Former NFL guard and University of Wisconsin standout Bill Ferrario has died at the age of 47, according to the Scranton Times-Tribune.
Ferrario, a Scranton native, was reported to have died unexpectedly two days after his birthday and a cause of death hasn’t yet been determined.
“Billy was a true gentleman,” said Corey Joyce, his former West Scranton High School quarterback, via the Scranton Times-Tribune. “He was a literal Eagle Scout. Once he stepped onto the football field, he was a totally different person. He was an all-around great guy.”
Ferrario was an all-star honorable mention during his high school junior and senior seasons before signing with Wisconsin in 1997. The offensive lineman never missed a game during his four seasons in Madison, starting in 50 from 1997 to 2000 and was a First-team All-Big Ten selection in 1999 — blocking for Heisman Trophy-winning running back Ron Dayne — and Second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2000, with the Badgers winning Rose Bowls in both seasons.
Ferrario was selected by the Green Bay Packers at No. 105 overall in the fourth-round of the 2001 NFL Draft and made 16 appearances during the 2002 NFL season.
“It was definitely an honor to be able to be part of that offensive line, to be part of those teams with the Packers,” Ferrario told the C.S. Podcast in 2013. “To be able to tell my kids as they grow up, it wasn’t for a long time but your dad got to block for Brett Favre, one of the best quarterbacks ever.”
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