Zach Orr played high school football less than 20 miles from AT&T Stadium, where the Ravens will face the Dallas Cowboys Sunday.
It'll be a homecoming for Baltimore's new defensive coordinator. His parents, brothers, and a sizeable contingent of family and friends will be in the stands, cheering their hearts out when Orr runs onto the field.
Orr will remember the moment, and the people who love him will cherish it. But this isn't a week for Orr to walk down memory lane, reliving his days playing for DeSoto High School and the University of North Texas. The bottom line for Week 3 is simple: Make this a happy homecoming by helping the Ravens beat Dallas to get their first win of the season and Orr's first win as defensive coordinator.
"I'll get a chance to see my family and the people who supported me my whole life," Orr said. "It's something I'll probably take in more later down the line.
"But right now, I don't care where we're playing. I'm just trying to help this team get a win. I haven't eaten or slept much, just putting in the work. We're trying to find ways to get better, and it'll all work out. I fully believe that."
The Ravens had a legitimate chance to win their first two games, but losing both has ramped up the urgency to win Sunday. Meanwhile, the defense has not played up to its standards. Baltimore has yielded more passing yards than any team in the NFL, 257 yards per game, and Rashee Rice and Davante Adams both had 100-yard games against the Ravens.
The challenging start has put Orr more under the microscope in his first season as coordinator and play caller, taking over for Mike Macdonald, who left to become head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. But know this about Orr: He doesn't dodge pressure, won't make excuses, and isn't deterred by adversity. If anything, starting 0-2 has made Orr even more determined.
"I'm a competitive person, so I look at it as a challenge," Orr said. "When things happen, people told me you can't change anything, it's about what you do going forward. I've taken that advice. It's helped me in certain situations where I haven't hung my head or haven't played the blame game or felt sorry for myself.
"Everybody's going to face challenges, so you're either going to shy away from it or you're going to take it head on. I'd rather take it head on and figure it out."
On a typical weekday during the season, Orr's in the office by 6:30 a.m. and may not leave until close to midnight. His enthusiasm is infectious, he connects with the players he coaches, and his passion for football is tireless. He's one of the most respected people in the organization, as someone who made the roster as an undrafted linebacker and became an All-Pro, then pivoted to coaching after a congenital neck/spine condition ended his career at age 24.
Orr comes from a football family, the son of former tight end Terry Orr, who won two Super Bowls during a 10-year career, and Orr has three brothers who all played college football. Terry's parents and two brothers will be at Sunday's game, where the Orrs will have Zach's back and be watching with pride, wearing Ravens colors.
"I played for Washington, can't stand the Cowboys," Terry said. "I'm probably more excited than his friends, college buddies, and all the people I've been hearing from this week who've been calling me.
"He's earned this opportunity. I didn't even want my sons to play football. I stressed education more with them. But when they decided to play, I told them the NFL is a fraternity I can't get you into. You have to get there yourself. Zach has done it; he's earned all his success, and I'm just very proud of him."
Orr is the second-youngest coordinator in the NFL at age 32 and was highly coveted during the offseason. He interviewed to be the Green Bay Packers' defensive coordinator, and Terry thought his son would go to the Seahawks as their coordinator.
"That's where I thought Zach would go, with Mike," Terry said. "It was a whirlwind few days after last season. 'Harbs' (Head Coach John Harbaugh) called Zach after he interviewed with Green Bay and said, 'I need to see you.' Zach is a Raven. He's home. It's going to be great."
Orr is fully aware that some people are wondering how much the defensive scheme will change under his leadership. Orr has his own ideas, but he helped develop the system that Baltimore plays. The Ravens plan to become a better defensive team as the weeks progress, and after two games it's still early in the process.
"I'd say it's to be determined how much will change," Orr said. "Last year's chapter is written and done with. We're still writing our chapter. We've got a long way to go in this season. When it's over, then we can look back and compare."
Orr's immediate take is to find a way to celebrate his first win as a coordinator. In Texas, in front of family and friends, would be a fitting setting for it.
"I have no doubt at all that we're going to get ourselves turned around because I see the response from the guys every day in the meeting rooms, every day on the practice field," Orr said. "This early adversity is going to make us closer as a group. It's going to make us stronger down the home stretch."
