It’s a tragedy and a shame on the NFL’s HOF induction committee that David Modell has died at age 55 before he got a chance to see his late father Art Modell inducted into the Hall of Fame.
David Modell passed away Friday after battling lung cancer for nearly two years. He was the son of former Ravens owner Art Modell, who brought his team from Cleveland to Baltimore in 1996 and presided over it as owner until 2004.
David worked his way up his dad’s organization, starting as a grounds crew member for the Cleveland Browns in 1975 when he was 14 years old, until he became the Ravens’ first team president in 1996. He served in that position until 2004.
“I’ve known David since 1978 and, in many ways, we became like brothers,” General Manager Ozzie Newsome said. “We both grew up with the Browns and became Ravens together. We shared thoughts beyond the business of football. Life, family, children, politics, religion – we touched it all. You can trace much of the good of this franchise back to David. His passing shakes me.”
David was instrumental in establishing the Ravens in Baltimore. He was determined to embrace the city and have it embrace the Ravens in turn. From the selection of the team name and colors and the move to M&T Bank Stadium in 1998, to the hiring of former head coach Brian Billick, David coordinated the efforts as team president. His fingerprints are still present on many Ravens traditions. The franchise arrived in Baltimore in February of 1996, and there was a lot of work to do.
“We had nothing,” said Senior VP of Public and Community Relations Kevin Byrne, who was also part of the move from Cleveland to Baltimore. “We didn’t have a name, we didn’t have colors, at that point we didn’t even have an updated diagram of Memorial Stadium. David had to direct the formation of a football franchise in just a couple of months. The foundation he laid led to one of the model franchises, I believe, in the NFL. One of his keys, like his father, was he wanted the fans involved.”
In 1998, David coordinated the opening of M&T Bank Stadium, which once again incorporated design elements after surveying fans, including the wide concourses still in place today. David was instrumental in establishing many gameday traditions as well. David brought the “Marching Ravens” into existence after helping to keep the band alive after the Colts left Baltimore. He wanted Ravens games to have a college-like atmosphere, which also included a full female and male cheer squad, including stunts.
“David Modell was a good friend and valuable partner to me and my family,” former head coach Brian Billick said. “His ever-present and upbeat energy, along with his constant support, were at the very core of our success with the Ravens. He was the first to reach out to me and invite me to consider the Ravens, and he made it easy and inviting to come here. He will be sorely missed.”
David did it all during his time as an NFL executive, and did it with hard work, creativity and a sense of humor. While in Cleveland, he worked in every phase of the team except playing and coaching. He helped in the team’s ticket office, public relations department and started the marketing division – a first for an NFL team. David also served on the NFL’s Stadium and Expansion Committees.
I loved it when David Modell made one of his many public appearances on local talk radio. He was witty, engaging and truly in touch with the everyday fan.
It sickens me that the entirely irrational Cleveland-based hate campaign against his father not only kept his Dad out of the NFL Hall of Fame, but now has outlasted any chance David had to see that wrong righted in his lifetime.
David is survived by his wife, Michel, and their twins, daughter “Fee” (Aoife) and son “Bertie” (Bertram). From his first marriage, David is the father of daughters, Breslin and Collier, and sons, Arthur and David Jr. He’s also survived by his older brother John.
