Longtime NFL executive Tim Rooney died on Tuesday morning at the age of 84 after battling cancer, it has been announced.
Rooney, the nephew of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr, joined his uncle’s franchise as a scout in 1972 before going on to become their director of pro scouting.
As reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he was credited with drafting Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert after escorting then-coach Chuck Noll to watch Lambert at Kent State.
After leaving the Steelers in 1979 to join the Detroit Lions, Rooney was hired by the New York Giants as director of pro personnel in 1985. He remained in that role until his retirement in 1999 before later returning in a part-time position.
Over the course of his legendary career as an NFL exec, he was part of six Super Bowl-winning teams.
‘He was a great guy,’ Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells told the Post-Gazette. ‘When you’re a head coach, you need someone to tell you the truth. Tim was our pro personnel guy, and that was his job.
‘We had daily interaction every day talking about the roster. We had a lot of talks and became close. That enhanced our relationship. He understood me, and I understood him.’
