I stayed up late to watch our guy. It was my first NFL game from start to finish in decades. His story continues. The Baltimore Ravens were hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars on Amazon Prime. Joe Fagnano got the start at QB on Thursday. What? Incredible. What a script. It still gives me goosebumps. The former Williamsport Millionaire is living large. The past 12 months have been a complete whirlwind. Joe is the man. Period. There are no other words to describe.
I have been following Joe since his days in high school. I wrote two columns this past year about him. I look back and smile. Joe Fagnano actually made it. A quick recap for those living on Mars or Lairdsville.
From HUSKY JOE 11/5/25. “UConn’s quarterback Joe Fagnano is trending. The Williamsport Area High School grad is having an unbelievable season. He is leading the NCAA in several offensive categories. Fagnano was recently added to the “Manning Award” watchlist. Joe is also gaining momentum with the voters for this year’s Heisman. Dude?”
“Sports Illustrated ran a story last week comparing Fagnano to some of the elite quarterbacks. His numbers and stats speak volumes. The savvy UConn Husky is no longer flying under the radar. Joe Fagnano is moving up the NFL draft boards. You can’t make this up, sports fans.”
“I reached out to Mom to see if I could score Joe’s number. I am somewhat friendly with his parents and brothers. Joe got back a few hours later. What a stud. Fagnano is so good-looking. Joe was super polite and very grateful. He thanked me for the kind words and told me he was crazy busy. Joe mentioned he could talk on the phone early next week. He was getting prepped for his game on Saturday. No worries, kid. I have you covered. My deadline is in a few hours.”
“Well done, Joe. Keep up the great work. My man is playing great football. He is gaining some national attention. Again. Fagnano is doing all of this at a smaller independent without any major television coverage. Another beautiful story. This could be just the beginning. Go Huskies. Cheers.”
Okay. I am not a prophet. Nor am I a soothsayer. But I love that last line. This could be just the beginning. I can’t feel my legs. The story continued.
From RAVEN JOE 5/6/26. “The former Williamsport Millionaire played at the University of Maine before transferring. A few injuries and a COVID year helped Joe gain an opportunity. He was no longer flying under the radar. Fagnano was trending. He was named to the “Manning Award” watchlist. Joe was even getting some love for the Heisman. He was leading the NCAA in several categories. Fagnano was one of the elite quarterbacks.”
“Joe was invited to the NFL Combine. He also worked out for many teams. Fagnano had a pro day and earned a lot of respect. No one called his name at the 2026 Draft, but the Baltimore Ravens signed him immediately. The 6’4, 225 grad school grad is an athlete. He has a great arm and a savvy pocket presence. Joe is wicked smart, and Baltimore loves his intangibles. Fagnano has a chance to make the roster as a backup. Or land a spot on the scout team. Joe had a solid final season. His numbers were ridiculous. Fagnano threw 3,448 yards. 28 touchdowns and 1 interception. Yes. One pick. Crazy. His QB rating was impressive. Joe finished his career with 10,718 yards and 93 touchdowns.”
“I had the opportunity to call some of Joe’s games back in high school. I followed his career at Maine and UCONN. I love seeing all of the recent posts from his former coaches. I also enjoy interacting with the Fagnano and Smith families. Joe and I will exchange a few texts. It makes me happy. We are all so proud of Williamsport’s finest. My man Joe is so talented and super good-looking. Keep up the great work, kid. What a beautiful story. Best wishes in camp. Go get ’em. Cheers.”
Man. That is great writing.
Joe Fagnano played well in camp and the preseason. He was still a long shot. But Fagnano made the 53-man roster. Unheard of. Especially for an undrafted free agent rookie. NFL teams never keep 3 QBs on the active list. The national media gobbled up his story. There is a beautiful piece of Joe calling his parents with the news. He became an instant celebrity. Fagnano continued to prepare and do what was needed. Then everything happened. Lamar Jackson is one of the best in the business. The 2-time NFL MVP went down with an injury. The backup also got hurt. Next thing you know- Millionaire Joe is in the shotgun against the Buffalo Bills. Joe finished the game. He was listed as an emergency quarterback. No time to rest. The Ravens had to regroup fast. They had a quick turnaround. A Thursday Night matchup with Jacksonville.
Baltimore named Joe the starter on Monday. Everyone went ballistic. News outlets had no idea who he was. His incredible story soon hit the front pages. His adorable wife Lydia also got some major pub. She helped Joe with the playbook on their honeymoon. You can’t make this up. Fagnano handled everything with class. He was soft-spoken and short with his answers in the pressers. All of Lycoming County became instant fans. Local schools encouraged their students to wear black and purple. Raven fans unite. Goosebumps.
I watched the pregame with a smile. Teach even joined in the madness. Again. The NFL on Amazon Prime. Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit. We grinned whenever they talked about Joe and Williamsport, PA. They even zoomed in on Lydia and told her story. Dude? We are buddies. The Ravens were outgunned. I knew it was coming. It didn’t matter. Fagnano looked great on the opening drive. He was 3-3 and led them to a field goal. The Coaches were doing everything they could to help the undrafted free agent rookie QB. Different formations. Wildcat. Direct snaps to running backs. It worked. Then the Jaguars adjusted. The heavy rains and wet field didn’t help Joe’s cause. Fagnano did his very best and never quit. He only had one deep throw downfield that was tipped. Jacksonville is legit. They are one of the best. The Jaguars went on to win 33-10. No worries. I was super proud of my guy Joe.
Who knows what will happen. Baltimore made some moves to bring in another quarterback. Joe will be just fine. He had his moments. Fagnano earned the opportunity. Tough task for our youngster. Three days to prep against a legit defense. Again. This is incredible. It was so cool to watch our guy on the biggest stage. He made it. He did it. No matter the outcome was. We all watched him. Lydia too. They are getting more love than Prince Harry and Meghan. Seriously. Someone pinch me. A walk-on at Maine. Former UCONN Husky. Williamsport Millionaire. And a STARTING NFL QUARTERBACK for the Baltimore Ravens. Major props to the Fagnano family.
Thanks Joe. Cheers.
