Ravens Star Makes NFL Top 100 Debut
![Nov 12, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) returns a interception for a first quarter touchdown against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports Nov 12, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) returns a interception for a first quarter touchdown against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4853,h_2729,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/raven_country/01j3qyzjwtdxdx3sw4np.jpg)
Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton is a one-of-a-kind player in the NFL, and he put his unique skillset on full display last season.
Hamilton, the No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, was all over the field in his second season, finishing with 81 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, 18 passes defended and four interceptions, including a pick six. The former Notre Dame star earned his first Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections last season, and they almost certainly won't be the last.
Players across the league clearly took notice of Hamilton's exploits. The young safety came in at No. 43 on the NFL Top 100, a list voted on by the players themselves.
The 23-year-old's newfound star status has taken him some time to get used to, for better or for worse.
"I think it's kind of funny to see, I guess for lack of a better word, the notoriety that I've gotten just from playing well," Hamilton told reporters Tuesday. "It kind of almost feels expected – like this was supposed to happen. In my household – my mom and my dad and everybody was like, 'Yes, you're supposed to get better [in] Year Two and do well and get accolades.' That's just kind of what the norm was. Obviously, I'm super grateful for it [and] everything that has come with it. I've always said I want to be rich, I don't want to be famous, so I think I'm cool where I'm at on the level of fame – maybe it could get even lower. But, it's super exciting to just have the opportunities as well and be a part of this."
Even as a bona fide star, Hamilton is far from done making improvements to his game. If he continues to grow and refine himself, like he plans to do, he will strike even more fear into opposing offenses.
"I think there's a lot of stuff that you guys may not notice, [and] that my coaches may not notice that I know I can improve on and do better at," Hamilton said. "I think there's a lot of plays that I left out there last year. [This] gives me something to kind of work on. In terms of that including, in addition to leading, being more vocal – stuff like that – and step into a role now that I've had a good year - it's time to build on that not only with my play but also as a leader."