Gov. O'Malley: Ravens "want to win" for Ray Lewis

(CBS News)Governor Martin O'Malley of Maryland -- who has recently made news calling for much tougher gun laws in the U.S. -- is in New Orleans to show his support for his home team, the Baltimore Ravens.

O'Malley said the Ravens' success on the field is a great "Baltimore's back" story and praised linebacker Ray Lewis -- who has been the subject of controversy through the years and of late -- as a "good and decent person."

The Ravens "want to win more for Ray than they want to win for themselves," O'Malley said Saturday on "CBS This Morning." "They feel like they're on a mission," he added.

Turning to more political issues, O'Malley touched on the state of gun control in the U.S. The governor, a Democrat, recently called for an assaults weapons ban and has proposed some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation.

"After the tragedies that we've seen...we're moving in a more positive direction," O'Malley said. "Democrats and Republicans alike, certainly in our state anyway, support the notion that you should have to get a license to buy a handgun, support the notion that assault style weapons...belong in the hands of soldiers...the public demands it," he insisted.

And while O'Malley's presence on the national stage throughout the gun control debate has led to some to say he may be setting the stage for a 2016 presidential run, O'Malley would only say that 2016 is "a long way away" and shared his praise for another possible 2016 contender, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"She's a very impressive person and would make an outstanding president," he said.