Following release, Chris Canty said he is 'very proud to be a Raven'

Defensive end Chris Canty appears to have a special place in his heart for Baltimore, even though he only spent two seasons with the Ravens.

On Friday, the Ravens announced that they released Canty from his contract. During his time in Baltimore, Canty totaled 63 tackles and 2.5 sacks. More importantly, he provided a veteran presence in the locker room and was someone the younger teammates could look up to.

Upon his release, Canty released a statement thanking the organization for allowing him to be a part of it the past two seasons:

"First thing I want to do is thank Steve Bisciotti, Ozzie and coach ‘Harbs' for bringing me to Baltimore and allowing me to wear the purple and black. I am very proud to be a Raven. They are a great franchise, and I was privileged to be a contributor to that outstanding tradition of defense that is part of the team's lore.

"I love the coaching staff there, including the defensive staff. Dean [Pees], my line coach Clarence Brooks, Ted [Monachino] - really, all of them. What can I say about my teammates on that side of the ball? [They are] special players and good people, like ‘Sizzle' [Terrell Suggs] and Haloti [Ngata]. Thank you. They helped me re-discover and continue my passion for football, a game I respect and love.

"I also want to thank Ravens fans. They embraced me immediately, and I embraced them back. They were inspirational.

"I am going to continue to prepare to play again and will explore other possibilities to play the game I love."