazed Tom Cruise as he ran off the field at M&T Bank Stadium. But this Kenneth K. Lam photo seemed like a better and more entertaining choice for a few reasons.

The season may be over and they may be former Ravens, but excitement for all things purple and black still drew a crowd on Saturday to the Giant Food store in Perry Hall for an event with former Baltimore Ravens Matt Stover and Kyle Richardson. The two Super Bowl champions came to the store, 8905 Belair Road, Perry Hall, on Saturday, Feb. 16, to meet with residents, sign autographs and perform a little kicking demonstration in the Giant parking lot. Stover was the place kicker, and Richardson was the punter, on the Ravens' 2000-2001 Super Bowl champion team.

Guests at a June 14 dinner honoring former Maryland governor Bob Ehrlich and former Ravens all-pro place-kicker Matt Stover will dine in complete darkness. The event, called Dining in the Dark, is hosted by the Foundation Fighting Blindness , a Columbia-based national nonprofit focused on life-saving research. Described as "a distinctive sensory awareness experience," diners at the Baltimore Hilton will take their entree course "using only their senses of smell, sound, taste and touch to get a glimpse into the lives of the blind.

Feb. 2, 2005: "I'm here in Baltimore, and I'm going to win the crowd," slugger Sammy Sosa says after being traded to the Orioles. A seven-time All-Star outfielder, the 36-year-old Sosa disappoints, mustering only 14 home runs, 45 RBIs and a .221 batting average. He's gone in a year. Jan. 28, 2001: Baltimore wins its first Super Bowl in 30 years as the Ravens smother the New York Giants, 34-7, for their 11th consecutive victory. "This is the best defense ever to play the game," defensive tackle Tony Siragusa says after the Ravens intercept four passes and force 11 New York punts, a Super Bowl record.

Ravens great Matt Stover will preside over this year's lighting of Baltimore's Washington Monument, organizers announced Tuesday. Stover spent 13 seasons as a Raven, earning respect as one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history and the admiration of Baltimore fans who appreciated both his on-field performance and his off-field love for their city. Although not signed by the Ravens following the 2008 season (he would later sign with Indianapolis and help them get to Super Bowl XLIV)

There are, quite literally, dozens of moments during Matt Stover's kicking career that could be cited as evidence that he is one of the all-time great Ravens, but one moment that occurred during the Super Bowl-winning season of 2000 sums up just how important he truly was. The Ravens were mired in what would go down as an infamous five-game touchdown drought. Coach Brian Billick and offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh were struggling to find a way to get the Ravens' offense going, and in the middle of a close game, the two were discussing what play they should call on a crucial third down on the opponent's side of the field.

Today we published a story examining the aftermath of a double-murder case that Ravens star Ray Lewis was charged in back in 2000. His murder charges were ultimately dropped, and he pleaded to a misdemeanor obstruction of justice charge, while two co-defendants were acquitted of murder. But the issue still resonates for Lewis and the families of the two men killed in a brawl outside an Atlanta club. Read the story here.   We spoke today with another aunt of Richard Lollar, one of the men killed in the brawl, as well as former Ravens kicker Matt Stover.

Former Ravens kicker Matt Stover addressed scholarship recipients at M&T Bank Stadium on Friday, emphasizing integrity and a willingness to work. The Baltimore Community Foundation, a philanthropic non-profit that give scholarships to local high school and college students, organized the event in a suite at the stadium. "BCF and the Ravens do such a good job of giving back to the kids," Stover said. "Giving $5,000 a year to each one of these kids is an amazing amount of money, and to be able to do that year in, year out is incredible.

Matt Stover is determined not to let history repeat itself. This time, he wants to ensure there is no static in his line of communication with the new Ravens coach. The last time the Ravens changed head coaches, in 1999, the veteran kicker was nearly a casualty in the turnover. He made just five of his first 10 field-goal tries and needed a heart-to-heart session with Brian Billick to save the day. Nine years later, Stover is taking no chances. He has already begun talks with coach John Harbaugh and special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg to avoid a deja vu dilemma.

Matt Stover on his routines "I would say that 20 percent of it is spent on the field, believe it or not. Another 60 percent is done in the weight room, training. The other 20 percent is more mental training, visualization, trying to get my mind right mentally and emotionally to perform well. "Wednesdays ... I train to kick field goals. I'll back myself up a little bit and get myself some longer field goals. I'll work myself around the field, try to visualize the stadium that I have already looked at on film or I've played in it. "Thursday is a day of kickoffs and kickoff returns.

Today we published a story examining the aftermath of a double-murder case that Ravens star Ray Lewis was charged in back in 2000. His murder charges were ultimately dropped, and he pleaded to a misdemeanor obstruction of justice charge, while two co-defendants were acquitted of murder. But the issue still resonates for Lewis and the families of the two men killed in a brawl outside an Atlanta club. Read the story here.   We spoke today with another aunt of Richard Lollar, one of the men killed in the brawl, as well as former Ravens kicker Matt Stover.

Football Ex-Raven Sharpe to Black College HOF The Black College Football Hall of Fame announced Tuesday that former Ravens tight end Shannon Sharpe has been selected for induction next year along with 10 others. The inductees will be honored Feb. 16 at the Loews Hotel in Atlanta. NFL Network's Charles Davis will serve as master of ceremonies. Before going on to win two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos and one with the Ravens in 2001, Sharpe was a three-time All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection at Savannah State from 1987 to 1989 and the SIAC Player of the Year in 1987.

Forty-five yards from paydirt, trailing by two points and with time running out, the Ravens seemed doomed. Twenty seconds remained when quarterback Kyle Boller took the snap, eluded a Houston Texans' blitz and fired 10 yards downfield. The rookie caught it, chest-high. Then Mark Clayton reversed course and, hugging the sideline, raced toward the end zone before being bumped out of bounds at the 10. Matt Stover kicked the field goal and the Ravens won, 16-15. That 2005 victory still resonates with Clayton, who had seven receptions - none bigger than the last.

Guests at a June 14 dinner honoring former Maryland governor Bob Ehrlich and former Ravens all-pro place-kicker Matt Stover will dine in complete darkness. The event, called Dining in the Dark, is hosted by the Foundation Fighting Blindness , a Columbia-based national nonprofit focused on life-saving research. Described as "a distinctive sensory awareness experience," diners at the Baltimore Hilton will take their entree course "using only their senses of smell, sound, taste and touch to get a glimpse into the lives of the blind.

This kind of thing is always ugly. John Unitas couldn't have looked more miserable playing for the San Diego Chargers than if they made him play in his underwear. Joe Namath looked so out of place in a Los Angeles Rams uniform you thought he was in some grotesque "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" out-take. Now here is Peyton Manning, another shoo-in Hall of Fame quarterback who won't finish his career with the team he played with forever. On televisionWednesday, there was Manning and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay choking back tears as they made it official: Manning's brilliant career with the Colts was over.

Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff reminds me of his predecessor, Matt Stover. He'll never be as accurate, but he was just as professional Sunday night when he missed the 32-yard field goal in the closing seconds which would have tied the game. Instead, New England beat the Ravens, 23-20, for the AFC championship and the right to play in the Super Bowl. After the game, Cundiff spoke at the podium. As expected, his tone was somber but he didn't back away from any questions or become frustrated while being scrutinized by the media.

Steve Hauschka is willing to wait. The newly minted full-time kicker for the Ravens knows that the organization's many fans embraced and admired Matt Stover. Hauschka is also aware that for the present and immediate future, every one of his kicks will be dissected and reviewed by Stover's loyalists. Hauschka knows what's in store for him as he succeeds Stover, and he will bide his time until fans welcome Hauschka the way they saluted Stover. "I think it's going to take a few years for people to forget Matt Stover around here just because of what he has done, and I completely understand that," Hauschka said.

Matt Stover had an infant daughter and a son on the way when his employer moved from Cleveland to Baltimore a decade ago. Three years after he uprooted that growing family, Stover stressed over communication issues with a new head coach. Next preseason game Ravens@Vikings, Friday, 8 p.m., Ch. 45, 97.9 FM

A left calf injury didn't prevent kicker Billy Cundiff from rewriting a portion of the Ravens' record book. With a 36-yard field goal near the end of the first quarter and three extra points in Sunday's 24-10 win against the Indianapolis Colts, Cundiff passed former running back Jamal Lewis for second place on the franchise's all-time scoring list with 286 career points. Cundiff now trails Matt Stover, who ranks first with 1,464 points. “It is an honor,” Cundiff said.