AN ISOLATED SITUATION. WELL, HEARTBREAK ACROSS RAVENS NATION TONIGHT AS WE LEARN OF THE DEATH OF OFFENSIVE LINE COACH JOE D'ALESSANDRIS, ALL OF THE CONDOLENCES POURING IN SHOW HOW GREAT HE WAS ON THE FIELD, AS WELL AS HOW HIS WISDOM AND KINDNESS IMPACTED SO MANY. 11 SPORTS PETE GILBERT JOINS US NOW. AND PETE, YOU KNEW THE MAN EVERYONE CALLED COACH JODY. INDEED, JOE DALLAS SANDERS SPENT THE LAST SEVEN YEARS OF HIS COACHING CAREER HERE IN BALTIMORE. BUT IT REALLY FELT LIKE HE WAS A LIFELONG RAVEN COACH. JODY HAD SURGERY EARLIER THIS SUMMER AND COMPLICATIONS FROM THAT ARISING DURING THE FIRST RAVENS PRESEASON GAME LED DALLAS SANDERS TO THE HOSPITAL ON AUGUST 10TH, PASSED AWAY. THEN THIS MORNING AT THE AGE OF 70. JODY SPENT 45 YEARS COACHING FOOTBALL ALL OVER THE WORLD WITH THE RAVENS. SINCE 2017. BEFORE THAT, HE COACHED WITH THE CHIEFS, BILLS AND CHARGERS IN THE NFL. HE COACHED IN THE CFL. HE COACHED IN COLLEGE. HE COACHED IN THE WORLD LEAGUE OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL. HE AND HIS WIFE TONI, WHO PASSED AWAY IN MAY OF 2022 FROM CANCER, HAD THREE DAUGHTERS AND FIVE GRANDCHILDREN. I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH COACH JODY. THERE WERE ALWAYS ABOUT FOOTBALL OR FAMILY OR BOTH. A TRULY KIND AND THOUGHTFUL PERSON, WHICH YOU KNOW, FOR SURE BECAUSE PEOPLE SAID THE SAME THINGS WHILE HE WAS WITH US AS THEY DO NOW THAT HE HAS PASSED. RAVENS GENERAL MANAGER ERIC DECOSTA, IN A STATEMENT RELEASED TODAY ON JODY, QUOTE TODAY IS A SAD DAY FOR THE BALTIMORE RAVENS. JODY WAS A ROCK, A GREAT COACH AND BETTER PERSON. 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 WITH HIM CLOSE UP AS HE COACHED THE PLAYERS. COACH WAS THE CONSUMMATE TEACHER AND FRIEND AND I WILL MISS HIM DEEPLY. OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO TO JOE'S DAUGHTER AND FAMILY AND