Ravens Honor Late Coach, Jacoby Jones With Helmet Decal

The Baltimore Ravens will play with a lot of emotion this season.

Oct 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris instructs before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / charles leclaire-usa today sports

The past several weeks haven't been easy for the Baltimore Ravens.

On July 14, former Ravens wide receiver and kick returner Jacoby Jones, the hero of the team's Super Bowl 47 run, suddenly and tragically passed away in his hometown of New Orleans. Then on Aug. 25, offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris passed away less than two weeks after being hospitalized for an "acute illness."

The two men may be gone, but they are certainly not forgotten, especially in Baltimore. On Tuesday, the Ravens unveiled a new helmet decal honoring both Jones and D'Alessandris. All players will wear the decal on the back of their helmets, just above each of their numbers.

This season, we play for Joe D and Jacoby 💜 pic.twitter.com/URHUl5fbtZ

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 3, 2024

"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," head coach John Harbaugh said, per the team's site. "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."

Jones, 40, played nine NFL seasons with four teams, though he is most remembered for his postseason heroics in 2012.

His first of several huge plays came in the Divisional Round against the top-seeded Denver Broncos, when he hauled in a 70-yard bomb from Joe Flacco to tie the game in the final minute of regulation. Then in Super Bowl 47 against the San Francisco 49ers, Jones had two touchdowns - a 56-yard reception and a 108-yard kickoff return - to help the Ravens win their second championship in franchise history, in his hometown no less.

"I loved Jacoby Jones. We all did," Harbaugh said after Jones passed. "His spirit, enthusiasm and love for people were powerful. He was a light."

D'Alessandris, 70, had nearly years of coaching experience and had been in the NFL since 2007. Affectionately called "Joe D." by his players, he became the Ravens' offensive line coach in 2017 and quickly became one of the most-respected coaches on the staff. His loss hits particularly hard, especially for the offensive linemen.

"He touched a lot of lives and was a great man," guard Andrew Vorhees said. "It's our calling now to go and honor him with the way we play and the way we conduct ourselves throughout the season."

After losing two franchise legends, the Ravens will be playing with a ton of emotion this season.

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