Wycheck to call it a career...He as a GREAT TE IMO

[Dante]

January 23, 2004, at 03:06 PM ET

Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Tennessee Titans tight end Frank Wycheck has decided to retire after 11 NFL seasons.

A pair of concussions that forced Wycheck to miss six games during the 2003 campaign played a factor in the decision. He was under contract through the 2006 season.

Wycheck spent the past nine years with the Tennessee franchise after playing his first two seasons in Washington. The then-Houston Oilers claimed him off waivers before the 1995 season and he went on to become one of the most productive tight ends in the club's history.

A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Wycheck led the Tennessee franchise in receptions for five straight seasons from 1996-2000. He had six straight years of at least 50 catches, setting a career high with 70 in 1998 and matching it two years later.

Wycheck finished with 505 receptions for 5,126 yards and 28 touchdowns in 155 games. He became the fourth tight end in league history to reach 500 catches, joining Shannon Sharpe and Hall of Famers Ozzie Newsome and Kellen Winslow.

This past season, Wycheck caught just 17 passes for 165 yards and two scores.

The Maryland product was a key figure in the most famous play in Titans history, the "Music City Miracle" that propelled the club to the Super Bowl after the 1999 season.

With the Buffalo Bills leading 16-15 in the closing seconds of an AFC wild card game, Lorenzo Neal picked up a kickoff and handed the ball to Wycheck, who threw a lateral ac**** the field to Kevin Dyson. Dyson then raced 75 yards for the winning touchdown.

The Titans went on to their first Super Bowl, falling to the St. Louis Rams 23-16. Wycheck had five catches during the contest.

 

[TheGeneral+]

He was a good player for tenn.

 

[lander]

He was great at throwing illegal forward passes

 

[RPM]

ONE HELLUVA PLAYER. im sure he will find a spot in a booth somewhere.

 

[Fishhead]

Poor mans DALLAS CLARK

Dallas reminds me alot of Wycheck........but Dallas will be better in the long run.

 

[VOLTITAN]

I knew this was probably coming...I'll have to invest in a new Titans jersey now...or maybe one more season in the

89 Wycheck

as a tribute. He has Hall of Fame numbers but not many people give him a chance at making it. If not for all the concussions he may have had a few more years in him. I hope this is not the beginning of a "down" cycle for the Titans but in the next few years this team is going to continue to lose some big name veterans.

 

[SweeptheBoard]

not a bad career for a tough kid out of the philadelphia catholic league - archbishop ryan high school - not exactly a league or area known for producing lots of talent (although the league also produced the likes of rich gannon and marvin harrison)

but unlike texas, fla, calif products, we dont expect many of our own to make it in the nfl, let alone be a meaningful player on a good team

kudos to frank for a great career and to have earned the respect of his peers as a tough competitor;

most importantly, congrats to frank to have the good sense to cash out while he still has some semblance of health - too many play too long and for the wrong reasons

 

[Fishhead]

Again, Dallas Clark will make everybody forget this Wycheck character.

 

[jimbutorac]

Fish, you may be right but recognize there are only a handful of tight ends like Wychek, Sharpe, Newsome, et al. who can last to 500 catches. It's a difficult position.

Great players who never made it: Bavaro, Ditka, Bennie Cunningham, Russ Francis, Billy Joe Dupree, Ben Coates, and a bunch more.

I have nuthin' against Dallas Clark but if he didn't even make it thru his 1st season healthy, I'd say odds of him surpassing Wycheck as only 4 players have done, are not all that good.