Blair Cheers Baltimore Ravens to Victory
Ashley Taube
The usual sea of Ravens purple had a touch of Blair blue this weekend as 16 excited students descended on M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. After a random drawing from those interested to determine the roster, a fan bus, driven by Head of School Peter G. Curran P’27 ’27, left Blair early Sunday, bound for Charm City. They were there for more than just a Ravens victory over the Washington Commanders—they came to cheer on Blair alums Odafe Oweh ’18, David Ojabo ’19 and Sanoussi Kane ’20, who have made their mark on the NFL.
In an amazing show of Blair pride and support, Odafe—an outside linebacker in his fourth year with the Ravens—worked with Assistant Director of Annual Giving Kristine Scialla to generously offer Blair students the opportunity to attend the game as his guests. Before kickoff, Odafe made his way on the field as team captain for the coin toss, taking center stage on the jumbotron to the cheers of his Blair family looking on. During the nail-biting 30-23 win, Odafe recorded a tackle, adding to his 14 combined tackles and 3.5 sacks for the season. Third-year linebacker David and rookie safety Sanoussi supported their team for the Ravens’ fourth win of the season, helping to strengthen their lead in the AFC North.
“I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity that Blair presented to me years ago,” Odafe explained. “I started my football journey there and it’s always important to remember where you began and give back. Who knows, some Blair kid can be inspired by the game, and just like that you ignite someone’s drive to pursue something.”
Joining in on the Blair-Baltimore connection was Ravens fan and alum Quinn McKay ’11, who happened to be in attendance for the game and swung by the “Blair family” section to reunite with Director of Alumni Relations Courtnay Stanford ’95 and Mrs. Scialla.
“It’s great to see the student activities at Blair growing and thriving,” Quinn said. “I love how the Blair community continues to unite alumni through activities in different cities, especially being able to support three Blair alumni playing for the Baltimore Ravens!”
After the game, students gathered for a meet-and-greet with the Blair players who were in their shoes not too long ago. The alums took the time to sign dozens of autographs, pose for photos and chat with the current students—including many current Blair football players—about their time at Blair and their careers after leaving the hilltop. Students were treated to Ravens swag bags as well, with fun gear to commemorate the exciting day.
“It was really cool to see people in the position that I dream to be in and a blessing to get to talk with them after the game and hear a little bit of their journey and advice they had for me,” noted JuJu Anderson ’25, who has verbally committed to playing football at the University of Pittsburgh in the fall as a defensive end, the same position as Odafe and David.
“This was an amazing experience and I am so thankful to have gone,” Evie Holleman ’27 shared. “Meeting the players was a phenomenal way to interact with so many more people and expand my horizons. That was probably one of the best days of my life.”
Fellow Buc Toby Curran ’27 echoed his classmates' sentiments, saying, “It was amazing seeing how kids in the same position as us at Blair put in a lot of time and work on the football field and ended up making it to the NFL, playing in front of hundreds of thousands of fans.”
The occasion was also a sweet reunion for Head Athletic Trainer Brad Strauss, who trained all three players during their time at Blair. Mr. Curran and Mr. Strauss were met with massive hugs from the football titans, and it was all laughs and smiles as the crew reunited and swapped stories.
“To see them fulfilling their dreams of playing in the NFL is remarkable, especially knowing they are doing it together,” Mr. Strauss said. “I am thankful to be part of their journey, and being there to celebrate this win with them felt like a full circle moment.” At the meet-and-greet, Sanoussi asked Mr. Strauss if his quote about feeding your dreams in order to achieve them was still up in the weight room at Blair, and he was happy to share that it was. “I am so proud that they keep feeding their dreams and reaching their goals,” Mr. Strauss added.
As Odafe, David and Sanoussi gear up for their next challenge against Tampa Bay on Monday night, the Blair community will be watching, cheering and ready for another unforgettable moment from the Ravens trio we fondly remember as Bucs.
“I’m hoping this will have a shift in the pride and the resources put into Blair football,” Odafe remarked, “because you never know whose life you could be changing.”
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