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Sad News: Former Packers Star Dies Suddenly at Home Just Two Days After His 47th Birthday

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Former Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin Badgers player Bill Ferrario passed away suddenly at his home on Wednesday at the age of 47. The cause of death has not been disclosed. The news was first reported by his hometown newspaper in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

A Mainstay on Wisconsin’s Offensive Line

Ferrario is best remembered as a stalwart for Wisconsin from 1997–2000. He started all 50 games of his college career, becoming just the third Big Ten player at the time to reach that rare milestone.

The Leap to the NFL

  • 2001: Drafted by the Packers in the fourth round, Ferrario played two seasons in Green Bay before being released.

  • 2003–2004 (Washington): Signed with the Washington Redskins (now the Commanders) but was not activated to the full-time roster and was cut before the 2004 season.

  • 2004–2005 (Carolina): Joined the Carolina Panthers’ 53-man roster in November 2004, but did not appear in a game and was released in 2005. He never signed with another NFL team.

  • Ferrario stood 6-foot-2 and weighed 314 pounds, the prototypical build of a power guard of his era.

    Life After Football

    Following retirement, Ferrario largely stayed out of the public eye but encountered legal issues in 2023, including an arrest for DUI, followed by charges of stalking and intimidation of a victim in Marathon County, Wisconsin.

    Even so, his final Instagram post revealed his love for family, congratulating his daughter on her graduation:

    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. She now closes one chapter and begins another — and I have no doubt she’s going to do amazing things. Congratulations. Keep shining. The world is yours.

    Farewell

    Bill Ferrario’s sudden passing leaves the Badgers and Packers communities in mourning. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and all who knew him.

     

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