Above: Ramon Harewood

By the Caribbean Journal staff

After a Caribbean-filled Super Bowl XLXVI last year, this year’s contest between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens returns the region to the global sporting stage.

Ramon Harewood, an offensive lineman for the Ravens, will be the first player from Barbados to ever play in a Super Bowl when he steps on the field Sunday.

Harewood wa born in St Michael and was an all-american at Morehouse College in Georgia.

“It is with extreme pride that I step onto the field for Super Bowl XLVII representing God, my family, the Baltimore Ravens and my native country of Barbados,” Harewood said in a statement.  “The strong academic foundation and diverse athletic training I received growing up in Barbados has enabled me to achieve success on many levels as an adult.

The lineman was taken in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft, winning the starting nod at the beginning of this season for Baltimore. The 6-foot-6-1/2, 341-pound player has been playing football for just seven years.

This spring, Harewood, along with teammates Michael Oher, Ray Rice, Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin and Ladarius Webb will head to Barbados to conduct a football training camp for young Bajans, sponsored by the Barbados Tourism Authority.

“It is very important for me to be seen as a positive role model for all Bajan youth and I am thrilled for the opportunity to host my first annual football camp on the island I call home,” he said.

Campbell Rudder, vice president of USA marketing for the BTA, said the country was thrilled that Harewood would be representing the island in the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

“Ramon’s success and achievements coupled with his proud heritage continue to inspire Barbadians nationwide,” he said. “We wish him and the Baltimore Ravens the best of luck in taking home the championship title on Sunday.”