OWINGS MILLS — Ravens coach John Harbaugh announced the team will wear helmet decals throughout the season to honor two of the most beloved members of their organization who passed away over the last two months — offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris and former wide receiver/returner Jacoby Jones.
“Hopefully, those helmet tags of Jacoby Jones and Joe D’Alessandris help to serve as a reminder to all of us that it’s about the people,” Harbaugh said on Tuesday. “It’s about the people in your life that you share this time on Earth with. Treat them right, cherish them, celebrate them, love them, and remember them.”
D’Alessandris died on August 25th at the age of 70 after an undisclosed acute illness. He had been hospitalized because of an earlier surgery and had taken a leave of absence from the team earlier this month.
D’Alessandris was born April 29, 1954, in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, and was an assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and San Diego Chargers before taking the job with the Ravens.
In D’Alessandris’ absence, the Ravens added George Warhop to the staff. Warhop has more than 40 years of coaching experience, including 27 seasons guiding NFL offensive lines.
Jones died in July at his home in New Orleans from natural causes. Hypertensive cardiovascular disease was cited as his cause of death. He was 40.
Jones is best remembered for being at the receiving end of what is called the “Mile High Miracle” in the 2012 AFC divisional playoffs against the Denver Broncos. In that game, quarterback Joe Flacco heaved a game-tying 70-yard touchdown pass to Jones with under a minute left in regulation to send the game into overtime. Then-rookie kicker Justin Tucker sent Baltimore to the AFC championship with a 47-yard field goal to secure the 38-35 win.
In addition, Jones had a 56-yard touchdown reception and a 108-yard kickoff return for a score in the second half to help lead the Ravens to a 34-31 victory over the San Fransisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.
“Make the most of these moments, because our time on this Earth is short – it’s short-lived,” Harbaugh said. “Life is short, run to the ball. It’s a flicker where grass burns up in the daytime sun, and it’s what you do between those two dates that matter. It’s kind of a reminder of all that kind of stuff.”