Ravens running back Willis McGahee is out to prove perception isn’t reality when it comes to his commitment to winning.

The six-year veteran is coming off a solid season during which he rushed for 1,207 yards and seven touchdowns, averaged 4.1 yards per carry and made the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement. But McGahee also left a lot of yards on the field, as he had the tendency to take himself out during the second half of games to catch his breath, something hopes to change this season.

“The goal for me is to stay on the field,” he said. “I want to stay on the field more than I did last year. I was coming out of the game. That was last year and this is a whole new year. Another goal is to finish those long runs and score some touchdowns.”

McGahee, who the Ravens acquired in a trade prior to last season, attended few of the team’s voluntary workouts during the offseason when head coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron were installing a new offense. It also prevented him from establishing cohesiveness with an offensive line dealing with the retirements of center Mike Flynn and left tackle Jonathan Ogden.

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“Willis is a great running back and we hope to get a number of yards for him this year,” center Jason Brown said. “Willis’ success is tied in with our success and our success is tied in with Wills’ success.”

Harbaugh said McGahee is considered a vital part of the offense, but he needs to be in peak condition to be effective.

“The guy is a quality back in the NFL,” Harbaugh said. “We just need to get him in football shape and give him an opportunity to learn this offense inside and out. Everybody needs to be in better shape to play at the tempo we’re going to try to play at. It has nothing to do with last year. It just has to do with the fact that if you’re a world-class athlete, you need to be in world-class shape. That takes world-class work.”

McGahee, 26, is no stranger to hard work. He missed all of the 2003 season with the Buffalo Bills while recovering from a horrific left knee injury suffered during the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State the previous winter. Many questioned whether McGahee would play again following the injury, in which he dislocated his knee and tore nearly every ligament in it.

But since 2004, McGahee has rushed for 4,572 yards and 31 touchdowns, including a career-high 1,247 yards in 2005 with the Bills, who drafted him in the first round of the 2003 draft.

“That’s life,” McGahee said. “If I’m not out on the field tomorrow then there’s something wrong. McGahee’s out of shape or there’s an injury. That’s just how it is. Everyone has their own opinions on things.”

rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com