Tony Siragusa

Tony Siragusa
refer to caption
Siragusa in 2006
No. 98
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born:(1967-05-14)May 14, 1967
Kenilworth, New Jersey, U.S.
Died:June 22, 2022(2022-06-22) (aged 55)
Ortley Beach, New Jersey, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:340 lb (154 kg)
Career information
High school:Brearley (Kenilworth, New Jersey)
College:Pittsburgh (1985–1989)
Undrafted:1990
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:564
Sacks:22.0
Forced fumbles:5
Fumble recoveries:9
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Anthony Siragusa (May 14, 1967 – June 22, 2022), nicknamed "the Goose", was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 12 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League (NFL). After his football career, he worked as a sideline analyst for NFL games broadcast on the Fox Network from 2003 to 2015. He also hosted various shows on television, such as the home renovation program Man Caves on the DIY Network.

Early life

Siragusa attended David Brearley High School in Kenilworth, New Jersey.[1] In high school, he played football and was also a member of the wrestling team.[2] He was the New Jersey state wrestling champion with a 97–1 career record.[3] In football, he played defensive line, punted, and place kicked. He had a 39-yard punting average and made 15 of 18 extra point attempts.[4]

College career

Siragusa attended the University of Pittsburgh and played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers. He was a starting defensive tackle in his sophomore and junior seasons (1986 and 1987) under head coach Mike Gottfried.[5][6][7]

During a practice in April 1988, Siragusa tore his left anterior cruciate ligament, and underwent surgery that forced him to sit out the entire 1988 season.[8] Before his injury, Siragusa was considered a potential first-round draft pick, but afterwards, he was seen as such a risk that he went undrafted in the 1990 NFL draft.[9]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 2+3⁄4 in
(1.90 m) 		286 lb
(130 kg) 		33+3⁄4 in
(0.86 m) 		9+7⁄8 in
(0.25 m)		 5.13 s 1.83 s 2.98 s 4.45 s 26.5 in
(0.67 m)		 8 ft 4 in
(2.54 m)		 25 reps
All values from NFL Combine[10]

Indianapolis Colts

Siragusa was an undrafted free agent in 1990 and was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as a defensive tackle.[11] He played nose tackle[12] to draw the double teams when the Indianapolis Colts were in a 3–4 defense or 4–3 defense. As a rookie, he appeared in 13 games and started 6 games and recorded 1 sack, 36 total tackles, and 1 fumble recovery.[13] In the 1991 season, he started in 6 of his 13 game appearances and recorded 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and 46 combined tackles.[14] In the 1992 season, he appeared in all 16 games, starting in 12, and recorded 3 sacks and 65 combined tackles.[15] In the 1993 season, he appeared in and started 14 games and recorded 1.5 sacks and 76 combined tackles.[16] In the 1994 season, he appeared in and started all 16 games and recorded 5 sacks, 88 combined tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery.[17] In the 1995 season, he appeared in and started 14 games and recorded 2 sacks, 49 total tackles, and 1 forced fumble.[18]

Siragusa was a key part of the Colts team that narrowly lost the 1995 AFC Championship Game; after the season, he was unhappy that Colts coach Ted Marchibroda was given a no-raise, no-extension contract offer that he rejected before leaving the team.[19] Siragusa was open about his dislike for new coach Lindy Infante and the team's Vice President of Football Operations Bill Tobin.[20][21] In the 1996 season, he appeared in and started 10 games and recorded 2 sacks, 45 combined tackles, and 1 fumble recovery.[22]

Baltimore Ravens

In 1997, Siragusa signed with the Baltimore Ravens, who were being coached by his former coach Ted Marchibroda (which continued until he was fired for Brian Billick in 1999).[23] In the 1997 season, he appeared in 14 games, started 13, and recorded one fumble recovery and 27 total tackles.[24] In the 1998 season, he appeared in and started 15 games, and recorded one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and 41 total tackles.[25] In the 1999 season, he appeared in and started 14 games, and recorded two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 3.5 sacks, and 36 total tackles.[26] He was a part of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens defense that allowed the fewest total points in NFL history for a 16-game season.[27] In the 2000 season, he appeared in and started 15 games, and recorded one fumble recovery and 27 total tackles.[28] Siragusa was fined $10,000 for an illegal hit on Oakland Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon in the 2000 AFC title game, injuring Gannon’s shoulder.[29] He helped lead the Ravens to their first Super Bowl in franchise history in Super Bowl XXXV where they beat the New York Giants, 34–7.[30] Siragusa retired following the 2001 season, where he had two sacks and 28 total tackles.[31][32] He finished his career with 562 tackles (416 solo), 22 sacks, five forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries for 12 yards, and 28 pass deflections in 170 career games.[33]

Post-playing career

Siragusa was a sideline reporter and analyst during NFL games on Fox until his firing following the 2015 NFL season.[34] Siragusa usually appeared with Kenny Albert (before Albert, Dick Stockton and Curt Menefee) and Daryl Johnston. In 2015, he was paired with Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis. He appeared as Soprano family associate Frankie Cortese in the TV series The Sopranos.[35] He partnered up with Michael Romanelli and opened a restaurant chain called Tiff's.[36] The original name of the franchise was Tiffany's, but after a lawsuit by Tiffany & Co., the luxury jeweler, the name was shortened.[37] He hosted Man Caves on the DIY Network.[38] He also hosted a documentary program called Mega Machines on The Learning Channel.[39]

Siragusa also played a Russian mobster in the 2002 movie 25th Hour.[40]

Out of a concern for men with prostate cancer, in 2013 Siragusa began appearing in an ad campaign for Depend for Men, saying, "I decided to go and shoot the commercial and bring a little bit of lightness to [the problem] where guys can talk about it and after I did the commercial you wouldn't believe the response."[41]

Siragusa made a few appearances at his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh. He was one of several honorary captains during the renewal of the Penn State–Pittsburgh football rivalry in 2016, soon after ending his stint with Fox.[42]

Death

On June 22, 2022, Siragusa died in his sleep at his home in Ortley Beach, New Jersey, at the age of 55.[43][44]

References

  1. ^ "David Brearly Regional Alumni Pro Stats". Pro-Football-Reference. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  2. ^ "NFL Players That Are Former Wrestlers In High School or College". Section E Wrestling. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  3. ^ Kennelly, Lisa J. (December 12, 2008). "Tony of All Trades". NJ.com. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  4. ^ Cuppari, Telina (June 24, 2022). "New Jersey Mourns NFL Legend, Kenilworth Native Tony Siragusa, 55". TAPintoWarren. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  5. ^ "1986 Pitt Panthers Roster". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  6. ^ "1987 Pitt Panthers Roster". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  7. ^ Sciullo, Sam (2004). Tales from the Pitt Panthers. Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 978-1-58261-198-3. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  8. ^ Siragusa, Tony (September 4, 2012). Goose: The Outrageous Life and Times of a Football Guy. Crown. pp. 48–49. ISBN 978-0-307-98564-4. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  9. ^ Grant, Alan (May 29, 2003). "Good for the Goose". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
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  21. ^ Silver, Michael (January 29, 2001). "Belly Laughs Tony Siragusa, the Ravens' massive, gap-plugging, run-stopping, life-loving defensive tackle, could end up as the toast of the town in Tampa". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  22. ^ "1996 NFL Defense". Pro-Football-Reference. Archived from the original on February 27, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  23. ^ "Ravens Sign Siragusa". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 25, 1997. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
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  29. ^ Lewis, Brian (January 19, 2001). "NFL FINES SIRAGUSA 10G FOR GANNON HIT". New York Post. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
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  33. ^ "Tony Siragusa Stats". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  34. ^ Raissman, Bob (December 25, 2011). "Fox broadcast analysts Tony Siragusa and Daryl Johnston make winning points in game between NY Giants and NY Jets". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  35. ^ Elman, Jake (June 11, 2020). "Super Bowl Champion Tony Siragusa's 'Sopranos' Guest Spot Divided the Show's Fans". Sportscasting. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  36. ^ Bloom, Susan (February 22, 2016). "Tiff's restaurants a mainstay in Morris after 35 years in business". Daily Record. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  37. ^ Gittens, Hasani (December 10, 2005). "GETTING IN A TIFF; JEWELER SUES NFL STAR'S SAME-NAME EATERY". New York Post. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  38. ^ Gribbin, Eddie (March 1, 2012). "A show for man's special room in the home: DIY network's Man Caves". Bucks County Courier Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  39. ^ "Astec equipment to be featured on TLC's Mega Machines". Equipment World. September 29, 2004. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  40. ^ Johnson, G. Allen (January 20, 2003). "ON THE SCREEN / Siragusa impacts Hollywood scene / Defensive lineman who KO'd Gannon takes lumps in "25th Hour"". SFGATE. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  41. ^ Wilt, Zach (October 17, 2013). "Tony Siragusa: Depends Pitchman". Baltimore Sports Report. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  42. ^ Limberg, Andrew (June 22, 2022). "Pitt alum, Super Bowl champ Tony Siragusa has died". Audacy. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  43. ^ Hensley, Jamison (June 22, 2022). "Ex-NFL DT Siragusa, 'The Goose,' dies at age 55". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
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