Q&A with Marcus Freeman

Tight end Marcus Freeman is a rookie free agent from Notre Dame trying to make a good impression on the Ravens coaching staff. He took center stage when he tangled with linebacker Jarret Johnson during an 11-on-11, goal-line drill that ignited the first fight of training camp.

On how the fisticuffs began: “I was scruffing with No. 95 [Johnson], and I felt a bunch of people jump on my back,” Freeman said. “I got up and I saw all these purple shirts [the defense wore purple, while the offense wore white]. I was like, ‘Where are all my teammates at?’ But it was all in fun. Nothing serious.”

Was the fight related to the hot, humid conditions that seemed to envelop McDaniel College in Westminster? “Probably a lot,” Freeman said. “Everybody gets a little ornery and tired. There’s a lot of testosterone around here, so people just get to flailing and things happen.”

Finally, I asked him to describe his development thus far in camp. “I have a long way to go, but I think I’m improving every day,” Freeman said. “It’s going well, I believe. But you definitely want to make some plays on the field and be recognized for that.”