Steelers' Rashard Mendenhall Exposed Ravens Lies About Ray Rice's Rookie-Year Drama

Pittsburgh Steelers former running back, Rashard Mendenhall made big headlines during his rookie season. This happened when Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice claimed that Steelers' Mendenhall texted him predicting a massive game for himself against the stout Ravens defense. 

It was a Monday Night Football game, and it was going to be Mendenhall's first start of his career. Rice passed the text message around the locker room, and Ravens punisher Bart Scott was fired up to have some bulletin board material. Scott was clowning Mendenhall for making a rookie move and adding fuel to the fire. Mendenhall ended up starting in place of an injured Willie Parker, but ended up getting hurt by a Ray Lewis hit early in the third quarter.

In a recent interview with Steelers Takeaways, Mendenhall explained that Rice and the Ravens lied about his mystery text message. Mendenhall clarified that he never sent any message to Rice, calling the entire situation a fabrication by the Ravens and media for entertainment.

"TV made all of that stuff up," Mendenhall said. "I wasn’t talking sh** about the Ravens. I learned Willie wasn’t playing because of injury and they told me I was ready. I was so focused on preparing for that game – I wasn’t talking trash. Ray Rice let things get out of hand with his comments about me and later apologized. It made for great drama, but it never happened."

The so-called message from Mendenhall was nothing more than a made-up narrative that Baltimore ran with to hype themselves up according to his comments. 

Unfortunately for Mendenhall, the false story became a major talking point before the game, painting him as an overconfident rookie stepping into the NFL’s most heated rivalry. He never got the chance to prove himself that night, as the Ravens defense swarmed him, and his night ended early with a devastating hit from Lewis that resulted in a fractured shoulder. Mendenhall explained that Lewis was talking trash all night and detailed what the injury was like from his perspective.

"And the way it happened – it was great," Mendenhall said. "I wanted to show Ray Lewis what I was about. I met him head on in the hole – I did it at full speed and it was like hitting a brick wall!"

Mendenhall’s rookie season may have been cut short by that brutal hit, but the false text message saga remains one of the more bizarre stories in Steelers-Ravens history. It was a classic example of how far teams would go to gain an edge in one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries. 

The Ravens took full advantage of the manufactured drama, and Mendenhall, unfortunately, became the scapegoat for a story that never even happened. The media also appears to have played a major role in the drama build up according to Mendenhall.

Steelers' Rashard Mendenhall Got A Reality Check About AFC North Football

Despite the early setback, Mendenhall bounced back and carved out a respectable career in the NFL. He played a solid role in the Steelers' offense when given the chance. The rookie mistake that never actually happened didn’t define him, and he ultimately proved his worth on the field. However, his fumble in the Super Bowl and the way he has talked about the Steelers in his post playing days has soured how he's viewed by fans in the Steel City.

Looking back, the whole situation reflects just how intense and psychological the Steelers-Ravens battles were at the time. Mind games, trash talk, and intimidation were all part of the formula. For Mendenhall, it was a harsh welcome to the rivalry, but it was also a lesson in the brutal, no-nonsense world of AFC North football.

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