The Baltimore Ravens will wear a new decal on their helmets this season to pay tribute to of two members of the organization who died in the offseason. A former player and a former coach will both be honored on the team's helmets.
Who do the Ravens' helmet stickers honor?
Former wide receiver Jacoby Jones and former offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris both died during the offseason and will be honored on the team's helmets. The new decal has the names Joe D. and Jacoby along with Jones's No. 12.
Jones died in his sleep on July 14 due to cardiovascular disease. He was only 40 years old.
D'Alessandris died on August 25 due to an illness that was a complication of a surgery he underwent early in the summer. He was 70.
Who was Jacoby Jones?
Jones was a former wide receiver and return man who played three seasons with the Ravens. He started his career with the Houston Texans after being a third-round pick in 2007. He signed with the Ravens in 2012 and immediately became one of the NFL's most dangerous return men.
In 2012, Jones was named first-team All-Pro after returning two kickoffs and a punt for touchdowns. He also helped lead the Ravens to a 34-31 victory in Super Bowl XLVII over the San Francisco 49ers.
In the second quarter of the Super Bowl, he hauled in a 56-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to give the Ravens a 21-3 lead. He then returned the second-half kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown, to increase Baltimore's lead to 28-6.
Jones played for the Ravens through the 2014 season, then spent 2015 split between the then-San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. He played the 2017 season for the Monterrey Steel of the National Arena League, then signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Ravens.
The former Pro Bowler went into coaching following his NFL career and had most recently spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as the wide receivers coach at Alabama State.
Who was Joe D'Alessandris?
D'Alessandris was a longtime NFL and college offensive line coach. He began his career as a graduate assistant for his alma mater Western Carolina in 1977. He had a career that spanned more than 40 years. At the college lever, he coached at Livingston (now West Alabama), Memphis, Chattanooga, Samford, Texas A&M, Duke, Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech. Professionally he coached for the Ottawa Rough Riders and Memphis Mad Dogs of the CFL, and the Birmingham Fire of the World League of American Football.
He began his NFL coaching career in 2008 with the Kansas City Chiefs and spent two seasons there. He was with the Buffalo Bills from 2010 through the 2012 season, spent three seasons with the then-San Diego Chargers from 2013 through 2015, then found his way to Baltimore. He coached the Ravens' offensive line from 2017 until he died this offseason.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as What Do the Stickers on Ravens Helmets Stand for?.
