It’s a sad time all around the NFL following the death of Tim Rooney.
Rooney, a former NFL scouting executive who won two Super Bowls with the Giants and three with the Pittsburgh Steelers, died Tuesday at the age of 84.
He died at UPMC Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh after a short battle with cancer, his nephew, Todd Stewart, revealed.
Giants President John Mara on passing of Tim Rooney
📰: https://t.co/ACZsxzLIU1 pic.twitter.com/urCUpyA5gm
— New York Giants (@Giants) July 8, 2025
The longtime NFL scout with the Steelers, Lions, and Giants was the nephew of Steelers founder Art Rooney. He worked in NFL front offices from 1972 until his retirement in 1999. He was the director of pro scouting for the Steelers from 1972-79 and helped build the Super Bowl dynasty in the 1970s.
Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette credited Tim Rooney with scouting Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert. Lambert would go on to become one of the most iconic players in Steelers history after being selected by the team in the second round of the 1974 NFL Draft.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers scout Tim Rooney has died at the age of 84.
Rooney died after a brief battle with cancer. Rooney’s nephew, Todd Stewart, confirmed the news.
Rooney was the nephew of ‘The Chief,’ Arthur Rooney Sr., who was the first owner of the Steelers and launched the franchise in 1933.
The average fan may not know him, but he is a legend.
Tim started his career in football as a coach at Bishop Canevin High School in Pittsburgh before heading to the college ranks at Villanova.
He would transition to the NFL soon after and join the Steelers’ scouting department.
Tim Rooney worked in the Steelers’ scouting department during the franchise’s golden age, when they won four Super Bowls in the 1970s.
His career began in 1972 as the team’s director of scouting, a title he held throughout the entire decade. He was instrumental in helping scout the 1974 class that produced five Hall of Famers.
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