Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Longtime Steelers broadcaster Tunch Ilkin dies at 63

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 9/4/21

Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers broadcaster and former Pro Bowl lineman Tunch Ilkin died Saturday, the team confirmed.

Steelers president Art Rooney II confirmed Ilkin’s death on Saturday by issuing a statement paying tribute to the longtime Steeler.

Statement from Steelers President Art Rooney II on the passing of Tunch Ilkin: pic.twitter.com/fdjFz9rI23

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 4, 2021

A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Ilkin became the first Turk to play in the NFL when the Steelers drafted him in 1980. He played for the team until 1992, making a pair of Pro Bowl appearances. He was named as a member of the franchise’s All-Time Team in 2007. In 1998, he joined the Steelers’ broadcasting team as an analyst, a role he remained in through the 2020 season.

Ilkin announced last October that he had been diagnosed with ALS. That prompted him to announce his retirement from broadcasting in June in order to focus on his treatment.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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