Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said coach was “a great man of faith”
The Baltimore Ravens have dealt with tough things lately, including the passing of one of their coaches and a devastating preseason injury to a running back. And Ravens head coach John Harbaugh took time Monday to give a heartfelt statement after Joe D’Alessandris’s passing.
Harbaugh’s comments were posted on video by the Ravens page on X.
Harbaugh addressed the media and said, “Just wanted to express again our heartfelt condolences and our very best wishes and prayers to Joe’s family, his three amazing daughters, who have been with him every step of the way, (and) all of his great-grandkids, who we saw today with our players, running around here in the fieldhouse.”
Ravens’ John Harbaugh said Joe D’Alessandris made impact
The 70-year-old D’Alessandris had been coaching since 1977 as a graduate assistant for West Virginia. He joined the NFL in 2008 with the Chiefs as an assistant offensive line coach. He came to the Ravens in 2017. On Aug. 14 he went into the hospital for an acute illness. He passed away Sunday afternoon.
More than football, D’Alessandris added much more to the franchise, Harbaugh said.
“That means so much when you look back on Joe’s life, and what an impact he had on so many people,” Harbaugh said. “You see some of the tributes that you all did. It’s so appreciated. You guys really captured Joe perfectly well with your tributes, both in the written and TV stuff. Thank you for that.”
And D’Alessandris earned respect not only as a coach, but also as a person.
Jones died at his home in New Orleans on July 14 at the age of 40. He died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, according to khou.com.
“Those are two people we’re going to dedicate our season to this year,” Harbaugh said. “And do everything we can to make them proud of us when they’re watching from where they’re watching. We appreciate those two great men very much.”
The Ravens posted a statement from the team Sunday, saying in part, “Joe D. lived a life of boundless faith, love, devotion and inspiration. As a husband, father, grandfather, friend and coach, Joe made every individual he encountered truly feel like they were the most important person in the world. Anyone fortunate enough to have spent time with Joe was forever touched by his genuine and uplifting nature.”
