The defensive side of the ball has been the engine for the Baltimore Ravens for decades now. They've also had the luxury of kicker Justin Tucker being on the roster for the previous 11 seasons.

This makes Tucker the longest-tenured player on the Ravens, and it's paid off tremendously. Tucker has kicked 19 game-winning field goals throughout his career and has been named an All-Pro eight times (five first-team selections).

His success has been plentiful, but Tucker hasn't lost his desire to be great, nor the yearning for the ultimate prize.

"I'm the most tenured guy on the team, but I still come in with the same attitude that I had my rookie year where I'm just trying to take it one kick at a time and get better," Tucker said, via the team's website.

"What's keeping me motivated, I think for all of us – our why is a collective yearning for that championship experience and bringing that to a town that deserves a championship unlike any other."

Tucker was a rookie the last time the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2012. He made 30 of his 33 field goal attempts that year (90.9%) and has six seasons in which he's made over 90% of his kicks.

The former Texas Longhorn holds the NFL record for field goal percentage (90.5) and for the longest kick ever made (66 yards). Also, he tied a record by hitting three 50-yard field goals in one game back in 2016 against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

To perform on that level, at any position, requires extreme dedication and discipline. According to Ravens' special teams coach, Randy Brown,  Tucker does that and more.

"He kicks three or four days a week, and he knows when he's had enough, but it can range between 30 kicks one day and 60 kicks another," Brown said. "You think a guy like him, that he just comes to work. Well, he comes to work, and he works. We watch film every day, we work on Field Three every day. He gets better every day and if he misses a 65-yarder, he's [ticked]."

Tucker was an undrafted free agent coming out of college, and now he's arguably the best kicker in NFL history. He's a great example that anyone can achieve anything if they just work hard at it.

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Feature image via Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports