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Legendary NFL Scout Dead Tuesday At 84

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 8:50 PM ET

A legendary NFL Scout who contributed to numerous Super Bowl teams has sadly passed away.

On Tuesday, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Tim Rooney, the nephew of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney, passed after a battle with cancer. He was 84 years old.

Rooney joined his uncle's NFL club as a scout in 1972, where he joined forces with the legendary scouts Dick Haley and Bill Nunn to scout the core of what would be the team's dynasty of the 1970s.

Fittipaldo credited Rooney with the scouting of Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert, who would go on to become one of the most iconic players in Steelers history after going to the team in the 2nd round of the 1974 NFL Draft. He said that Rooney took legendary head coach Chuck Noll to see Lambert play at Kent State prior to the team's decision to draft him.

Rooney would stay with the Steelers as their director of pro scouting until 1979, contributing to all four of their Super Bowl titles. He would then join the Detroit Lions and later the New York Giants.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: A view of the Vince Lombardi trophy after the Philadelphia Eagles 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

While in New York, Rooney would win two more Super Bowls working alongside Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells.

In an interview, Parcells credited Rooney with being someone who could "tell you the truth" and spoke to him daily about his rosters.

“He was a great guy,” Parcells told Fittipaldo. “When you’re a head coach, you need someone to tell you the truth. Tim was our pro personnel guy, and that was his job. We had daily interaction every day talking about the roster. We had a lot of talks and became close. That enhanced our relationship. He understood me, and I understood him.”

Giants owner John Mara released a statement of his own on Rooney's passing:

"Tim was an invaluable member of our player personnel department for 14 seasons as our director of pro personnel. He was an accomplished evaluator. More importantly, he was a great person and colleague. Our thoughts are with Tim's wife Mary Ann and children and grandchildren and friends, of which there are many."