Siragusa was Front Center in One of Nissan Stadium

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Tony Siragusa was an easy guy to like. Except for Tenne see Titans fans, at least when Siragusa was a member of the Baltimore Ravens, that is.The former NFL defensive lineman and later a broadcaster who he was 55 had an outsized personality that dwarfed even his 6-foot-3, 330-pound frame. Regardle s of what role he played in the locker room interviewer or interviewee he was ebullient and energetic in a way that made him impo sible to ignore. For a couple years, though, he was one-half of the interior of the Ravens defensive line along with 6-foot-3, 350-pound Sam Adams that was just as difficult to get around.No moment illustrated that better than the final seconds of a Ricky Vaughn Jersey particularly memorable matchup between the Titans and Ravens on Nov. 12, 2001 at Ni san Stadium (then known as Adelphia Coliseum). With three seconds on the clock, the Titans trailed by six (16-10) but had the ball inside Baltimores 1-yard line. Quarterback Steve McNairs first attempt to cro s the goal line on a sneak was stuffed. McNair then bounced outside, but safety Corey Harris brought him down for no gain as time expired."Our big dogs up front, Goose (Tony Siragusa) and Sam (Adams) Yonder Alonso Jersey blew up the middle, and (McNair) couldn't get any push, linebacker Jamie Sharper said that night, via The A sociated Pre s. Then he tried to come around the outside, and me and (Harris) smacked him."Scroll to ContinueIt was the first victory by an opposing team in a primetime game in the history of the stadium. The sting of that defeat for the Titans was made worse by the fact that a penalty against the Ravens moments earlier negated an apparent McNair touchdown. Then-coach Jeff Fisher, a member of the leagues competition committee, begrudgingly conceded that the officials were correct with the call and the enforcement.A season earlier, Baltimore also became the first visiting team to win at any time and the first visiting team to win a playoff game at Ni san Stadium. The Ravens 24-23 triumph on Nov. 12, 2000 ended Tenne sees NFL-record streak of 12 straight wins to open a stadium, and their 24-10 triumph in the divisional round of the postseason ended a season in which Tenne see had the leagues best regular-season record (13-3).Every Andrew Miller Jersey time they spoiled something else in Nashville, Siragusa was one of several Ravens tight end Shannon Sharpe and coach Brian Billick were among the others who seemed to delight in taking shots at the Titans through the media during that time. In terms of football, there was no better rivalry, but the trash talk was completely one-sided, and the resultant vitriol from Titans fans seemed to have no limit.Tony's larger-than-life personality made an enormous impact on our organization and throughout the Baltimore community, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said. "On the football field, Goose was a difference-maker who contributed immeasurably to the succe s of many great Ravens defenses, including the record-setting 2000 Super Bowl team.Siragusa was Manny Ramirez Jersey not credited with a tackle on that decisive Monday night play, but he made three stops in the contest. He also had one and a half sacks, which made it one of just three games in his career (he played 169 for the Colts and Ravens) with more than one. "When I was in college, people told me, 'Sure, you can stop the run, but anyone can do that, Siragusa . If you want to make money in the NFL, you've got to rush the pa ser.' That's bull----. It's like all the people who tell you you've got to be in computers to make money. Yeah? You know whatyou still need a f------ plumber to fix your toilet, and the scarcer they are, the more money they'll make. 'Cause what are you gonna do, call a f------ computer guy to fix your f------ crapper?"Siragusa and Adams played alongside one another for two seasons in Baltimore (2000-01). Jason Kipnis Jersey In 2000, the Ravens set an NFL record with an average of 60.6 rushing yards allowed per game and won a Super Bowl. The next year they finished fourth in rushing defense. "It was an honor and a privilege to line up next to Tony Siragusa, Adams said in a release from the Ravens on Wednesday. He made the game fun and was a true competitor. Our D-line room was special on and off the field. May he rest easy, and may God ble s and keep his family."