Bill Ferrario was a rugged lineman whose brutish and determined play reflected his West Scranton roots and led him to an outstanding football career in the trenches.
He went on to a successful collegiate career as an offensive lineman at the University of Wisconsin and had stops in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins and Carolina Panthers.
Bill Ferrario
On Wednesday, he died unexpectedly at his home in Wisconsin just two days after celebrating his 47th birthday.
The local community remembered him as a giant on the field whom they admired during his journey to the Big Ten and the National Football League.
“Billy was a true gentleman,” former West Scranton quarterback Corey Joyce said. “He was a literal Eagle Scout. Once he stepped onto the football field, he was a totally different person. He was an all-around great guy.
“He played freshman football in seventh grade because he was always too big. He always looked up to Marc Spindler and aspired to reach that level of play.”
While at West Scranton, Ferrario earned honorable mention all-star honors in the Big 11 as a junior and senior. The 6-foot-3, 265-pound tackle was determined to play NCAA Division I football. Former Invaders head coach Joe DeAntona sent game films to Bernie Wyatt, the recruiting coordinator at Wisconsin. Wyatt was the freshman coach at Iowa when DeAntona played there.
After Ferrario committed to the Badgers and coach Barry Alvarez, he received interest from Penn State, Temple, Army and Syracuse.
“He was like the ideal kid you wanted to coach,” coach DeAntona said. “He came from a great family with a father who was very supportive and never interfered. He gave 100% and worked, and made himself an outstanding player. He progressed all the way to Wisconsin and then onto Green Bay. He was the epitome of a storybook kid. He was a young whippersnapper and did what he was coached to do. It really worked out for him, and I am proud to say he represented West Scranton.”
Ferrario, who grew to 6-3, 315 pounds, was a two-time All-Big Ten guard for the Badgers — first-team in 1999, second-team in 2000 — and was a member of a dominant offensive line that blocked for Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne and Michael Bennett. He was one of three players in Big Ten history to start all 50 games of his career, and he was one of the driving forces for the Badgers, who won the Rose Bowl in 1999 and 2000.
“Billy was the guy behind the middle school with his dad running sprints and putting in the work and extra time to get better,” Joyce recalled. “When he got the scholarship to Wisconsin, and he came back at Christmas break, he put on 20-30 pounds of muscle. He was always putting in the extra work, and it showed.”
Ferrario was picked by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round (105th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played two seasons with the Packers and signed with Washington in 2004. He was released in September of 2004 and later signed with Carolina, but did not play any games with the Panthers.
He retired from the NFL in 2005.
“I am heartbroken. I have known Billy since fourth grade, and he had a pure heart of gold and was a trustworthy friend,” said longtime friend and former West Scranton running back Jason Waibel. “He would go to all lengths to help you. He always made you feel important, even when everyone just wanted to make him feel important. I couldn’t ask for a better friend.
“He carried the values of his time raised in West Side through his life. He was the epitome of hard work, loyalty, and especially those of us who are West Siders. He made everyone around him a better person. I am going to miss him terribly.”
Originally Published: September 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM EDT