Respected Ravens vet outlines the needed ingredients to keep the magic going

This isn't discussed much in pro football, but every locker room can attest to something like this happening occasionally. Sometimes, even the most talented future stars can be humbled by the prospect of teaming up with a franchise legend. Sometimes, the Baltimore Ravens get excited when the organization adds someone that they used to cheer for.

That's why guys swap jerseys after football games. It's gratifying to play with (and against) guys you've admired from a distance, or on television. Michael Irvin spoke of that once in a Dallas Cowboys documentary.

One day, he played in a postseason game vs. Jerry Rice, whose poster used to hang in his locker during his days with the Miami Hurricanes. That's when he knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the game had changed.

DeAndre Hopkins offers some veteran wisdom that his teammates will want to soak in.

Anyone walking into the Under Armour Performance Center as a Raven knows they're part of something special. This is the team Ray Lewis and Ed Reed played for. This is the team that drafted Jonathan Ogden and Lamar Jackson. We've also seen Baltimore add guys with Hall of Fame credentials: Rod Woodson, Steve Smith Sr., Derrick Henry, and DeAndre Hopkins.

Henry and Hopkins are both on the current roster. The former is a shoo-in to land in Canton. We'll see what happens with Hopkins, but his place in NFL lore is more than secure.

Some of the younger Ravens certainly played as Hopkins at some point while playing Madden. If you have this guy on your team, why wouldn't you try to soak in everything that he says?

He spoke with the media after the recent Ravens game, offering his take on the pride he takes in delivering during the clutch. He also talked about what it means to know how to win games. The offense must play up to its standard. That hasn't happened recently, but the legend is keeping everything positive.

"You know, I feel that we're clicking enough to win, and that's all that matters, man. You know, we look at teams around the league, record, you know, who isn't, what ours is. It could be, statistically, the best-ranked offense. I'd rather be in this position than be statistically the best on paper."

After losing five of their first six games, the Ravens have won five in a row. They're a game over .500 now, and the O.G. spoke on what it takes to orchestrate a bounce-back midseason.

"It takes the players just committing to do their job. You know, being in a situation that we're in, 1-5. I don't think anybody thought that we couldn't do what we're doing now in this locker room, but that starts with the veterans, the way we practice, [and] the young guys want to practice the same way. But, you know, really, the practice field, you've got to go out and practice with meaning and execute in the game."

There wasn't a veteran Raven or a youngster who wasn't pumped to welcome Hopkins as a teammate. His value isn't measured only by what he does on the field. It's estimated, in part, by the impact he has on everyone in the locker room.

"I'm [Devontez Walker]'s No. 1 fan, so of course I was excited [about his big catch]. Hopefully, he can go out there and make some more catches for us."

Come on. How do you think it makes Walker to hear that? This is what it's all about.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Respected Ravens vet offers a blueprint for continued success