Wisconsin announces death of former offensive lineman, Packers draft pick Bill Ferrario

Former Wisconsin offensive lineman Bill Ferrario has died, the program announced on Thursday afternoon. He was 47 years old.

Ferrario entered the starting lineup for Wisconsin as a freshman and quickly made a name for himself as a force up front. He started 50 straight games for the Badgers while in college, becoming a stalwart in the trenches.

“Wisconsin Football mourns the loss of Bill Ferrario, former Badger offensive lineman and two-time Big Ten champion,” the program’s statement read.

As noted, Bill Ferrario was a two-time Big Ten champion, winning the conference title with Wisconsin in 1998 and 1999. He would go on to play for the Green Bay Packers.

He was selected with the No. 105 overall pick in the 2001 draft, taken in the fourth round by Green Bay. He’d spend two years with the Packers before seeing brief stints with the Washington Redskins and Carolina Panthers. His stay in the pros was relatively short-lived.

Tributes following the death of Bill Ferrario poured in on social media and elsewhere on Thursday. The family of Casey Rabach, a former teammate, chimed in on social media.

“With a heavy heart, may you Rest in Peace,” Casey Rabach wrote. Rabach is currently an assistant offensive line coach at Wisconsin. His wife also chimed in on the news.

“May you rest in peace Billy,” Nicole Rabach wrote on Twitter. “You were not only Casey’s teammate, roommate and a wonderful friend. You were like a brother to me. Casey and I love you forever.”

Bill Ferrario’s life was not without its ups and downs, as noted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in a piece recognizing his death on Thursday. According to the publication, Ferrario was sentenced to 35 days in jail and 18 months’ probation on charges related to drunken driving and domestic abuse.