Tunch Ilkin announces retirement from Steelers broadcast duties

Standing on a balcony overlooking the practice fields at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Tunch Ilkin watched the Pittsburgh Steelers go through organized team activities Thursday morning.

Flanked by a group that included his wife, Karen; best friend, teammate and broadcast partner Craig Wolfley; team president Art Rooney II and general manager Kevin Colbert, Ilkin posed for a few photos after watching some of the workout unfold below.

Spying friends in the media standing about 50 feet away, Ilkin made his way over and exchanged hugs and pats on the back with each individual — some of whom he knew well, others he had never met. Ilkin said nothing, letting his firm handshake speak for the way he has continued to fight against the onset of ALS.

It was as close to a retirement press conference as Ilkin, 63, would permit on the day he announced he was stepping away from the Steelers broadcast booth after 23 seasons to focus on his fight against the debilitating disease that attacks the nervous system.

From a distance, Wolfley watched it all unfold.

“I’m probably handling it tougher than he is,” said Wolfley, who like Ilkin joined the Steelers in 1980. “He is such a strong man. He always has been such a determined guy, unflinching in whatever it is he is facing. He still maintains that, continues that. He’s the greatest gift of a brother you can hope for.”

In a statement released by the Steelers, Ilkin said, “I want to spend this time focusing on my treatment and fighting this disease. I would like to thank Steelers president Art Rooney II, the Steelers organization and the fans for their continued support and prayers at this time.”

The decision for Ilkin to retire from broadcasting came four decades after he was selected by the Steelers as a sixth-round draft pick. He spent the next 13 seasons wearing the black and gold while mostly manning the right tackle spot, and he was named to the Pro Bowl two times in the late ’80s. He also is a member of the franchise’s all-time team.

The first NFL player of Turkish descent, Ilkin retired from football in 1993 and returned to the Steelers five years later to join a broadcast booth that included Bill Hillgrove and Myron Cope. When Cope retired after the 2004 season, Ilkin became the primary color analyst.

“It will be a whole different world,” Hillgrove said. “That many years with Tunch in the booth, they just don’t go away easily or quickly or happily. He had a great perspective for the game that you can’t replace. Mostly, I’ll miss his humanity. He’s one of the best people I’ve ever been around.”

The Steelers haven’t determined how, or if, Ilkin will be replaced on game broadcasts.

“There will be a huge void,” Wolfley said. “Think about it. He’s been broadcasting for 23, 24 years, and we’ve been together for 20 of those. He was the whole reason I got in this business.”

Sideline reporters were becoming fashionable near the turn of the century, and Ilkin thought Wolfley would be the perfect fit for that role with the Steelers.

“He’d come by my gym and say, ‘Come on, you’ve got to try this. We need someone on the sideline,’ ” said Wolfley, who joined the crew in 2002. “Next thing you know, here we are.”

Ilkin was a regular at the team facility, observing practices on a consistent basis, taking notes and comparing his thoughts with Wolfley. Ilkin also would be quick to offer advice and counsel to the Steelers offensive linemen.

“Tunch is a titan, man,” said guard/center B.J. Finney. “He came in and worked with all of us. He’s always talking to us about techniques, things he’s learned. He’s been such a great guy and great mentor to anyone asking him for help. … We love Tunch and wish him nothing but the best in what’s going to have to fight through. I hope he knows we all have his back and will do anything for him every step of the way.”

Ilkin learned he had ALS — commonly known as Lou Gehrig Disease — in September, and he announced his diagnosis a month later. His final broadcast was the Steelers’ playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns in January.

“He helped keep me honest,” Hillgrove said. “Believe me, when you’re on that high wire as a play-by-play guy and have 22 bodies colliding, you always look for help, and he provided that. He not only told you why it was a two-yard gain, but who missed the assignment or who went above and beyond in his assignment on the other side of the ball.”

Since his diagnosis, Ilkin has worked out two days a week on an underwater treadmill at Adventures in Training with a Purpose, a Christian nonprofit facility located in Wexford. It is run by former Steelers tackle Jon Kolb, a four-time Super Bowl champion in the 1970s who is the director of physical training at ATP.

“His spirits are awesome,” Kolb said Thursday after overseeing another of Ilkin’s sessions. “Sometimes we’re with him, and he’ll be with his wife or old teammates and we want to be around him to lift him up. But he lifts us up.”

In addition to his broadcast duties, Ilkin became immersed in his church. Ilkin is a pastor of men’s ministry at The Bible Chapel in McMurray. He also is deeply involved in the Light of Life Rescue Mission on the North Side.

Along with Kolb and several other friends from the NFL or his bible study group, Ilkin embarks on an hour-long prayer walk every Wednesday morning through the streets of Mt. Washington, where he and Karen reside. Such walks will continue in retirement.

“He’ll deal with things that God puts in his path,” Wolfley said. “He’s not going to stop being Tunch. He can’t do that. He’s just too purposed for that.”