Legendary Steelers Player, Broadcaster to be Inducted into Pa Sports Hall of Fame
Legendary Pittsburgh Steelers broadcaster and offensive lineman Tunch Ilkin will be inducted into the 2025 class of the Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, the team announced late last week.
Ilkin was a longtime member of the Steelers family, first joining the team as a sixth-round pick in the 1980 NFL Draft out of Indiana State. He spent 13 seasons as the starting offensive tackle for the Steelers, earning Pro Bowl nods in 1988 and 1989.
Ilkin immediately took to broadcasting after his playing days, and officially joined the team’s radio broadcast in 1998 alongside Bill Hillgrove and Myron Cope. He moved up to the top color analyst spot when Cope retired in 2005, a position he held in until 2021.
In 2007, Ilkin was selected as member of the Steelers all-time team, and 2021, he was inducted into the team’s Hall of Honor as both a player and a broadcaster.
In addition to his time as a player and broadcaster, Ilkin was passionate about giving back to the Pittsburgh community, in particular the Light of Life Rescue Mission on the North Side, which provides services to Pittsburgh’s homeless community.
Ilkin announced in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a rare and incurable neurodegenerative disorder also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Ilkin died in 2021 at the age of 63.
In addition to Ilkin, Steelers team physician Dr. James Bradley will also be recognized among the 11 honorees this year.
Also being inducted this year are former Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers head coach Mike Carthy; McKeesport, Penn State, New York Giants and Carolina Panthers linebacker Brandon Short and Chartiers Valley and Duquesne linebacker Vinnie Vaccarello, among others.
The induction ceremony dinner will take place at the Station Square Sheraton on April 12.