BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Ravens rookie linebacker Tavares Gooden isn’t sure what to expect in the National Football League, but he’s certain about this: he’ll have find another jersey number.

Gooden, a third-round pick, wore No. 52 at the University of Miami, the same number worn by former Hurricane and current Raven inside linebacker Ray Lewis.

Former Miami defensive coordinator and current head coach Randy Shannon gave Gooden, then 18, the jersey when he arrived on campus five years ago as motivation to become one of the greatest linebackers in school history.

“That number represents a legacy and I wanted to do my best to uphold that legacy,” Gooden said. “I took it as a challenge to take care of it.”

And that’s exactly what the 6-foot-1, 235-pounder did as a Hurricane by finishing his career with 137 tackles — 15 behind the line of scrimmage — and five passes defensed playing outside and middle linebacker.

But with the Ravens, he’ll likely play outside linebacker and on special teams.

“I really felt free when I got moved to the middle,” said Gooden, who made 100 tackles last year when he was moved to the position. “I couldn’t disappoint people then because I was in the same position as Ray Lewis. I just felt like all I had to do then was just get to the person with the ball.”

Eric DeCosta, Ravens director of college scouting, said people should just judge Gooden on his merits instead of comparing him to Lewis, a future Hall of Famer.

“[Gooden is] just a good football player,” DeCosta said. “He had a great year this year. We think he’s got a lot of potential. He made huge strides from his junior year to his senior year, in terms of improving his play and really taking the next step in becoming an elite college linebacker. We love good, fast, aggressive linebackers in Baltimore.”

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome feels Gooden could be the next linebacker acquired after numerous teams overlooked the player. Ray Lewis — a nine-time Pro Bowl selection — was selected 26th overall in 1996 draft, and was the fourth linebacker chosen behind Kevin Hardy, Reggie Brown and John Mobley. Bart Scott, who made his first Pro Bowl in 2006, wasn’t even selected in the 2002 draft, but the Ravens signed the Southern Illinois star as a free agent.

“Anytime you get a player from the Miami Hurricanes, you know you get someone who loves the game, who runs to the football, and knows and understands how to play the game,” Newsome said.

Gooden developed slowly at Miami, playing behind current Denver Bronco D.J. Williams as a freshman in 2003. He then took a medical redshirt year in 2005 after dislocating his left shoulder in the first game of the season against Florida State. The injury gave him a year to improve his physique and his academic standing. In May of 2007, Gooden graduated with a double major in liberal arts and criminology.

“I was just able to relax and have fun this year,” Gooden said. “I saw how close I was to getting that degree and I wanted to make sure I had it before I left school. With that out of the way, last season was almost like playing football professionally.”

Now, he gets to continue his career on a team filled with a bunch of former Hurricanes — safety Ed Reed, running back Willis McGahee and Lewis — and give an identity to his new jersey number the way Lewis has to No. 52.

“I’m going to take advantage of playing next some of the best linebackers in the NFL,” Gooden said. “I’m going to learn all I can.”

rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com