Tony Siragusa, outspoken anchor in the middle of Ravens’ first championship defense, dies at 55 – The Denver Post

Tony Siragusa, the wisecracking wall of flesh often known as “Goose” who anchored the center of a record-setting Ravens protection in the course of the staff’s first Tremendous Bowl run, died Wednesday, a staff spokesman stated. He was 55.

The reason for dying was not instantly identified.

The New Jersey native was an undrafted free agent who started his 12-year NFL profession with the Indianapolis Colts earlier than he grew to become a fan favourite over 5 seasons with the Ravens from 1997 to 2001. He was a traditional nostril sort out, occupying a number of blockers and clearing house for Corridor of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis because the Ravens set a document by permitting simply 165 factors over a 16-game season in 2000.

However the 330-pound behemoth was often known as a lot for his affable persona as his energy on the sector. He was a star of the primary season of HBO’s documentary collection “Exhausting Knocks,” carrying shirts that stated “Massive Daddy” throughout the chest and cracking jokes about how he would torture rookies. That paved the best way for an appearing profession and a 13-year run as a pregame and sideline persona on Fox’s NFL protection.

“He was simply an enormous persona,” recalled his teammate, linebacker Peter Boulware. “When he got here into the room, he owned it. He was lifetime of the room, lifetime of the social gathering. He was simply the lifetime of every part.”

“It is a robust one,” Mr. Lewis stated in an announcement offered by the Ravens. “I like ‘Goose’ like a brother. From the primary day we met, I knew that life was completely different. I knew he was somebody who would change my life without end. He was a one-of-a-kind one who made you are feeling necessary and particular. You may by no means change a person like that.”

Ravens proprietor Steve Bisciotti stated he was heartbroken, calling Mr. Siragusa “a particular particular person and clearly one of the crucial common gamers in Ravens historical past.”

Mr. Siragusa liked to spin tales about his Italian roots, bolstered in his hometown of Kenilworth, New Jersey, the place there was a highway, By way of Vitale, named after his grandparents and a seemingly countless provide of sausage, ravioli and cannoli. He had buddies with nicknames reminiscent of “Massive Nostril” and “Hacksaw” as he grew right into a defensive drive at David Brearley Excessive after which the College of Pittsburgh.

The daddy of three (Samantha, 25; Anthony Jr., 23; and Ava, 20) started relationship his spouse, Kathy, in highschool, and she or he later advised Baltimore associates, “I knew the entire bundle from the beginning.”

Mr. Siragusa was a free spirit, who, when he wasn’t smashing working backs, rode a Harley-Davidson, fished for marlin off his 30-foot boat and donned scuba gear for diving journeys within the Bahamas.

He got here to the Ravens in 1997, when the staff was nonetheless struggling in its second season after shifting from Cleveland.

Kevin Byrne, the staff’s longtime spokesman, had watched Mr. Siragusa carry out a sack dance throughout a Ravens loss to the Colts the earlier 12 months, so he assumed a prima donna was getting into his world.

As an alternative, he met “one of many nice and hottest characters in Ravens historical past.”

Mr. Siragusa famously disdained coaching camp. One 12 months, he held out, solely to reach on the staff’s coaching website in Westminster through helicopter. He had starved himself for days to make coach Brian Billick’s weight requirement and when Mr. Billick stated he didn’t truly need to weigh in, Mr. Siragusa fumed.

One other summer time, he confirmed up with a paintball gun and used it to torment the staff’s rookies and the cleansing workers of the Greatest Western the place the Ravens stayed. After coach Ted Marchibroda advised him to chop it out, he fired a final shot a number of toes from a custodian who was cleansing an higher flooring. “You missed one!” Mr. Siragusa bellowed.

When the person climbed right down to rant at him, Mr. Siragusa peeled off a roll of payments and handed them over, lastly inspiring a smile. “A minimum of he paid for his errors,” Mr. Byrne stated.

Mr. Boulware was the staff’s first-round decide in 1997. “For those who have been a rookie, he was going to let that you just have been a rookie. He would you let you’ve got it,” he stated. “When you graduated from that, he welcomed you in.”

Mr. Siragusa was a full-time starter and main voice because the Ravens’ protection step by step reworked into one of the crucial fearsome in NFL historical past. He and defensive sort out Sam Adams have been the immovable forces up entrance.

“‘Goose’ was fairly a personality, however he was certainly one of our leaders on the 2000 Tremendous Bowl staff,” former Ravens common supervisor Ozzie Newsome stated. “He was in all probability top-of-the-line run-stoppers to play for our protection over time.”

His impression went past the inside fight by which he specialised on the sector.

“A few of us have been immature and simply didn’t actually know be professionals, and having guys like ‘Goose’ form of sit you down, having anchors like that throughout the locker room, was enormous to the success we had,” Mr. Boulware stated. “Siragusa, he was at all times lightening the environment, making coaching camp, or simply laborious occasions, simpler. He would snort at himself, snort at us.”

Throughout the 2000 AFC championship recreation, he drove Oakland Raiders quarterback Wealthy Gannon to the bottom shoulder-first, a pivotal play because the Ravens held a high-flying offense to a few factors. Although Mr. Siragusa at all times maintained he had no intention of wounding Mr. Gannon, the hit went down as a chief instance of the Ravens’ punishing fashion as they rampaged to the Tremendous Bowl.

“We might not have received the Tremendous Bowl with out him,” Mr. Billick stated flatly.

As soon as he reached the most important stage in sports activities, Mr. Siragusa luxuriated within the highlight. A reporter requested what job he would hate to have. “I’d hate to be a plumber if my sewer backed up,” he stated.

As he moved on to behave within the Spike Lee movie “twenty fifth Hour” or in “The Sopranos” and to seem on Fox’s NFL broadcasts, teammates grinned on the character all of them remembered. “Individuals noticed him and so they assumed, ‘That’s theater or he’s simply making an attempt to behave,’ however that was simply him,” Mr. Boulware stated. “Digital camera or no digicam, that’s ‘Goose.’ That’s why we liked him a lot.”

Mr. Siragusa’s antics obscured his tender facet, Mr. Byrne stated. When a fireplace worn out a teammate’s residence a number of days earlier than Christmas, Mr. Siragusa confirmed up with a automobile stuffed with presents for the participant’s displaced household. Through the years, he would alert the Ravens when a former teammate was down on his luck and wanted assist.

“Let’s simply be certain he’s doing OK,” he would say.

When key gamers from the 2000 staff gathered lately on the Meyerhoff Symphony Corridor to movie scenes for an upcoming ESPN documentary, Mr. Siragusa advised the perfect jokes but in addition took time to test in with everybody, Mr. Byrne stated. He was by no means simply the category clown.

The Ravens didn’t launch particulars on providers and stated in an announcement “the Siragusa household asks that everybody respect their privateness throughout this tough time.”

Mr. Siragusa stated he at all times tried to retain his humorousness and optimism, even within the face of tragedy. On a 2012 look with radio host Howard Stern, he recalled the evening when he held his father, Peter, who was gasping for air as he suffered a deadly coronary heart assault.

Mr. Stern requested Mr. Siragusa, who was 21 when his father died, if he frightened about struggling an analogous destiny. “If I die tomorrow,” he responded, “I advised my spouse, simply put a smile on my face, put a little bit Sinatra on.”

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