Joe D’Alessandris, whose practically half-century of teaching offensive linemen finally introduced him to 4 completely different NFL groups, has died. He was 70.
The Ravens, who Alessandris coached for since 2017, introduced that he died on Sunday. He was taken to hospital earlier this month with an unspecified, acute sickness, and that precipitated him to step away from his duties because the crew’s offensive line coach. The Ravens employed George Warhop as their offensive line coach on 14 August, once they introduced D’Alessandris’ prolonged absence.
Head coach John Harbaugh stated on the time that D’Alessandris had surgical procedure earlier this summer season and skilled problems.
“Our hearts ache with grief and disappointment upon studying of coach Joe D’Alessandris’ passing early this morning,” the crew stated in a press release. “‘Joe D.’ lived a lifetime of boundless religion, love, devotion and inspiration. As a husband, father, grandfather, pal and coach, Joe made each particular person he encountered actually really feel like they have been crucial individual on the earth.”
Born in 1954 in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, D’Alessandris coached within the CFL and the World League – in addition to at a number of schools – earlier than reaching the NFL ranks. He was an assistant with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, Buffalo Payments and San Diego Chargers earlier than settling in with the Ravens beneath Harbaugh.
“Coach ‘Joe D.’ was a person of integrity and a person of religion. He made us all higher,” Harbaugh stated. “He was our reader at crew Mass, and he was liked by all right here. He was a fantastic coach and man – the form of one that you might be honored to have as a pal. He raised three unimaginable, stunning daughters, and he was a most loving husband. His grandkids additionally adored him. I admired him, liked him and am going to overlook him, as a result of ‘Joe D.’ was a pleasure.”
D’Alessandris performed at Western Carolina and commenced his teaching profession there as a graduate assistant in 1977. His different faculty teaching stops included Livingston College, Memphis, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Samford, Texas A&M, Pittsburgh, Duke and Georgia Tech.
The Ravens will play within the league’s 2024 kickoff sport towards the Chiefs on 5 September.
