Former Steelers player Ray Seals, who made it to the NFL despite skipping college, dead at 59

Ray Seals' way to the NFL was improbable. But the erstwhile semipro shot subordinate reached the highest level of nonrecreational football. 

Seals' travel successful beingness came to an extremity this week. Social media idiosyncratic Nini Marie and Syracuse.com confirmed Seals' death. He was 59. 

His origin of decease was not instantly released.

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Defensive lineman Ray Seals of the Pittsburgh Steelers during a crippled against the Philadelphia Eagles astatine Three Rivers Stadium Dec. 11, 1994, successful Pittsburgh.   (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

Seals' shot communicative began astatine Henninger High School successful Syracuse, New York. Instead of making the leap to the assemblage shot ranks, Seals' travel took him to the semipros.

Seals' precocious schoolhouse coach, Bob Campese, remembered the erstwhile antiaircraft lineman arsenic a "happy-go-lucky" person.

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"(He was) a happy-go-lucky, big, kind-hearted feline who was a tremendous athlete, astir apt arsenic bully oregon amended than immoderate jock that ever came retired of here, really," Campese said, via Syracuse.com. "We had immoderate bully ones. But Ray mightiness person been astatine the top."

Ray Seals, erstwhile antiaircraft lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers, during a halftime presumption honoring erstwhile players during a crippled betwixt the Steelers and Chicago Bears astatine Heinz Field Sept. 22, 2013, successful Pittsburgh.  (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

Despite ne'er playing a drawback successful assemblage football, Seals signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers successful 1988. By 1991, helium was consistently successful the Bucs' starting lineup. He besides had stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers.

Seals was inducted into the Greater Syracuse Hall of Fame successful 2016, according to the bio provided by the hall.

Defensive lineman Ray Seals of the Pittsburgh Steelers during a crippled against the Philadelphia Eagles astatine Three Rivers Stadium Dec. 11, 1994, successful Pittsburgh. (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

Seals started playing for the semipro Syracuse Express successful 1987.

Ray Perkins, who coached astatine Alabama earlier leaving to judge the caput coaching occupation with the Buccaneers, is mostly credited with giving Seals a accidental to play successful the NFL.

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"We were each down him. We were rooting for him similar you couldn’t believe, to person that accidental to marque it," Seals' erstwhile Express teammate, Garry Acchione, said. "I ne'er had a uncertainty successful my caput that helium was bully capable to play successful the NFL. I mean, we each knew it. It’s just, ‘OK, however bash you get him there? How does helium get the opportunity?’ 

"Because, backmost then, I mean, helium didn’t travel retired of college. You’re not going to conscionable locomotion onto a pro squad and marque it."

Seals, who played for the Steelers from 1994-95, recorded a sack successful the Super Bowl astatine the extremity of the 1995 season.

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