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Ravens’ Play Calls Coming From a 14-Year-Old Cancer Patient

By ArtieFufkin

Matthew Costello is the Ravens secret weapon (Photo: Jamie Costello via ESPN)

Rick Reily has a heartwarming piece in ESPN the Magazine, that tells the story of Matthew Costello, a 14-year-old cancer patient from suburban Baltimore, who has become a critical-but-little-known component of the Baltimore Ravens playoff run.

Costello happens to be a classmate of Danny Cameron, who’s father Cam Cameron is the Ravens offensive coordinator.  When Cameron – a cancer survivor himself – learned of Costello’s inoperable brain tumor, he went to visit the young boy at his home to deliver a football signed by Joe Flacco, along with some words of encouragement:

Cam Cameron is a class act

Cameron talked with Matt for 20 minutes, and then, as he was leaving, turned and said, “Hey, Matthew, whaddya wanna call for our first play Sunday?”

Mouth open. Eyes not blinking.

“Seriously,” Cameron said.

Since Matt played QB for the school team, he knew when it was time to audible. “Play-action pass,” he said. “Be cool if you could get it to Todd Heap.”

Sure enough, first snap against the Chicago Bears in Week 15 — with the Ravens trying to make the playoffs — Flacco fakes the handoff and drops back to pass. Only he bounces the ball off the turf for an incomplete pass. But later in that series Cameron looks at his play sheet. Scrawled on the side, he’s written Matthew Costello. So he calls Matt’s play again and it goes for a 14-yard touchdown to Heap, the tight end. Ravens win, 31-7.

End of story, right? Except, three weeks later, the night before the Ravens’ playoff game with New England, Cameron calls again.

“OK, Matt, whaddya wanna do Sunday?”

“Run the ball,” pronounced Matt. “Ray Rice. He’s hot.”

So, first play against the Patriots, Flacco hands to Rice. There’s a hole and Rice is through it like he’s being chased by a bear.

“And I’m thinking to myself, ‘Don’t tell me this is going to go all the way,’” Cameron remembers. It does — 83 yards, untouched, for a touchdown. “The whole way, I’m thinking of Matthew,” Cameron says.

And just like that, the Baltimore Ravens have become the sentimental Super Bowl favorites.