The Baltimore Ravens ‘ preseason is over, and they ended on a sour note with a 30-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Saturday. But on Sunday, the Ravens woke up to worse news than they ever could have imagined: the death of one of their longest-tenured coaches.
Related: Top-selling NFL jerseys 2024: See the Baltimore Ravens’ best-selling jersey
Baltimore Ravens’ OL coach Joe D’Alessandris passes away
According to the Baltimore Ravens, longtime offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris died at the age of 70. He’d been a coach since 1977 when he started out as a graduate assistant with the Western Carolina college football team. In 2008, D’Alessandris accepted his first NFL job, as the Kansas City Chiefs’ assistant offensive line coach.
In 2010, he accepted a promotion as the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line coach. He joined the Chargers in the same role in 2013 before departing for the Ravens in 2017 in the same capacity, where he remained until his passing.
However, D’Alessandris was hospitalized for the past two weeks while dealing with an “acute illness” that required constant treatment. He had surgery over the summer, and this latest illness was reportedly due to complications from going under the knife.
After a 45-year coaching career, it’s safe to say D’Alessandris will be missed by many. His impact cannot be overstated.
“Coach ‘Joe D’ was a man of integrity and a man of faith. He made us all better. He was our reader at team mass, and he was loved by all here. He was a great coach and a good man — the kind of person who you are honored to have as a friend. I admired him, loved him and am going to miss him, because ‘Joe D’ was a joy.”
John Harbaugh’s statement on Joe D’Alessandris
George Warhop has since assumed lead duties of the Ravens’ offensive line coach, where he’s expected to remain for the rest of the season. But that doesn’t mean D’Alessandris will quickly be forgotten. After all, he coached five Pro Bowl linemen over his Ravens tenure, including Marshal Yanda, Ronnie Stanley, Orlando Brown Jr, Tyler Linderbaum, and Kevin Zeitler.
He’ll be survived by his three daughters, who now have to find a way to move on without their father.
Related: Worst NFL starters on all 32 NFL teams, including big-name QBs
More must-reads:
Local Baltimore, MD
Most Popular
Comments / 0