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.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Tom Modrak," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement on the team's website. "Tom was a well-respected executive throughout the league and we are thankful not only for the contributions he made to this organization, but also the impact he had on the entire football and scouting community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time."
While with the Eagles, Modrak helped the team rebuild during the early Andy Reid years and played a role in the organization's drafting Donovan McNabb with the No. 2 pick in the 1999 draft. Modrak was fired in May of 2001 and Andy Reid took over personnel controls of the team.
"Many of us in the scouting world owe Tom a huge debt of gratitude for helping us learn how to scout and evaluate players," Eagles senior football advisor Tom Donahoe, who worked with Modrak in Pittsburgh, said via the team's website. "I will always be grateful to Tom and his family for all their support and friendship. May he rest in peace."
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Modrak was hired by the Buffalo Bills after he was fired by the Eagles in 2001. He spent 11 seasons in Buffalo in various personnel jobs, including vice president of college scouting.
Modrak is survived by his wife, Sandy, and two daughters. Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.
