Raven Country

Marlon Humphrey Finally Learns About Ravens Connection to Edgar Allan Poe

History lesson could be in order.

Todd Karpovich

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OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Quoth Marlon Humphrey ... he never knew the Ravens' connection to Edgar Allan Poe.

Humphrey was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Over the next six years with the franchise, he never bothered to think about the origin of the team name.

It finally hit him.

Here is the background for the other uninitiated.

In a poll conducted by The Baltimore Sun, the name Ravens was unveiled on March 29, 1996, by an overwhelming 21,108 votes. The Americans (5,597) and Marauders (5,583) were distant second and third.

The name Ravens was derived from the poem, "The Raven," by Poe. The name "Ravens" also was an effective complement to the other professional sports franchise in town, the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball. 

"The first promise we made was that we'd bring this [naming the team] back to the fans in some way," David Modell, son of owner Art Model, said at the time. "That was important to us."

In June 1996, the Baltimore Ravens unveiled their colors — black, purple and metallic gold. The new uniforms were modeled by quarterback Vinny Testaverde, defensive end Rob Burnett and wide receiver Michael Jackson. 

The original logo was the letter "B" inside a shield with wings to represent the city of Baltimore. After a copyright dispute, the team adopted the bird logo in 1999 and it's still being used today.

When the franchise relocated from Cleveland, the name "Browns" was left behind so that city could resurrect that name with a new franchise.

The Ravens had initially contacted Indianapolis about taking back the name "Colts" for when the team was in Baltimore, but the request was declined.

Thus, the Ravens were born.

Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe

As for Poe, he was born in Boston and raised in Richmond, Va. He moved to Baltimore several times throughout the course of his life and mysteriously died in the city. 

Poe is buried in a graveyard at the corner of West Fayette and North Greene Streets in downtown Baltimore, just a few blocks from M&T Bank Stadium. 

Published
Todd Karpovich
TODD KARPOVICH

Twitter: @toddkarpovich Email: todd.karpovich@gmail.com Skype: todd.karpovich Todd Karpovich has been a contributor for ESPN, Forbes, the Associated Press, Lindy's, and The Baltimore Sun, among other media outlets nationwide. He is the co-author of “If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Baltimore Ravens Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box,” “Skipper Supreme: Buck Showalter and the Baltimore Orioles,” and the author of “Manchester United (Europe's Best Soccer Clubs).” Karpovich, a Baltimore native, is a graduate of Calvert Hall College high school, Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, and has a Masters of Science from Towson University. 

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