ROSEMARIE Siragusa’s beautiful brown eyes opened wide as she began to tell this story. Not too long ago her son Tony told her about a special dream. In his dream, the Ravens’ hulking star was dressed in full uniform before a big game. His knees were aching and he wondered to himself if he could continue playing the most brutal of positions, defensive tackle.
Suddenly, there standing by his side, was his father Pete, who passed away a year before Tony began his NFL career 11 seasons ago. As Tony wondered if he could continue with all the pain, Pete Siragusa, who coached Tony through Pop Warner and never missed one of his games, told his son: “Don’t worry Tony, I’m holding it together for you.”
“He’ll be there for Tony at the Super Bowl, holding it together,” Rosemarie said convincingly as she stood in her kitchen in Kenilworth, N.J. yesterday – a kitchen filled with love, relatives and friends, all counting the seconds until Sunday’s Super Showdown between the Giants and Ravens. “This is Tony’s dream game.”
Sometimes in close-knit small towns, the biggest of dreams do come true. Kenilworth, a town of 7,200 that is about 35 minutes from Manhattan, is just such a place. Nearly 300 of Siragusa’s family and friends will be at the big game – it’s their dream game too. Throughout this town, which is in the heart of Giants’ territory, there are manufactured signs in Ravens’ colors boldly proclaiming: “Good luck Ravens. Go Goose #98. Super Bowl XXXV.”
Kenilworth’s heart belongs to its native son for this is the small town that bore the Golden Goose.
Following victories at David Brearley High, the football team still parades down the Boulevard. In the early-80s, Siragusa, who also danced and sang in the high school play “South Pacific,” led those parades. This is where the 6-3, 340-pounder learned about teamwork and fun. He has never forgotten his friends or where he came from – that is the true measure of this giant of a man.
“Tony is a real full-of-life type of guy,” said Bob Taylor, Siragusa’s high school coach, who also coached Tony’s brothers, Peter and Elio. “He plays the game with enjoyment, and he lives the same way.”
Siragusa stories are legendary here. He is so strong that he once broke the blocking sled during practice. One day when Taylor had lunchroom duty he walked into the cafeteria only to see Siragusa carrying a grown man over his shoulders and twirling him around as if he were a puppet. “He likes it coach,” Siragusa said, when ordered to put the man down.
The man happened to be the vice principal.
Taylor laughs at the memory and reveals that the vice principal really did enjoy the WWF antics with Siragusa. Everyone loves to be around Siragusa. “He’s gregarious,” Taylor said. “And he’s been that way since the first day I saw him on the football field.” Siragusa owns a house down the shore, not far from the shore homes of other hometown friends, and will often buzz his buddies in his speedboat. “The guy who riveted that seat to the deck is my MVP,” Taylor joked of the weighty cargo.
The scoreboard at the high school bears the name Peter A. Siragusa Memorial Scoreboard because of all the volunteer hours Tony’s father, a lifelong Giants’ fan, gave to the town. Tony funded both the weight room and the wrestling room at Brearley.
On the football field Siragusa always looks for the edge. “He really studies the game,” said Taylor, one of the most successful high school coaches in New Jersey history during his 32-year career, including the last eight years at Arthur L. Johnson High in Clark, where he is assistant principal. Taylor coached 19 years in Kenilworth, where he lives across the street from the police station.
Both of Siragusa’s brothers won state titles at Brearley under Taylor. Tony never won a ring. Said Elio, “Tony told us he’s going to win his ring in the pros and now he’s got his chance.”
Tony’s uncle Marty owns a construction company and Siragusa loves to come around to drive the bulldozer. Marty, 56, is bigger than Tony. He played a year in the old Continental Football League and backed up Ray Nitschke in the Packers’ training camp of 1966. Then Marty’s father Harry died. Marty went home to run the family business. Dreams sometimes change in small towns, too. “This town has done a lot for Tony and Tony has never forgotten his roots,” Marty said proudly. “He’s here all the time and we’re here for him.”
“Goose is a blue-collar guy,” said his cousin Danny Rica. “He does a lot of things quietly to help people. This town is going to go crazy over the next week.”
When Siragusa went undrafted out of Pitt in 1990 it was here at Rosemarie’s kitchen table where Tony’s friends pored over every NFL roster and depth chart. They came up with the Colts as the best place for Tony to play. “They were his agents,” Rosemarie said. He signed as a longsnapper.
Siragusa played seven years with the Colts before signing with the Ravens in 1997. Before every game he writes “Dad” on his spikes. When his head hangs for a brief time, he looks down and sees that heartfelt message and is inspired. Siragusa’s philosophy is simple. Too many people, he says, live life waiting for the fun to come at the end, he has fun throughout the journey, like this week in Tampa.
“That’s his code,” Taylor said. “Tony’s living his dream. He plays hard and I’m real proud of him. We all are. This is the Goose’s town.”
And they all get to live the dream.
