As Kyle Hamilton visited the gleaming new Ravens Boys & Girls Club in West Baltimore earlier this year, he had major flashbacks.
Hamilton recalled summer days as a child when he and his brother would run around a rec center near their house in Georgia while his parents were working.
“I mean, that was literally me at one point, playing billiards on the pool table, playing on the swing, foursquare, all that stuff,” he said. “Having experiences like that and being able to provide and give back to places like the ones that helped me along the way is pretty rewarding.”
Indeed, Hamilton contributed a six-figure donation to the new center, which rose up on the site of the abandoned Hilton Rec Center just a couple of miles west of M&T Bank Stadium. And that’s just one of many ways that Hamilton, a former All-American at Notre Dame, lives by the Notre Dame ethos to “be a force for good.”
Hamilton has also been a potent force for good on the field for the Ravens, and after signing a market-setting $100 million extension earlier this year, the handsome, articulate and grounded Hamilton figures to be a public face of the franchise for years to come. For his combination of exceptional athletic and civic accomplishment, he is PressBox’s Mo Gaba Sportsperson of the Year for 2025.
“Giving back to the community comes naturally to Kyle because he’s always thinking of others,” says Heather Darney, the Ravens’ vice president for community relations. “He has proven that he doesn’t take his platform as an NFL player lightly and he continuously rises to help those in need. … His commitment to excellence both on and off the field reflects the heart of our organization and the values that we stand for.”
Hamilton’s impact has also been felt elsewhere around his adopted hometown.
The football players at Saint Frances Academy in East Baltimore train in the Hamilton Family Weight Room — an initiative that Hamilton says was driven mostly by his father, Derrek — and he has hosted military families at the Ravens’ Under Armour Performance Center as part of the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign.
“It’s not how much money you make, it’s how much you keep, and along with that, it’s how much you give,” Hamilton said. “I’m very forward-thinking, and when it’s my time to go, I want to have a good chunk of change that I’ve saved up, and with that, I’ll have given away a good chunk as well.”
Sitting at his locker after a recent practice, Hamilton confided that he’s reluctant to talk about any of his charity work, saying he prefers to keep much of that private.
“The world has treated me so well, and God has blessed me so much, so I feel like I should do it, I have a duty to do it, and I want to do it,” Hamilton said. “I try not to be super public with everything I do. I think giving not in silence but without the need for recognition is big for me as well. It’s very true and pure when it’s like that.”
“Pure” is among the many adjectives used to describe Hamilton as a player and athlete, and the Ravens were flabbergasted when he was available to them with the No. 14 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Ravens weren’t even in the market for a safety at the time. A month earlier, they had signed Marcus Williams to a five-year, $70 million deal. They also had steady Chuck Clark returning. The Ravens had quietly traded Marquise Brown shortly before the draft and had their eyes on a few wide receivers they hoped would be available at pick No. 14.
Yet as the first couple of hours of the draft unfolded, Hamilton remained on the board. A run of wide receivers between picks No. 8 and No. 12 kept Hamilton on the board. With the Ravens on the clock at No. 14, Hamilton was still available, and the Ravens pounced.
General manager Eric DeCosta at the time said, “I never dreamed in a million years that he would be there.” He said he viewed Hamilton as one of the top five players in the draft class.
Four years later, Hamilton has lived up to — or even exceeded — every estimation of DeCosta. He is already a two-time Pro Bowl selection, a mold-breaking player who identifies as a safety but defies any traditional positional definition.
One local reporter joked that the Ravens should invent a new position called “the Hamilton,” though there might never be anyone else who can play it. Teammates such as Kyle Van Noy have been campaigning for him as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
“He’s one of one,” Van Noy said. “It doesn’t matter. You put that guy at nose tackle, corner, edge rush, safety, he’s going to get the job done.”
Many observers believe the Ravens salvaged their 2025 season when they traded for safety Alohi Gilman, which allowed Hamilton to slide up closer to the line of scrimmage, where he could wreak more havoc.
Those who have played with, coached or studied Hamilton say he is like few other players who have ever come before, with a skill set described by Ravens secondary coach Chuck Pagano as “not from this planet.”
Here is how Pagano, Van Noy and others see Hamilton:
NFL on CBS Analyst Charles Davis
As told to Glenn Clark Radio
We can’t really put a name on it, although I think we’re going to try pretty soon. He has a position that isn’t a position. He is the ultimate hybrid, undefined, positionless player. … But I think the best way to define it is last year this defense took off when they moved him back off the ball because at that time, that’s what they needed and he gave that to them. This year, they needed him up front and they were able to move him with [Alohi] Gilman coming in.
… A lot of these players that we have who can make position changes and can do things, I applaud the heck out of them. But most of them do it week to week. This week, I need you here. Next week, I need you there. He does it play to play. That’s a whole different ballgame. I don’t care how versatile you are, at a certain point you’re like, “What do I do on this play now?” And he does it seamlessly. And it’s not just because we know he’s a Mensa guy. That helps, but I know a lot of Mensa people who can’t do this.
Ravens Safety Alohi Gilman
As told to Bo Smolka
I didn’t have any expectations or know what to expect from him [as teammates at Notre Dame] because he was a hooper. He played basketball. He came in 180 pounds soaking wet, skinny little dude who hadn’t really come into his own in terms of how to play the position and play defensive back. Backpedaling, he looked a little awkward. I was able to help him obviously with some of those things, but you could tell as the weeks [went] by and how fast he learned, that’s what really stuck out to me. As an 18-year-old coming in, guys don’t come in and pick it up that quick.
… I was excited [to be traded to Baltimore]. He called me right away. The news was fresh, so I obviously didn’t have much thought to the moment, but in the back of my mind I was really calm and confident about it because I know I’ve got a guy like him and I know him and I have a relationship with him on the field and off the field. In the secondary, when you have that type of chemistry, it makes a big difference. In my mind I was automatically like, “Let’s go. I’m going to be in a good situation and we’re going to go play together and make it happen.” I was really excited.
NFL on CBS Analyst Jason McCourty
As told to Glenn Clark Radio
I think that there’s a special stat that you can look at with Kyle Hamilton. It’s called “watch the game.” You turn the game on and you watch No. 14 and you’ll completely understand why he makes the amount of money he makes to play the game of football and why his teammates, his coaches, fans and anyone that understands the game of football speak so highly of him.
You talk about last year having the need to move him to the back part of their defense to solidify it, and that helped change everything for Zach Orr, their defensive coordinator, and their unit. You fast-forward to this year, they did the exact opposite. They moved him up. I think what’s special about what he’s doing this year is that he can move all over the defense within a single game. He lines up the first play of the game and he’ll be in their five-man front, he’ll be rushing the quarterback. On play three, it can be third-and-8 and he’ll be in the slot and he’ll be matched up against Ja’Marr Chase.
… I said to Kyle [this fall], I remember a few years ago he had a moment in a game where he was supposed to be in the deep half and he ended up being short and there was an easy touchdown thrown over the top. He remembered it. He said, “You learn from that. If you’re ever in doubt, play deep to short.” Those growing pains help build you into the player you eventually become.
Ravens Secondary Coach Chuck Pagano
As told to Bo Smolka
He’s a great player, but a better person. Skill-set-wise, he’s not from this planet. He’s an alien. He’s a unicorn. … The guy is just super smart, loves the game. We ask him to do a lot in our scheme, and … you think about a 6-4, 220-pound safety that can get down in the box and do what he does on run downs. You blitz him, the way he can affect the quarterback. He has to cover wide receivers, tight ends, and he doesn’t flinch, and he’s athletic enough to do all those things. And oh, by the way, if you want to put him in the deep part of the field, you can put him back there and he can cover as much ground as anybody.
The guy is special. He’s a special, special talent. [And] he’s so selfless. You see guys who love being in the deep parts of the field, breaking on balls and intercepting balls and all that. Kyle, whatever you give him, he just puts his head down and goes to work. Doesn’t make mistakes. Plays his tail off, and he’s physical as hell. … The game seems easy. You never see him out of sorts. He’s just got this calm presence about him, and he’s such an easy mover. It’s like he’s never in a panic.
Ravens Safety Malaki Starks
As told to Bo Smolka
He’s different, man. He’s on a different level. He really is. You look at guys and you look at what they’re able to do and you look at the things that they want to get done, I think it’s special what he’s able to accomplish and how he gets it done. … I was excited [to play with Hamilton]. That’s who I wanted to play with. That’s who I wanted to learn from. I think I [was] asked predraft who I thought the best safety in the league was, and he was the first person. So just to be able to learn from him and his process and how he goes about things, I’m super grateful.
Ravens Outside Linebacker Kyle Van Noy
As told to Bo Smolka
He’s one of one. I put him in a separate category. I enjoy talking about Kyle because he’s not only a good player, he’s a really good human, too — just really does everything you want on a football field and off. I think I said it when I first got here — he was the most mature second-year player that I’ve ever been around. Now he’s turning into a veteran himself. He just continues to do a good job of being a leader and just making plays. It doesn’t matter, you put that guy at nose tackle, corner, edge rush, safety, he’s going to get the job done. We all wish we could have 11 Kyle Hamiltons. We just want to try to be like Kyle in that regard and make plays like him.
… I know people can’t hear the communication of teams and O-linemen and quarterbacks. They’re pointing at him, they’re scheming it up to stay away and go away from him, and he still is making hay and doing damage. It’s awesome to play with a player like that. I’ve played with amazing players, and I put him at the top of the list with the other ones. If I had an all-defense team with past teammates, he’s my starting strong safety, for sure.
Ravens Gameday Radio Analyst Rod Woodson
As told to Luke Jackson
Being able to move him around closer to the line of scrimmage or further away from the ball, he’s going to make plays no matter where he’s at. Some guys are just more comfortable being closer to the line of scrimmage. Some guys can play better football being back further away from the line of scrimmage on the back end, but he’s done a good job of being able to do either. Really being able to line him up and cover the tight end, cover the running back and cover the receiver, he’s done a pretty good job of understanding defenses and where he belongs inside of the scheme.
It might look like it’s a different responsibility [on every play], but football’s not overly complicated. … You’re going to have strong hook, weak hook. You’re going to have the strong curl, weak curl. You’re going to have flats. That’s really all you’ve got right there when you’re closer to the line of scrimmage. When you’re further away, you have outside one-third, you have the seams or you have the middle third. It’s not overly complicated. I think what he does well, though, [is] he just goes out and plays. He’s long, he’s physical. He covers a lot of ground faster than you think he does. I know he has long legs, but he gets to his target a lot faster than what people think.
He’s just one of those guys that normally when he gets his hands on the person with the ball, he’s bringing him down. I think that’s an indication of one of those guys that loves that old-school mentality of hitting and sweating and getting guys to the ground and to the grass.
Photo Credits: Kenya Allen/PressBox
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