The Baltimore Ravens opened the doors of M&T Bank Stadium and the Under Armour Performance Center to nine Sailors assigned to the Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Maryland (SSBN 738) during Maryland Fleet Week and Air Show Baltimore 2018, Oct. 3.

The crew of USS Maryland toured locker rooms, training rooms, suites and attended a practice session where they got to see the Ravens in action.

“The experience was absolutely phenomenal,” said Cmdr. Jesse Pruett, Maryland’s commanding officer. “It was great for me and my crew to be here in our namesake state for the tours.”

At the end of a practice session at the Under Armour Performance Center, Baltimore Ravens’ coach John Harbaugh presented Pruett and his crew with a custom USS Maryland jersey and thanked them for what they do.

“We appreciate your service and dedication,” said Heather Darney, director of community relations for the Baltimore Ravens. “We found out that these Sailors were going to be here for Fleet Week and learned a little bit more about USS Maryland. They have obvious ties to the state and we wanted to find a way to get them out here to see the stadium and come out here to the facility where we do all of our practices.”

“We do a lot for the military because we know the sacrifices that [service members] make mean everything to our country. It means the world to us to have [them] out here and we’re extremely grateful for everything [they] do,” Darney said.

At the end of the tour, the Maryland crew took photos with the football players and staff, including Dick Cass, the Baltimore Ravens’ president.

“I think what’s really significant about the Baltimore Ravens and the crew of USS Maryland is that we routinely take new players and new Sailors from all over the United States, from all walks of life, and we build a cohesive team with one goal: winning,” Pruett said.  “To me, those are very compatible goals between the two organizations.”

Maryland Fleet Week and Air Show Baltimore, which is takes place from Oct. 3-9, is Baltimore’s celebration of the sea services and provides an opportunity for the citizens of Maryland and the city of Baltimore to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as see firsthand the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services.

Get more information about the Navy from US Navy facebook or twitter.

For more news from Naval District Washington, visit www.navy.mil/.