Tim Rooney, former Steelers scouting executive from 1970s, owner of 5 Super Bowl rings, dies at 84

Tim Rooney, a former Pittsburgh Steelers scout and nephew of franchise founder Art Rooney, died Tuesday of cancer. He was 84.

Rooney joined the franchise in 1972 as the team’s director of pro personnel, and he remained with the team until 1979. He earned three Super Bowl rings from the championship teams that won four titles in six seasons.

Rooney earned two more Super Bowl rings as a member of the New York Giants’ front office, joining that organization in 1984. Between those jobs, Rooney worked for the Detroit Lions.

“Tim was an invaluable member of our player personnel department for 14 seasons as our director of pro personnel,” Giants president John Mara said in a statement. “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.”

Rooney retired in 1999, returned to Pittsburgh in 2010 and was inducted into the Western Pa. Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. Rooney’s death coincided with the 92nd anniversary of the franchise’s founding.

Born Vincent Timothy Rooney and raised on the North Side, he worked for the Steelers as a ball boy in training camp in the 1950s and assisted as a water boy on game days. He graduated from North Catholic High School in 1959.

After earning a degree in education from Duquesne, Rooney began teaching and coaching football at Bishop Canevin High School. In 1968, he took a position as an assistant football coach at Villanova. He spent one season at Rhode Island, but he returned to Villanova until he was coaxed back into the family business with the Steelers.

Rooney had a knack for coaching, guiding the Villanova freshman team to a 7-0 record in 1971. He also was adept at evaluating talent.

The Steelers had three scouts at the time: Bill Nunn, Dick Haley and Art Rooney Jr. Tim Rooney became the fourth member of the staff.

In his personnel role, Rooney was credited with scouting Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert at Kent State. The Steelers selected Lambert with their second-round pick in 1974, and he became one of four members of that draft class to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Another rookie from the class, undrafted free agent safety Donnie Shell, became the fifth member to make the Hall of Fame.

Duquesne president Ken Gormley called Rooney a “stalwart philanthropic supporter” of the university. Rooney established the Tim and Mary Ann Rooney Early Start Scholarship in the university’s school of education. Gormley said the scholarship is a “game-changer” for junior and senior students who qualify for the financial support.

“They exuded pride in all things Duquesne. They were always happiest amidst family and fellow Duquesne alums,” Gormley said in a statement. “Tim was a kind and gregarious gentleman (in the truest sense of that word) who possessed an unfailingly pleasant and engaging demeanor, an uplifting spirit and an outstanding sense of humor.”

Tim and Mary Ann Rooney have two children and six grandchildren, according to his obituary.

Family and friends will be received at John A. Freyvogel Sons., Inc, 4900 Centre Avenue at Devonshire Street on Thursday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. A burial Mass will be held Friday at St. Bede Church of St. Mary Magdalene Parish at 10:30 a.m.