Book Review: If These Walls Could Talk: Stories From The Baltimore Ravens Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box – Ravens Broadcaster Stan White
For a decade, Stan White roamed the fields of the NFL as a linebacker for the Baltimore Colts and the Detroit Lions. In 1977, White was an all-conference linebacker in the AFC. He still holds the single-season record for most interceptions by a linebacker with eight, and he finished his career with 49 turnovers (34 interceptions) and two touchdowns scored.
The 438th draft pick (17th round) in the 1972 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, White played eight seasons at Memorial Stadium as a member of the Colts, and kept his relationship with Baltimore strong after his playing days came to an end.
In 2006, White joined the Ravens’ broadcast team. Since the 2006 season, White has acted as color commentator for Ravens broadcasts. Alongside play-by-play man Gerry Sandusky, and a number of Ravens legends, White’s voice still travels the airwaves of WBAL1090 and several other Baltimore media outlets.
In early October, White’s first book, If These Walls Could Talk: Stories From The Baltimore Ravens Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box, was published. Todd Karpovich of the Associated Press and Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press accompany White’s account of over two decades of Ravens football, summarized in over 250 pages. Available on outlets such as Amazon, White’s book serves as a perfect gift for members of RavensFlock all around the world.
Over 20 chapters comprise If These Walls Could Talk. Each chapter is about a certain element of the Baltimore Ravens, whether it be the history of the franchise, the owners, the coaches, the front office, or the players. There are also chapters on the 2000 defense and both of the Super Bowl Runs.
No matter what a chapter is about, almost every one follows the same layout. The chapter itself is a detailed account of the element, and a short excerpt by White comes at the end of the account. The chapter includes many of White’s favorite moments and memories of the Baltimore Ravens. The chapters break down many important facts, and several records are mentioned. The excerpts at the end of the chapter add any closing thoughts what White himself wants to share. Anyone, even someone who does not follow the Ravens, can read this book and understand how the organization has grown over the last 20 years.
Another great aspect of White’s book is that the content discussed in the book is up-to-date. If These Walls Could Talk includes information on everything up through the 2016 season. That’s right, even though Eric Weddle just joined the Ravens before the 2016 season, he still has a chapter dedicated to him.
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White’s book joins a long list of works created by Baltimore sports journalists. Just released, it provides some of the most recent and relevant Baltimore Ravens reading material. Christmas is just around the corner. If you need a stocking stuffer, or just a random gift to give to your die-hard Ravens fans, If These Walls Could Talk is the one thing every member of #RavensFlock needs to read.