Former Eagles general manager Tom Modrak dies
He took the job in 1998 and was fired in 2001 amid fraying ties with Andy Reid and Jeffrey Lurie.
Tom Modrak, 74, former Eagles general manager and a longtime NFL personnel man, died Tuesday at his home near St. Augustine, Fla.
Mr. Modrak was executive director of the BLESTO scouting combine at the time of his death from a neurological disease that was discovered in December.
The Pittsburgh Steelers hired him as a full-time scout in 1978 after he scouted for BLESTO.
He became general manager of the Eagles in 1998, serving in that role until he was fired in 2001 amid fraying ties with then-head coach Andy Reid and owner Jeffrey Lurie.
The Inquirer's Phil Sheridan wrote at the time:
Modrak approached the Eagles last May and "demanded," in Lurie's words, a new clause. He wanted to add windows of opportunity to leave the team this year and next year. The Eagles agreed on condition that they have the same right to terminate the deal without obligation to Modrak.
"We were not happy with that," Lurie said. "When you build an organization, you want people who are energized and want to be here. You don't want somebody who isn't pleased to be here."
Lurie was much more complimentary in a statement issued by the Eagles after Mr. Modrak's passing.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Tom Modrak," Lurie said. "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."
After leaving Philadelphia, Mr. Modrak became vice president of college scouting for the Buffalo Bills for 10 years, until 2011. He became head of BLESTO in 2012.
Former Steelers personnel boss Art Rooney Jr. hired Mr. Modrak part-time to review film of NFL players in the summer in the early 1970s before he joined BLESTO as a scout. The Steelers then hired him as a fulltime scout, where he worked 20 years before becoming the Eagles GM.
"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 advisor Tom Donohoe said. "I will always be grateful to Tom and his family for all their support and friendship. May he rest in peace."
Mr. Modrak was class president at Carrick High School in Pittsburgh and graduated in 1965 from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he played football. He earned a masters degree from West Virginia in 1972. He was inducted into both the IUP and Western Pennsylvania Halls of Fame.
Mr. Modrak, who served two years in the U.S. Army, also was an assistant coach in college at West Point, Utah, and Harvard and was an administrator at Penn State-McKeesport before he joined the pros as a scout.
Mr. Modrak is survived by his wife, Sandy (Bezila), and daughters Stephanie Dougherty and Erin Koontz.
Staff writer Jonathan Tannenwald contributed to this article.