Inside The Panthers

Former Pitt DT Tony Siragusa Dies at 55

The former starting defensive lineman for the Pitt Panthers passed away on Wednesday.
Stephen Thompson|
Former Pitt DT Tony Siragusa Dies at 55
Former Pitt DT Tony Siragusa Dies at 55

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Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panther and Super Bowl-winning defensive tackle Tony "Goose" Siragusa died on Wednesday at the age of 55. He started for two years on head coach Mike Gottfried's Pitt defensive lines and, if not for an untimely ACL injury in 1988, would have likely been drafted in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft. 

The former Panther, Siragusa was a dominant force n the interior of the defensive line. His 6-foot-3, 330-pound frame made him almost immovable for opposing offensive linemen. During both his years as a starter, the Pitt defense held opponents to less than 20 points per game. The team's 1987 mark of 12.2 opposing points per contest was fifth in the country that year. 

Siragusa spent for 12 years in the NFL playing for the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens and won a world championship with the Ravens in 2000. 

He amassed 404 total tackles over the course of his professional career, including 14 for a loss. Siragusa added 22 sacks for good measure in addition to nine recovered fumbles and seven passes defended.

Siragusa was a fan favorite in Baltimore and made warm impressions with his intense eating habits and regular appearances on television and radio. In his post-playing days, Siragusa spent 13 years as an analyst for Fox Sports. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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