Deonte Harty always wanted to play for his hometown Ravens growing up. The Archbishop Curley graduate played at M&T Bank Stadium as a kid and has a purple-clad family.
So when he signed with the Ravens in mid-April to be the team's return specialist, his "dream" was finally coming true. But it quickly turned into a nightmare.
A few days after reporting to the Under Armour Performance Center, Harty's daughter, Taylee, was born. She arrived on time, but there were complications. Her lungs were filled with fluid and not fully developed, forcing her to spend six weeks in the hospital.
Harty missed Organized Team Activities and mandatory minicamp to be by her side. What was supposed to be one of the best summers of his life turned into one of the worst.
"It's just one of those things where you realize that you really have no control," Harty said. "I'm a firm believer in God, so it's just one of those moments where you just gotta let go and let Him guide you through that. You kind of feel hopeless because there's literally nothing you can do."
For weeks, all Harty could do was wait in Houston, where Taylee was born.
His emotions were aided by the support around him, and he leaned on his family and friends. Back in Baltimore, the Ravens were showing their newcomer love from afar, and Harty said he even heard from people in the organization he hadn't met yet.
"Deonte's had so many things in his life that have just snuck up and been a part of his life, family-wise, in the last four or five months, and he's dealt with [it] so well," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "He's been a rock for his family."
Eventually, Taylee recovered and Harty returned to Baltimore for training camp, where he really began his dream.
Harty said he's always been someone with a strong perspective about life, but his tumultuous summer took that to another level. He noted that when the Ravens started 0-2, people on the outside thought it was the end of the world, and Harty knows all too well that's not the case.
"You got people out here that's working three jobs and living paycheck to paycheck. Us losing a game or coming out here, this is fun," Harty said. "There's no pressure with none of this. This is a game that we've been playing all our life.
"Going through that personally for myself, I guess you could say, yeah, we're losing, but just think about all the stuff that everybody else is going through. Think about all the problems that's going on in the world."
While Harty spent the summer supporting Taylee, she's returning the favor this season. She came to Harty's M&T Bank Stadium debut against the Las Vegas Raiders, was at the Week 3 game in Dallas, and she'll be at the "Sunday Night Football" showdown in Baltimore this week as Harty faces his former team, the Buffalo Bills.
This will be Harty's first Sunday night game since Week 18 last season with the Bills, where his fourth quarter 96-yard punt return touchdown helped Buffalo win the AFC East. Before the game there might be some extra hugs and hellos on the opposing sideline, but once he steps onto the field it will be business as usual.
Sunday will also be Harty's first primetime game as a Raven at M&T Bank Stadium. He said he's received a bunch of messages from family telling him they'll be in the stands, and he's excited to play in such an electric environment in his hometown.
"It's gonna be a good feeling," Harty said. "I mean, no better than to be able to do it against the team that I was on last year. It'll be fun to be able to be out there and have my family out there on Sunday night football, wearing all black. It'll be a good day."
Even after his difficult summer, this season has been different for Harty. Because the touchback line is at the 30 with the new Dynamic Kickoff, coaches told him to not take the ball out of the end zone. It's a change of pace for the former All-Pro returner, who said he's used to taking the ball out from five, six, seven yards deep, but he's still getting opportunities as a punt returner.
"He's looked really good as a player," Harbaugh said. "He's been very secure. Every time he gets the ball in his hands, I can hear the whole crowd hold their breath a little bit. ... Maybe we can break him loose here real soon."
Harty is coming off his best game as a Raven with two strong returns in Dallas, but his goal is to take one to the house. Because once he does, that ball is going straight to Taylee.
"I'm just trying to get her her first football," Harty said. "My oldest is two, and she already got one, so now I gotta get one for the baby."
