Helping the Baltimore Ravens soar

You didn’t see them on the field during the season, but six Loyola alumni were working for the Baltimore Ravens organization as the NFL team won game after game—and finally Super Bowl XLVII.

They even have the Super Bowl rings to prove it.

The Greyhounds working for the Ravens are Dave Lang, ’05, digital media manager; Jay O’Brien, ’05; broadcasting manager; Kate Kaiser Kasabula, MBA ’10, corporate sales account executive; Molly Mita, ’11, digital media assistant; Kelly Quinlan, ’11, community relations assistant; and Eddie Healy, ’12, scouting department assistant.

On June 5, the Ravens visited the White House, and Lang and O’Brien had the opportunity to shake hands with President Barack Obama after the ceremony honoring the team.

Loyola magazine invited the alumni to answer a few questions about their experience working for a team during a Super Bowl Championship season.

Jay O’Brien:

Major/Minor: Journalism/English

Hometown: Helmetta, N.J.

Job: I am a content creator for the Ravens’ media properties. I produce and edit television shows which air locally on WBAL-TV, Comcast Sportsnet, and on BaltimoreRavens.com. On game day, I’m the associate producer for the Ravens Vision big screens.

Favorite moment from last season: Working on the Ravens’ sideline at the Super Bowl and having the confetti fall on me was a moment I will never forget.

What was the White House visit like? Working with professional athletes on a daily basis, I have learned to not get star struck but that’s pretty hard when you get to shake hands with the President of the United States.

When do you wear a Super Bowl ring? So far I’ve only worn it twice—the night we received the rings, and the following weekend at the Regional Emmy Awards where we won an Emmy for our Ravens content. But over the past couple of weeks, over a hundred family members, friends, and diehard fans have tried it on.

Kelly Quinlan:

Major/Minor: Marketing/Studio Art. I also was a four-year member of the women’s lacrosse team.

Hometown: Catonsville, Md.

Job: I work in the community relations department, which handles all of the team’s outreach and community giving. We work side-by-side with the players when they do outreach or distributions in the Baltimore community, as well. I help to handle all of the donations to nonprofit fundraisers and events, arrange player appearances, and distribute care packages to fans in need or military members serving overseas. I also help in the production of community-based publications, such as community releases, stories on our website, and our Annual Community Scrapbook.

The best part about working for a Super Bowl Champion team is: I love the fact that we have the ability to really make an impact in the lives of others. Firsthand, I get to interact with tons of fans, those that are local and some from all over the country. To be able to be associated with an organization that is so loved is incredibly humbling. A couple minutes of a player’s time can change the life of a sick child or a wounded warrior. We are able to help facilitate moments that people will remember for the rest of their lives. We get to use the power that we have to do good things. What’s cooler than that?

When do you wear a Super Bowl ring? I actually slept in my ring the night that I got it. As for now, my ring only comes out its hiding place by request. I will be wearing it for game days and special events, but other than that, I’ll probably keep it to myself. I find myself pulling it out at random times because it’s so cool.

Tell us something about working for the Ravens that we could never guess: Employees are able to use the incredible facilities that the Under Armour Performance Center possesses. In addition to the weight room, which is one of the largest in the NFL, we have access to a basketball court, racquetball court, and the indoor field house. Employees are also offered the opportunity to take yoga, spinning, and boot camp classes free of charge at the facility. We also get free lunch, which is awesome.

Dave Lang:

Major/Minor: Communication – specialization in digital media/Marketing

Hometown: Dumont, N.J.

Job: As the digital media manager, I oversee all the Ravens digital properties, including the website, social media, and mobile platforms. I do all of our Facebook and Instagram posts as well as some of our Twitter tweets and oversee our message boards. I handle our mobile app and mobile site and text alerts. I also explore new technologies and emerging platforms and try to determine what new and cool digital things we should do/use next.

Favorite moment from last season: The easy answer is getting to sit in the stands at the Superdome with my wife to watch the Super Bowl (it’s the first Ravens game we’ve ever been at that we’ve been able to watch together), seeing Jacoby Jones return a kick 108 yards for a touchdown, and celebrating the moment that we won the Super Bowl. Aside from winning it, though, my favorite moment from Super Bowl week was getting to be in the team picture with all our players, coaches, and a few staff members on the Superdome field a few days before the game. And the most memorable moments are probably the sendoff in the Inner Harbor before we left for New Orleans and the celebration at M&T Bank Stadium the Tuesday after we won.

The best part about working for a Super Bowl Champion team is: I thought going to the White House and shaking hands with the president was the most amazing thing until I received my Super Bowl ring. That was definitely the coolest part of winning a Super Bowl.

Tell us something about working for the Ravens that we could never guess: We get free food! That is probably the first thing that would come to many people’s minds. They feed us breakfast and lunch for free (and dinner during the season). We can also use the weight room that the players use—which is pretty much the greatest gym in the world.

Kate Kasabula:

Program: MBA

Hometown: Cockeysville, Md.

Job: I work in the corporate sales department as an account executive. I work with regional and national companies to develop sponsorship opportunities to accomplish their business objectives through Ravens-focused assets.

Favorite moment from last season: My favorite moment is a little more personal than professional related. We found out that our first child’s due date was Super Bowl, so we kept joking that this would be the year that the Ravens would make it to the Super Bowl. So as the Ravens progressed deeper into the playoffs, we got closer to the arrival of our baby. We ended up celebrating the Ravens Super Bowl win and the arrival of Connor within a week of each other. It was a pretty amazing February!

Tell us something about working for the Ravens that we could never guess: The people are more than co-workers. They are your family. They make each day enjoyable and create an atmosphere of teamwork, accountability, happiness, and overall fun. We are fortunate to do what we do and no one takes it for granted.