Former NFL Lineman Dead At 47

Former Packers lineman Bill Ferrario, a standout college star who played at Wisconsin, was found dead in his area home at the age of 47.

Just two days earlier, Ferrario had celebrated his 47th birthday. His death was unexpected, according to those around him, and no cause was announced.

He was a four-year starter for the University of Wisconsin, where he helped star running back Ron Dayne win the Heisman Trophy in 1999 and brought the Badgers back-to-back Rose Bowl championship wins.

Accolades arrived for Ferrario in his collegiate career, as well. He was named a second-team All-Big Ten guard and started in all 50 games of his career, making him the third Rose Bowl winner to accomplish this feat.

The Packers selected Ferrario in the fourth round of the 2001 draft, and he played two seasons for the team of his childhood dreams.

“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.”

Ferrario was traded to the Redskins and later the Panthers before finally hanging up his cleats at the end of the 2004 season.

A man of modest taste, the 6’2, 314-pound linebacker pursued careers in real estate and medical device sales after his playday retirement. Ferrario kept up with charitable causes and hosted his own football podcast, “217 South Mills.”

More recently, however, Ferrario had experienced run-ins with the law after demonstrating concerning behavior.

In 2023, police responded to his Wausau home and arrested him for disorderly conduct. He was less than a year removed from his second drunk driving offense when Ferrario was found in a crashed car with a blood-alcohol level three times over the legal limit.

On Feb. 27, 2023, less than two months after his disorderly arrest, Ferrario was again arrested on a warrant for charges of stalking, intimidation of a victim, and more after breaking bond conditions. He was sentenced to probation in both cases.

He is survived by two children, who he extolled in his final social media post, according to the NY Post.

Calling himself a “proud parent,” Ferrario wrote back in May, “Words can’t express how proud I am of my daughter on her graduation.

“Watching her grow, work hard, and chase her goals has been one of the greatest joys of my life.”