RIP: I, for one, will miss Tunch Ilkin, a class act, because his dignity, talent, spirituality, and persona, a true Steeler for four decades

RIP Tunch Ilkin

… Blessing that the ALS did not last longer


Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a horrible disease, but Tunch Ilkin battled it like everything else that he approached in life. 


The former Steeler lineman who just stepped down as a radio broadcaster for the team earlier this year because of his focus on battling ALS was a class act on every level. His battle reflected that, but so did his life. 


The first NFL player ever from Turkey went on to become a two-team pro bowler under Coach Chuck Noll. He later became a tremendous radio broadcaster, and I listened to him and Bill Hillgrove and Craig Wolfley rather than to the TV commentators. 


Just 63 years of age, he fortunately did not last too long with the debilitating disease. His death was reported on Sunday by KDKA-TV, just bout two months after leaving the broadcast booth for the Steelers. 


A true Steeler


Tunch was a member of the Steelers for 14 years and spent 23 more in the booth. However, he was just a sixth round pick in 1980, yet worked hard to become a starter and then a Pro Bowl player.


In fact, he was named to the Steelers all-time team on the 75th anniversary. He was a great player, especially for a sixth round pick. 


After three seasons as a backup to begin his career, Ilkin became a full-time starter at tackle in 1983 and started 141 games over the next decade. He earned his two Pro Bowl nods in 1988 and ’89 and was one of 33 players named to the Steelers’ all-time team in 2007 to commemorate the franchise’s 75th anniversary.


The only other Steelers offensive linemen named to the all-time team were Pro Football Hall of Famers Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson and Alan Fancea, plus Jon Kolb and Larry Brown.


“Longtime Steeler great Tunch Ilkin dies after battle with 

ALS,” Post-Gazette, September 4, 2021


Spiritual journey


Tunch became a Christian during his life after coming from Turkey. To understand his commitment to his fellow human being, consider this Facebook post last year from those who loved him,


Light of Life Rescue Mission

December 21, 2020

 

It’s Tunch Ilkin day in Pittsburgh! Tunch has been supporting the Mission for over 30 years! 


We are so grateful for everything he does for those in need, for our city, and for the Kingdom of God. 


Thank you for everything, Tunch! We love you and are locking arms with you in this season.


Facebook


I will miss Tunch, as will so many others. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Remembering the toughest loss I ever experienced in approximately a quarter-century of coaching football. George Pasierb was a great coaching adversary.

Image
R.I.P. George Pasierb, 1946-2020 Shade-Central City High School football coach Photo: Tribune-Democrat No high school football fan could ask for anything better than this. On a beautiful sunny, warm afternoon on Saturday, October 30, 1982, in Nanty Glory, Pa., the battle featured a clash of two undefeated titans of the Appalachian Conference.  One was the preseason unanimous favorite to win the title, the other a veritable surprise that season, one that had built an 8-0 record entering that game.  This battle lived up to the pre-game hype, ending in a one-point decision that was not certain until the final play of the game.  I thought of this because the coach of the powerful Shade-Central City High School Panthers, George Pasierb, passed away earlier this week. He coached the Panthers for 20 years, but his best team was arguably that 1982 team that battled the Blacklick Valley Vikings on that Saturday afternoon before more than 3,000 ebullient fans.  And, the one-po...
Read more

Why did Tennessee-Chattanooga hire trainer Tim Bream despite his role in the alcohol-induced death of Tim Piazza at a Penn State frat?

Image
… was a live-in advisor at the fraternity On paper, Tim Bream has an impressive resume. Actually, very impressive — up to a point. That seems to be when Bream’s life appears to careen out of control. Bream, who resigned as Penn State trainer in Feb.,  was a graduate of Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, specializing in athletic training. He then attended West Virginia as a grad assistant trainer, where he received a master’s degree in Physical Education with an emphasis on Sports Science. All of this information is from his bio on the Penn State athletic site. He then worked his way up the ladder impressively, working at Syracuse, Vanderbilt, and finally at the University of Richmond, where he was the Director of Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer. Then he received his big break, being name as Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Chicago Bears in 1993, and four years later, Head Athletic Trainer. He was with the Bears for 19 years when inexplicably,...
Read more

Why did Mike Tomlin start hiring black coaches after 15 years?

Image
Brian Flores … hiring Flores probably rankled Goodell To place this into context, understand that the only reason that the Steelers hired Mike Tomlin 15 years ago is because he was black.  Why? He had never even been a coordinator anywhere, never in the NFL. The only reason that he was interviewed was because of the “Rooney Rule.” That rule is one named after the late Dan Rooney who led the effort to force every NFL team to interview at least one black coach when it had head coaching openings.  The Steelers had focused their coaching search after Bill Cowher left on Ron Rivera, then a defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears. Their interview with Tomlin was a peremptory one, something to satisfy the smell test.  After all, why interview a guy who was just a defensive coach? Coordinators are the people who are hired for the big gig.  Tomlin, though, is a great talker, and he wooed Dan Rooney so much that he was hired for the position.  Which begs the q...
Read more