Earlier this month, outside linebacker Demone Harris lost the engagement ring he bought to propose to his girlfriend. He was also out of a job after being cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Now things are looking up for Harris after the Ravens signed him to their practice squad Tuesday. And the ring? You'll have to keep reading.
The 23-year-old Harris was an undrafted free agent from Buffalo in 2018 who was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent portions of 2018 and 2019 on Tampa Bay's practice squad before he was released on Oct. 5.
That's when things really got interesting. He was released during Tampa Bay's bye week, but he had already left for Buffalo to propose to his girlfriend, Arianna Marinelli. Harris found out he had been released once he arrived in Buffalo. A few hours later, he received a phone call from the Ravens, saying they they wanted him to fly to Baltimore for a tryout.
Harris decided he would propose when he returned to Buffalo. He flew to Baltimore, tried out with the Ravens, then returned to BWI. But once he arrived back at the airport, Harris realized he had lost the ring. He took an Uber back to his hotel room, searched everywhere, but he couldn't find the ring. A dejected Harris flew back to Buffalo with no ring, and he was still uncertain if the Ravens were going to sign him.
Harris contacted the jeweler who made the ring in Tampa, who said he would make Harris a temporary ring. Harris flew to Tampa the next day, turned in his Buccaneers playbook and received a phone call from the Ravens saying they intended to sign him. An hour later, he received a phone call from the hotel in Baltimore. The ring had been found.
With the ring in Baltimore and his girlfriend in Buffalo, Harris asked the Ravens if they could overnight the ring to Buffalo in time for him to propose last Friday. The Ravens shipped the ring, Harris proposed, Marinelli accepted, and now Harris has a new fiancé and a story to tell forever.
Harris wrote about the entire saga on Instagram, saying he was already indebted to the Ravens for bailing him out with the ring. Give Harris the nod for practice player with the most interesting proposal story.
The Ravens also placed outside linebacker Pernell McPhee on injured reserve, so Baltimore could use another pass rusher on the 53-man roster.
Update: It looks like Harris found the woman who found his engagement ring and rewarded her with two $500 gift cards.
