Baltimore Ravens DB/LB Anthony Levine Sr. announced Wednesday that he is retiring as a player from the NFL. Over 12 seasons in the league, including the past 10 with Baltimore, Levine became one the NFL’s top special teams players, a versatile contributor on defense and a prominent leader for the Ravens.
With his retirement, Levine will transition into a scouting and coaching assistant role for the Ravens in 2022.
Levine originally entered the NFL in 2010 as a rookie free agent with the Green Bay Packers. After spending two seasons on Green Bay’s practice squad, he joined the Ravens in 2012, seeing action in two games and helping the franchise win its second Super Bowl championship. (Levine was also a member of Green Bay’s 2011 Super Bowl-winning team.)
Playing in 146 regular season games for the Ravens, Levine compiled 87 tackles on defense, 16 passes defensed, four sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Additionally, as a special teams ace, he tallied a franchise-record 62 total tackles on coverage units, also producing one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Levine’s 146 games as a Raven rank as the 11th most in franchise history. From 2013-20, he played in 117 consecutive games, producing the fifth-longest streak ever by a Raven.
Nicknamed “Co-Cap” by his teammates, Levine captained a standout special teams unit that routinely ranked among the NFL’s best. In the annual special teams DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) ratings from Football Outsiders, a popular metric for analyzing and comparing each play to the league average based on several variables, Baltimore finished in the Top 10 every year following Levine’s 2012 Baltimore arrival, including a Top 6 finish in seven-consecutive seasons (2012-18), a Top 3 finish in four-consecutive seasons (2012-15) and the No. 1 overall spot in 2021.
Levine has also been incredibly active serving his community. In 2017, he founded the Anthony Levine 4Every1 Foundation, which is dedicated to helping at-risk youth and their families build better futures through mentorship, educational opportunities and life-changing experiences. Through several partnerships, the foundation offers the following year-round programming to students: SAT Prep, SAT Test Vouchers, Summer Football Clinics and Digital Literacy Collaborative.
Always willing to take part in outreach efforts and support his teammates’ charitable causes/events, Levine received a citation from Maryland State Delegate C. Branch for his outstanding commitment to community service in 2021.
Below are several quotes honoring Levine for the impact he made as a Raven:
Eric DeCosta – Ravens Executive Vice President & General Manager
“Anthony Levine is one of those rare players who beat the odds and became one of the best special teamers in the league over a 10-year span. ‘Co-Cap’ epitomizes mental grit, physical toughness and intelligence, and he has an uncanny ability to rally others. He also excelled on every phase of special teams and contributed on defense as a safety, nickel, dime and many other important roles. Anthony is a forever Raven, as selfless as they come. We wish him the very best in his retirement as a player and can’t wait to see what challenges he takes on next.”
John Harbaugh – Ravens Head Coach
“Tough, smart, persistent and dependable, Anthony represents the very best of what it means to be a Raven. A relentless competitor and man of high character, Anthony poured every part of himself into the team. He worked tirelessly to become one of the NFL’s best special teams players, and he could always be relied upon to contribute at a high level on defense – no matter the role he was asked to play. Most importantly, Anthony is a terrific leader of men and someone who helped his teammates become the very best versions of themselves. It’s been a privilege to coach Anthony for the past 10 years, and I am grateful to forever call him a friend.”
Chris Horton – Ravens Special Teams Coordinator
“Anthony Levine has been an integral part of the Ravens, and I want to thank him for all the great things he’s brought to this organization, not only as a player, but as a teammate and friend.
“When you look at his career and what he’s done on and off the field, it’s been remarkable. For an undrafted player to gain the kind of admiration that he has, it says a lot about who he is as a person and as a player.
“When I first took over as the special teams coordinator, Anthony was the first guy I brought up to the office, and I reiterated to him what I expected from him as the voice of our unit. He’s the kind of player you can count on day-in and day-out to get the guys playing at the level we needed them to play in order for us to uphold our standard as one of the best special teams units in this league.
“For 10 years, Anthony has terrorized opponents on the field. He has earned the utmost respect of coaches and players around the league. When reflecting on Anthony’s career, one thing we always talked about is that the tape is our resume. When you saw No. 41 playing on tape, you knew he was gaining the appreciation of the 31 other teams who were watching.
“No matter what he chooses to do after football, I know Anthony will be successful because of the dedication and passion he puts into whatever he is doing. I’m looking forward to seeing the next great chapter of his life.”
Jerry Rosburg – Former Ravens Associate Head Coach & Special Teams Coordinator
“Anthony Levine’s stellar NFL career can be attributed to his unique combination of talents and stout heart. He has been the first man down the field on kickoff coverage for nearly a decade; he has blocked the opponent’s best players on the return phases; and he has captained the punt team with a vigorous spirit.
“His versatility on defense is witnessed by having played cornerback, safety and linebacker. He has taken numerous young players under his wing to guide them through the challenges of life in the NFL. His skill, effort and leadership have anchored an unprecedented era of special teams success for the Ravens.
“Anthony retires with my enduring respect, gratitude and love.”
