Steelers radio color analyst Tunch Ilkin announced today that he would be formally retiring as a broadcaster for the Steelers Radio Network. Ilkin spent 23 years in the Steelers radio booth, and it couldn't have been easy in that he had to succeed a legend in Myron Cope in that spot, and then had to spend the rest of his time doing the heavy lifting whenever broadcast partner Bill Hillgrove botched up his play calling, which was often. This career behind the mic followed a 14 year career as a Steelers offensive linemen where he performed with great distinction throughout his career. He played under both Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher, and while his career did not include a trip to a super Bowl with the Steelers, that takes nothing away from the excellence of his long career. He remained in Pittsburgh after his playing days, and became a frequent commentator on the team and a most popular guy around town. He is, as they say, a Steeler for Life.
Sadly, Tunch was much in the news last fall when he announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease. He stayed on in the broadcast booth throughout the 2020 season, but in announcing his retirement today, he mentioned that he needed to devote all of his energies to battling this disease. ALS is a horrifying illness. It never ends well, and there is still no cure fo it.
A cute story about Ilkin that I always liked is that his wife Sharon appeared once on the cover of Sports Illustrated while he never did. They were students together at Indiana State where she was a cheerleader, and it was in that role that she made the SI cover with another Sycamore of some note:
That's the future Mrs. Tunch Ilkin on the left
Steelers fans, football fans, and good people everywhere will be cheering once more for Tunch Ilkin, and praying for his peace and comfort in his years ahead.
