ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Longtime NFL scouting and personnel specialist Tom Modrak, who broke into the league with his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers, has died. He was 74.
Modrak died at his home near St. Augustine, Florida, on Tuesday as a result of a neurological disease discovered late last year. Modrak spent the past five years serving as executive director of BLESTO, a scouting service affiliated with numerous NFL teams.
Modrak began his career as a part-time scout with the Steelers in 1973 before being hired by the team full-time in 1978. He eventually headed Pittsburgh's scouting department before taking over as Philadelphia Eagles director of football operations in 1998.