BALTIMORE — Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haruki Nakamura.
The last name in the roll call may not be familiar in many households nationwide, but it definitely belongs. Nakamura, an Elyrian, earned his spot on the Ravens’ Pro Bowl-filled roster and has already made a contribution on special teams.
Nakamura played a couple of snaps on defense Sunday and had one special teams tackle.
“It’s pretty crazy playing with future Hall of Famers,” Nakamura said by phone during the week. “Some say Ray’s the greatest ever to play the game. It’s awesome to be able to line up in the same defense.”
As a sixth-round draft pick in April (No. 206 overall), Nakamura wasn’t a lock to make the team. But he impressed immediately in offseason workouts, continued to make plays in training camp and is a special teamer/backup safety for the NFL’s top-ranked defense.
Is he a pleasant surprise?
“Haruki has been, not a pleasant surprise, I would say, because we knew he was a good player,” rookie coach John Harbaugh said. “That’s why we drafted him.
“I would say he’s been everything we thought he would be. He plays fast, he’s physical and he loves football. He’s our kind of guy. He’s a Raven.”
Nakamura, who went to St. Edward High School and the University of Cincinnati, seems undersized at
5-foot-10, 205 pounds. But he was brimming with confidence on draft day, and that only grew when he joined the veterans for organized team activities and got a comforting message from the defensive coordinator.
“Rex Ryan said I had a really good chance to make the team if I worked really hard in camp,” Nakamura said.
He did, and he did. And on Sept. 7 he was in a Ravens uniform for the opening 17-10 win over Cincinnati at M&T Bank Stadium.
“From the time we ran out of the tunnel to watching Ray Lewis do his dance to the end of the game. It was exciting,” Nakamura said. “There was never a dull moment.
“I’ve always been about excitement. It was a great time.”
Nakamura didn’t play on defense — he’s listed as a third-team safety — but had two special teams tackles. The early success was always part of his plan.
“Football is football,” he said. “The biggest difference wasn’t speed, it’s knowledge of the game.
“I thought I was a very smart player in college, but this is a whole different level in the NFL. You have to know everything. Once I made the adjustment, I was able to make more plays.”
He is competing for playing time with fellow rookie safety Tom Zbikowski, a third-round pick out of Notre Dame, but Nakamura said their relationship is more friendship than rivalry.
“As soon as we met, we were kinda like brothers,” he said. “We did everything together.
“We helped each other through camp. It’s great to have someone in the same situation as you. We were both worried about making the team and pushed each other.”
Both back up Reed, a four-time Pro Bowler.
“It’s hard to learn from him because he does so many things other guys can’t. He’s a special player,” Nakamura said. “He has helped me be able to read things. He’s told me to slow things down and take things in.”
The Ravens have high hopes for Nakamura, as they try to infuse youth into a dominant defense that has begun to show its age.
“Looking at him on film, I thought he was the best all-around safety in college football last year,” Ravens defensive backs coach Mark Carrier said. “He has a knack for being around the ball. Whether it was a tackle, a turnover or a sack, he seemed to always be around the play.”
Now Nakamura is on the biggest stage available. And he’s loving every minute.
“It’s weird to call the NFL work,” he said. “People say I gotta go to work and mean an office. I’m going to practice, a thing I love to do. That’s the best part.
“My work is something I love to do. I worked real hard to get to the position I’m in.”
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.
 

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