‘Tunch Ilkin Day’ declared in Pittsburgh in honor of Steelers broadcaster, former player
Monday was a Pittsburgh Steelers game day. It also was a day declared in honor of an individual who has been associated with the franchise for four decades.
Pittsburgh City Council president Theresa Kail-Smith presented an official city proclamation that deemed Monday as “Tunch Ilkin Day” in Pittsburgh.
Ilkin, 63, is in his 23rd season as part of the Steelers’ radio network broadcasts. He played 13 seasons for the Steelers as an offensive tackle and finished his playing career with one game for the Green Bay Packers in 1993. A two-time Pro Bowl honoree, Ilkin started 143 games and played in 176 for the Steelers.
In October, Ilkin announced he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Known sometimes as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, ALS is a degenerative disease that affects muscle and neuron function.
Born in Turkey and the first native of that country to play in the NFL, Ilkin has worked on behalf of the Light of Life Rescue Mission for more than 30 years. The organization is a faith-based charity that works on behalf of individuals and families experiencing homelessness, poverty or addiction.
“The Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby thank and commend Tunch Ilkin for his unselfish service to those less fortunate residents of the City of Pittsburgh and for being readily available to his local community,” the official Proclamation wrote.
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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