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Tunch Ilkin, a two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman for the Steelers who went on to forge a second career as a radio analyst for the team, has died 11 months after he announced he was battling ALS, KDKA in Pittsburgh reported. He was 63.
Ilkin, who mostly played tackle but also guard and center in a 13-year NFL career that began in 1980, was a longtime staple for the Steelers and the first Turk to play in the NFL.
After retiring, he moved into the booth, first as a game analyst for NBC before rising as a radio voice of the Steelers.
He announced in October 2020 that he had been diagnosed with ALS — also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — but continued in his role for the 2020 season. His 23 years as a Pittsburgh broadcaster came to an end in June, when he retired to focus on his battle.
In July, Ilkin was named to the Steelers’ Hall of Honor and was set to be inducted in a ceremony in November.
“He was cut once or twice at least, but in true Tunch fashion, kept fighting, never gave up,” Steelers president Art Rooney II told reporters in July. “Then he followed that up with a Hall of Fame broadcast career, in my opinion. We’re so fortunate to have him as part of Steelers football for so many years.”
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