Joe D’Alessandris is irreplaceable. The Ravens said on Sunday that the longtime offensive line coach died earlier that morning at the age of 70. He had been hospitalized earlier this month with what the team said was an acute illness related to an earlier surgery.
Certain people associated with the Ravens can’t be replaced. One was late owner Art Modell. Another is Ozzie Newsome.
D’Alessandris is on that list. He didn’t impact the NFL the way Modell or Newsome did. Rather, D’Alessandris was just an honorable, hard-working man who was liked by everyone within the organization.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh probably summed it up best in a statement released by the team Sunday. “Coach ‘Joe D.’ was a man of integrity and a man of faith,” he said.
“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.
“He raised three incredible, beautiful daughters, and he was a most loving husband. His grandkids also adored him. I admired him, loved him and am going to miss him, because ‘Joe D.
’ was a joy.” In some ways, D’Alessandris reminded me of former and late Ravens coach Ted Marchibroda, who died in 2016 after coaching in the NFL for 37 years. Regardless if you interviewed Marchibroda at 6 a.
m. at the team hotel at McDaniel College or late at night on the phone, both D’Alessandris and Marchibroda always had stories to tell. Having spent 37 years covering the NFL, I always found D’Alessandris’ tales to be entertaining, interesting and funny.
He began his coaching career in 1977 before going on to lead offensive lines in college, the Canadian Football League, the World Football League, and later the Buffalo Bills (2010-12) and the then-San Diego Chargers (2013-15). Those stories were legendary. “’Joe D.
’ was a rock, a great coach and a better person,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said. “He cared about the team deeply, exhibiting a relentless passion to excel while displaying genuine love for his players. I especially treasure my conversations with him, talking about football and life.
I will always remember standing back with Joe on the practice field and watching him up close with his players. Coach was the consummate teacher and friend, and I will miss him deeply.” That’s only part of the reason D’Alessandris can never be replaced.
Watching him coach offensive linemen on the field was pure pleasure. He was animated and extremely technical. He never showed fear of getting in the face of any player, whether he was a possible Hall of Fame guard named Marshal Yanda or a consistent Pro Bowl like Ronnie Stanley or just another guy.
D’Alessandris could show love. He could chew a guy out and then wrap an arm around him as he did with center Tyler Linderbaum, who made the Pro Bowl last season. D’Alessandris had that gift.
He could make everyone better. The Ravens named George Warhop to replace D’Alessandris on Aug. 14 after Harbaugh said the latter would miss significant time.
It comes as the Ravens are rebuilding their unit after losing guards John Simpson (New York Jets), Kevin Zeitler (Detroit Lions) and tackle Morgan Moses (Jets) in the offseason. Related Articles Veterans like Stanley, Patrick Mekari and Linderbaum will be OK, but will be interesting to see how Warhop handles young guards like Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele and center Nick Samac. That’s not an indictment of Warhop’s coaching ability, but rather that D’Alessandris had a far-reaching impact on this franchise.
He leaves behind a great legacy after 7 1/2 years in Baltimore. It wasn’t just about football, but being a mentor in life and having a strong faith. I will miss his antics at practice; those hard trudging steps about planting feet, using hands and being in proper position.
Every interaction with him felt special. That’s why he is irreplaceable..
