Tunch Ilkin was more than just a football player

The world is a lesser place today.

Tunch Ilkin was born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1957, and two years later he emigrated to the United States with his parents, Mehmet and Ayten Ilkin. After learning football at Highland Park High School and developing his skills further via a scholarship at Indiana State University, Mr. Ilkin became the first Turk to play in the NFL when the Steelers made him a sixth-round draft choice in the 1980 NFL Draft, and he would take advantage of the opportunity to craft a storied career in professional football.

Mr. Ilkin played for the Steelers for 13 years (1980-92) and for a 14th season with the Green Bay Packers in 1993. A two-time Pro Bowl selection as an offensive tackle (1988-89), Mr. Ilkin also served as vice president of the NFL Players Association from 1989-94 during which time ownership and the union crafted and ratified the Collective Bargaining Agreement that tied free agency to a salary cap, a system still in place