OWINGS MILLS, Md. — In the spring of 2001, the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens held their first minicamp with one notable absence.
Tony Siragusa — a.k.a. “the Goose” — wasn’t in the defensive line meeting room. But, teammates heard he was planning to make a big splash. Then, a loud noise was heard throughout the team facility. Everyone ran out to the practice field.
Siragusa arrived in a helicopter, which landed squarely on the 50-yard line. The boisterous 350-pound defensive tackle hopped out and hammed it up in front of his teammates, pointing at his flexed right biceps.
“That was classic,” former Ravens defensive tackle Sam Adams said. “And [coach Brian] Billick was just sitting there with his mouth open like, ‘Why me?’”
Siragusa, who died at the age of 55 on Wednesday, may not have made any Pro Bowls or the Ravens’ Ring of Honor during or after his 12 seasons in the NFL, but teammates attest to his irrepressible and irreplaceable legacy: Siragusa was a Hall of Fame character.
As much as Siragusa was overlooked for his run-stuffing prowess on the field, he made sure everyone saw and heard him in the locker room and in front of cameras. And, as much as the Ravens organization mourns his death, teammates know Siragusa would want them to remember him with a smile.
“He would expect a roast to go on right now at his funeral,” said former Ravens kicker Matt Stover, who was Siragusa’s teammate for five seasons. “He would love it.”
No holds-barred humor
Stover was one of the most dependable kickers in the NFL. He was also one of the most thick-skinned, thanks in part to Siragusa.
The Ravens would send out Stover for a winning kick, and he would hear Siragusa curse at him, yell at him and even threaten him from the sideline.
Source : espn
