The Ravens had a reputation for a having notoriously difficult conditioning test under John Harbaugh, of which some Steelers are familiar. While new HC Jesse Minter has changed things up, memories remain for the likes of Patrick Queen and DeShon Elliott. And it wasn’t just the conditioning test, but their training regimen in general.
On Cam Heyward’s latest Not Just Football podcast, Elliott attributed a torn pectoral muscle to their conditioning plan. But both he and Queen had specific memories of the Ravens’ conditioning test under Harbaugh. Neither of them miss it, nor watching their teammates go through it.
“I think the worst thing was the conditioning test, by far”, Queen recalled of his time with the Ravens. He explained that under Harbaugh players entering training camp were required to run a series of 150-yard shuttles, Elliott recalling 10 of them. In Queen’s time, it was slightly different. “We had the 25 yards, back, 25 yards, back, 25 yards, back, and you’ve got to make a certain amount of time, and you only get half that rest [time]. So, that was brutal. A lot of hamstrings got pulled”.
Ravens players had to complete a conditioning test consisting of a series of 25-yard back-and-forth sprints, totaling 150 yards apiece. Based on position group, each player had a certain time they had to complete, with a minimal rest period between 150-yard cycles. Those who did not pass began camp on the PUP list and stayed there until they could pass.
But under Jesse Minter, the Ravens’ pass-fail conditioning test has disappeared. In fact, for veterans who fully participated in the offseason program, they earned an exemption from the conditioning test altogether. His conditioning staff emphasizes in-practice, football-like series that test players’ conditioning and endurance.
Most notably, former Ravens DB Aaron Ross once tore his Achilles while running the conditioning test. A number of prominent players over the years have failed the test, beginning on the PUP list. That includes former Steelers WR Mike Wallace, who was one of the fastest players in the league.
The Ravens fired Harbaugh this offseason, but he has since taken his infamous conditioning test with him to the Giants. Nobody failed the test, however, but it’s also not quite the same test. Rather than 25-yard back-and-forths, based on position groups, players ran a series of either 50- or 60-yard dashes, or less for the linemen. They had to complete each sequence in a specific time, but all managed to do so.
Over the years, the Ravens have had issues with their strength and conditioning staff, to the point that they felt the need to investigate chronic injury issues they had among their players. Obviously, that goes beyond a single conditioning test. And, of course, this is all old news now that Baltimore has a new staff on hand after Harbaugh. The team earned terrible player grades in that department, and former players lashed out.