Tony Siragusa, a standout defensive lineman at the University of Pittsburgh before helping to lead a stout Baltimore Ravens defense to a Super Bowl title, has died. He was 55.
Siragusa played at Pitt from 1985-89 before spending 12 seasons in the NFL. His broadcast agent, Jim Ornstein, confirmed the death Wednesday. The cause of death was not immediately available.
“This is a really sad day,” Ornstein said. “Tony was way more than my client, he was family. My heart goes out to Tony’s loved ones.”
Siragusa, known as “the Goose,” played seven seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and five with the Ravens. Baltimore's 2000 team won the Super Bowl behind a defense that included Siragusa, Ray Lewis and Sam Adams.
Siragusa was popular with fans because of his fun-loving personality, which also helped him transition quickly to broadcasting after his playing career.
Siragusa came to Baltimore as a free agent in 1997 and teamed up with Adams to form an imposing defensive tackle tandem. In the Ravens’ 2000 championship season, the 6-foot-3, 340-pound Siragusa was sixth among Baltimore defenders with 75 tackles.
He finished his NFL career with 22 sacks.
While at Pitt, Siragusa stood out as a sophomore in 1986, when he compiled 78 tackles and seven sacks, according to a statement from the University of Pittsburgh. Although he was hampered by injuries in the next two years, his performance as a senior helped the Panthers to amass an 8-3-1 record, including a 31-28 win over Texas A&M in the Sun Bowl.
In its statement, Pitt said Siragusa was one of the most popular Panthers players of his era: "Never one to shy away from a needle-moving quote, Siragusa once said, 'If I wanted to learn a school song, I would've gone to Notre Dame or Penn State. I want to kill people on the football field. That's why I came to Pitt.'"
Signed as a free agent by the Indianapolis Colts. Siragusa played for seven years with the Colts before joining the Ravens. He retired from the NFL after the 2001 season, but worked as an analyst for FOX's NFL coverage, Pitt said in its statement. He also had a recurring role on the HBO television series "The Sopranos" and hosted shows on the Discovery Channel and DIY Network, according to the university statement.
"Tony truly was bigger than life, on and off the field," Pitt football Coach Pat Narduzzi said in a statement. "He played the game passionately and relentlessly. Despite not being drafted, he thrived in the NFL for 12 years. His post-football life took him so many places but he never forgot Pitt. We could always count on him to send the best-recorded pep talks to our guys before our biggest games."
