Photo courtesy of the Ravens
Joe Douglas isn’t a household name for most Ravens fans, but his work has been critical to the organization’s success over the last 15 years.
The national scout accepted a job with the Chicago Bears to become their college scouting director, a position currently held by Joe Hortiz in Baltimore. Douglas joined the Ravens in 2000 and famously filled the role of “The Turk” — the man who informed players that they were about to be cut — when their training camp was profiled in HBO’s “Hard Knocks” in 2001.
Despite remaining in the background during his time with the Ravens, Douglas was largely responsible in scouting and recommending Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco, who was selected with the 18th pick of the 2008 draft and went on to become the Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XLVII. The scout was also instrumental in the evaluation of Rutgers running back Ray Rice, who was drafted in the second round that same year.
Douglas was promoted to the role of national scout following the 2012 draft after he previously served as Southeast area scout from 2009-2011. He also played a key role in facilitating the signing of undrafted free agents, an area in which the Ravens have excelled for years.
