Joe Fagnano’s wife Lydia helped him prepare for games with walkthroughs in their living room before his NFL debut: Here’s more about her and how the two met

The Ravens called on undrafted Joe Fagnano again for the Thursday, November 5 game against the Jaguars, despite suffering an ankle injury. This came after their starting quarterback Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley were injured. Jackson suffered a dislocated thumb after being missing from games with an ankle injury, while Huntley got into a turf toe injury.

Fagnano completed 10-of-21 passing for 91 yards and recorded one interception in his first-ever game for the NFL on November 1. Before signing for the Ravens, the 25 year old played college football for the Main Black Bear and UConn Huskies, where he threw for 3,448 yards and 28 touchdowns with only one interception.

Fagnano’s wife Lydia helps him prepare for games

After his NFL debut Fagnano revealed that his wife Lydia, helped him prepare for the game in Week 8 of the regular season, against the Buffalo Bills. Talking to reporters after the game, Fagnano said the two had practiced walkthroughs in their living room before to help him prepare.

He added that while he had always done things to prepare for games, the extra support was welcome. “She probably knows the playbook better than us at this point,” Fagnano said, adding that his wife reads plays and is also learning signals.

Lydia went viral on social media during the Ravens’ Week 9 game against the Jaguars. She was shown multiple times on the big screen during the first half of the game and also when Fagnano went on to pick up a first down. She expressed electric emotions throughout the game and was praised by several people online.

Who is Lydia Fagnano?

Lydia also has an athletic background. She is a former college athlete and competed in cross country and track and field, while attending the D’Youville University in Buffalo. She also used to compete in swimming and cross country while in high school, which earned her some honors.

Now she works as a medical sales recruiter with a startup called Vendor Connect. While she shares some personal moments on social media, she maintains an overall private lifestyle.

Joe and Lydia are high school sweethearts

The long-time couple got married on July 11, 2026 in Pennsylvania, after Joe proposed to Lydia in May 2025. Before getting married the couple had been together for several years, after starting to date in high school. Lydia told The Athletic Lifestyle, that the two also remained in a long distance relationship for seven while finishing their respective colleges.