The Baltimore Ravens announced the death of veteran lineman Tony Siragusa, a key member of the team’s Super Bowl LI victory in 2001.
The team’s statement didn’t reveal a cause or location of his death.
“The Siragusa family asks that everyone respect their privacy during this difficult time,” the organization stated.
Tony Siragusa spent a 12-year playing career as a defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens before working for Fox Sports from 2003 to 2015, including nearly ten years as a sideline analyst on the network’s NFL broadcasts.
“This is a tough one. I love Goose like a brother,” said former Ravens star Ray Lewis. “From the first day we met, I knew that life was different. I knew he was someone who would change my life forever. He was a one-of-a-kind person who made you feel important and special. You can never replace a man like that.”
“On the field, he was the ultimate competitor who brought out the best in all of us.”
Jamal Lewis, a previous back, stated that Siragusa was one of the most modest and funniest individuals he knew. They shared a locker room on gamedays.
“He was never bothered and enjoyed life,” Lewis stated. “While I had butterflies in my stomach, he was cracking jokes and pumping me up at the same time.”
Star Shannon Sharpe is a professional football player who’s battled addiction. He was discovered while playing high school football in New Jersey. In fact, the term “Sharpee” refers to his signature touchdown celebration that involves pointing to the sky and making an X with his arms. The scene became one of the most iconic moments on “Hard Knocks,” when Seragusa fooled the team’s tight ends by barricading their meeting room with table and a pallet.
“Once I realized we were locked inside, I already knew who did it,” Sharpe said in 2021. “When pranks were pulled and things happened, you know to a certain degree who would do something like that and it was Goose.”
In the following episode, Sharpe takes Goose’s vehicle from the players’ parking lot to a grocery store to get his payback, eventually coercing a grinning Siragusa to apologize and vow that he won’t bother him for the rest of camp. After touching his fingers together, Siragusa agreed.
Seragusa has also appeared in “The Sopranos” as a minor character named Frankie Cortese, appearing in four episodes. She was also in the 2002 Spike Lee film “25th Hour.”
On the Fox sideline, Siragusa was well-known for his unusual costumes. He donned a bowler and a deep crimson coat for an event in London. For a holiday game, he sported a Christmas tree jumper.
His on-the-bench mannerisms were both loved and condemned. In 2016, a Barstool Sports writer called him the “most unintentionally funny sideline reporter of all time.”
Outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson died on Friday, hours after the Ravens announced his death. The cause of death was not stated. Ferguson was taken by Baltimore in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft from Louisiana Tech. In three seasons with the team, he had 67 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 38 games, 10 of which were starts.
“This is a tremendously sad day for the Baltimore Ravens,” stated Steve Bisciotti. “We appreciate everyone who has expressed an outpouring of support for our players, coaches and staff.”
