Former Steeler, broadcaster Tunch Ilkin dies after fight with ALS

Tunch Ilkin, the former broadcaster and tackle whose hard-nosed play on the football field was matched by his kindness and generosity off it, died Saturday after a year-long fight with ALS, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced.

He was 63.

Ilkin had a four-decade association with the Steelers, the first 13 as a player and the past 23 as a broadcast analyst.

“We are heartbroken by the passing of Tunch Ilkin,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “He was a man of faith who dedicated his entire life to being a devout Christian and family man. … He was loved by his family, teammates and friends. We were fortunate to have Tunch as a player and broadcaster for so many years. Our condolences to his entire family during this difficult time.”

ALS — short for amyotrophich lateral sclerosis — is commonly known as Lou Gehrig Disease. It is a progressive neurological disease that impacts nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Ilkin learned of his ALS diagnosis in September, and he announced it publicly a month later. Ilkin continued in his broadcast role through the end of the season.

“Tunch was special, someone who impacted everyone he came into contact, myself included,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “He loved his family, loved his faith, lived his faith, and serving others was his passion.”

Ilkin had been hospitalized with pneumonia for about 10 days.

“When you lose a member of the family, it’s not easy,” said broadcast partner Bill Hillgrove. “I was told last week that he had an upturn. Unfortunately, when you are in his condition, upturns can be very brief.”

In June, Ilkin announced he was stepping away from his duties in the booth to focus on his fight against ALS.

The Steelers unveiled Ilkin as the headliner of the organization’s fifth Hall of Honor Class on July 31, and Ilkin said then that he was planning to attend the ceremony in November.

“It was always a joy to be around him,” Hillgrove said. “Tunch was always positive. As an analyst, he always knew what to look for, he knew about the matchups that would be favorable or unfavorable for the Steelers. It was fun just being around the guy. He was very knowledgable and fair in his job.”

Ilkin became the first NFL player of Turkish descent when he made the Steelers roster in 1980 as a sixth-round draft pick from Indiana State. Ilkin played with the Steelers through the 1992 season, making two Pro Bowls. He also was selected to the Steelers’ all-time team.

In retirement, Ilkin tutored offensive linemen and was known for sharing his blocking technique known as the Tunch Punch.

“His passion for the game of football was evident in his everyday life,” Rooney II said. “As a player, he fought his way through tough times of being cut and injured, but continued to make an impact as a leader of our offensive line.”

Ilkin retired from the NFL in 1993, but he returned to the Steelers five years later to join a broadcast booth that included Hillgrove and Myron Cope. Upon Cope’s retirement after the 2004 season, Ilkin became the main color analyst.

Craig Wolfley, Ilkin’s closest friend and fellow 1980 Steelers draft class member, left his role as sideline reporter to fill the vacancy in the booth created by Ilkin’s retirement.

“There will be a huge void,” Wolfley said in June. “Think about it. He’s been broadcasting for 23, 24 years, and we’ve been together for 20 of those. He was the whole reason I got in this business.”

Ilkin was deeply involved in his church as a pastor of men’s ministry at The Bible Chapel in McMurray. Ilkin also was an honorary board member and active supporter of the Light of Life Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter and addiction recovery ministry on the North Side.

“An overachiever on the field, an overachiever in life,” Hillgrove said. “He was someone who cared more about his fellow man than basically he did himself. His work with Light of Life, his ministries, his belief in prayer. He was a study in humanity, no question.”

Ilkin’s first wife, Sharon, died in 2012 after a fight with cancer. He is survived by his second wife, Karen, and children Tanner, Natalie and Clay.

“His work with Light of Life and other initiatives in helping the homeless and others in need was tremendous,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said in a statement. “While he did not grow up here, he embraced our town, raised his family here and continued to make Pittsburgh a better place.”

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Beinhauers. Frieds will be received at the South Hills Bible Chapel, 300 Gallery Dr., McMurray, PA, 15317, on Monday from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. A service will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the South Hills Bible Chapel. Memorial donations in Ilkin’s name may be made to Light of Life Rescue Mission, 913 Western Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15233.