Tony Siragusa, a former NFL defensive tackle who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, has died, his former teammate Jamal Lewis told TMZ Sports. He was 55 years old. The cause of death has not been announced, but his death was confirmed by Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.
“The Goose, Tony Siragusa has passed away at 55… I’m heart broken as is all of Colts Nation,” Irsay tweeted. “He followed that up by writing, “The Goose squeezed 200 fun loving years into 55!! He was one of the most physically strongest players I have ever seen in 50 years In Greece,they would ask 1 question at the end of one’s life; Did He Have Passion? In Tony’s case..Yes He Did!!”
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Siragusa signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent from Pittsburgh in 1990. He spent seven seasons with the Colts before signing with the Baltimore Ravens in 1997. He helped the Ravens win the Super Bowl in 2000 after recording 27 tackles and three passes defended in 15 games during the regular season. He retired from the NFL after the 2001 season and finished his career with 564 tackles, 22 sacks, five forced fumbles, seven passes defended and nine fumble recoveries.
“This is a tough one,” Siragusa’s former teammate and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis said in a statement. “I love Goose like a brother. 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. We should never put off tomorrow for what we can do today. Hug your loved ones for Goose. We were all so blessed that God gave us that time together celebrating our 2000 team a few weeks ago.”
Following his football career, Siragusa became a sideline reporter for Fox Sports and held that position for over a decade. He also had a TV and film career as he appeared in the HBO series The Sopranos as Frankie Cortese. Siragusa also played a Russian mobster in the 2002 movie 25th Hour.
