Saturday, February 15, 2025

Former Vikings OL Sparano laid to rest

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By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

Former Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach Tony Sparano was laid to rest on Friday. He was 56 years old when he died last Sunday.

Sparano had been the Vikings offensive line coach for the past two seasons. His wife found him unresponsive as the couple was preparing to leave for a church service.

Minnesota Vikings Offensive Line coach Tony Sparano looks on during the NFC Championship Game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles
Tony Sparano looks on during the NFC Championship Game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

He died from heart disease, according to reports.

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The Vikings canceled practice on Friday to attend his funeral service. According to Pro Football Talk, there were 250 people in attendance.

“He was a great coach [and] just a hell of a person,” former NFL head coach Rex Ryan said to the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson. “He was my kind of guy. He was a tough ass, but he was just special. He had a great rapport with his players. You knew what you were going to get from him. He was an honest man. Just a great coach.”

His service took place at the St. Bartholomew Catholic Faith Community Church in Wayzata, Minnesota. Riley Reiff, Nick Easton, Pat Elflein, Mike Remmers, and Rashod Hill — his Vikings offensive lineman — were his pallbearers, as they carried his casket to the hearse.

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“He took me to places I couldn’t go as a player and as a man,” Elflein said. “It wasn’t just football with him. He really cared about his players, and the well-being of his players. It hurts.”

At press time, it is not clear how many people from the NFL were in attendance. Sparano had been in the league since 1999.

Thus, he has met and touched many lives as a coach. He also was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders.

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Anthony Caruso III
Anthony Caruso IIIhttps://thecapitalsportsreport.com
Anthony Caruso III is the Publisher of The Capital Sports Report. He has been in the Journalism field since August 2002. Since that time, Mr. Caruso has covered many marquee events. This includes 13 Heisman Trophy ceremonies, 2 Little World Series events, and one Army-Navy College Football game.
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