By Noah Trister | Related Press
Tony Siragusa, the charismatic defensive sort out who helped lead a stout Baltimore protection to a Tremendous Bowl title, has died. He was 55.
Siragusa’s broadcast agent, Jim Ornstein, confirmed the dying Wednesday. The reason for dying was not instantly accessible.
“This can be a actually unhappy day,” he mentioned. “Tony was far more than my consumer, he was household. My coronary heart goes out to Tony’s family members.”
Siragusa, often called “Goose,” performed seven seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and 5 with the Ravens. Baltimore’s 2000 staff gained the Tremendous Bowl behind a protection that included Siragusa, Ray Lewis and Sam Adams.
Siragusa was widespread with followers due to his fun-loving persona, which additionally helped him transition rapidly to broadcasting after his enjoying profession.
“There was nobody like Goose — a warrior on the sector and a staff unifier with a giving, beneficiant coronary heart who helped teammates and the group greater than most individuals know,” mentioned Brian Billick, the coach of that Tremendous Bowl-winning staff. “We might not have gained the Tremendous Bowl with out him. That is such beautiful, unhappy information.”
Siragusa got here to Baltimore as a free agent in 1997 and teamed up with Adams to kind an imposing defensive sort out tandem. Within the Ravens’ 2000 championship season, the 6-foot-3, 340-pound Siragusa was sixth amongst Baltimore defenders with 75 tackles.
He completed his profession with 22 sacks.
“I really like Goose like a brother. From the primary day we met, I knew that life was totally different. I knew he was somebody who would change my life ceaselessly,” Lewis mentioned. “He was a one-of-a-kind one that made you are feeling essential and particular. You may by no means exchange a person like that.”
The information of Siragusa’s dying got here on what was already a tragic day for the Ravens. The dying of Jaylon Ferguson, a linebacker for Baltimore, at age 26 was introduced earlier within the day.
“This can be a tremendously unhappy day for the Baltimore Ravens,” proprietor Steve Bisciotti mentioned. “We admire everybody who has expressed an outpouring of help for our gamers, coaches and employees.”
Siragusa was a star soccer participant and wrestler at David Brearley Excessive College in New Jersey. He then performed collegiately at Pittsburgh, the place his repute for wisecracks started properly earlier than his NFL profession.
“If I wished to be taught a faculty tune, I might’ve gone to Notre Dame or Penn State,” he as soon as mentioned. “I wish to kill folks on the soccer discipline. That’s why I got here to Pitt.”
Siragusa went undrafted earlier than signing with Indianapolis, however he turned out to be a power within the NFL for one of the crucial celebrated defenses within the sport’s historical past. Then he took his persona to the airwaves, working for Fox’s NFL protection. He additionally had a task on HBO’s “The Sopranos” and hosted reveals on the Discovery Channel and DIY Community.
“Tony actually was larger than life, on and off the sector,” present Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi mentioned. “He performed the sport passionately and relentlessly. Regardless of not being drafted, he thrived within the NFL for 12 years. His post-football life took him so many locations however he by no means forgot Pitt. We may all the time rely on him to ship the very best recorded pep talks to our guys earlier than our greatest video games.”