Former Pro Bowl tight end Frank Wycheck passes away at age 52

Frank Wycheck (James L. Gaines, Wikimedia Commons)

According to Kevin Dotson and Steve Almasy of CNN on Sunday, three-time Pro Bowl tight end Frank Wycheck of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania passed away at the age of 52 on Saturday. He reportedly took a fall in his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and as a result of the fall, hit his head. Wycheck was then found unresponsive and dead.

Wycheck played 11 seasons in the National Football League from 1993 to 2003. He was with the Washington Redskins from 1993 to 1994, the Houston Oilers from 1995 to 1996, and the Tennessee Titans from 1997 to 2003. Remember, Houston moved to Tennessee to start the 1997 season.

In 155 games, Wycheck had 505 catches for 5126 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns. He also had four rushes for five yards and another major score. Wycheck’s rushing touchdown came in a 35-22 Oilers loss to the Chicago Bears on October 22, 1995.

Wycheck was first selected to the Pro Bowl in 1998. That year he had 70 catches for a career-high 768 yards and two touchdowns. Wycheck was honoured with a Pro Bowl selection again in 1999 and 2000. In 1999, he had 69 catches for 641 yards and two touchdowns, and in 2000, Wyheck had 70 catches for 636 yards and four touchdowns.

Three times Wycheck had a two-touchdown game. All three games came with the Titans. They occurred on January 2, 2000 in a 47-36 Titans win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, on October 1, 2000 in a 28-14 Titans win over the New York Giants, and on November 23, 2003, in a 38-31 Titans win over the Atlanta Falcons. Wycheck also had one 100-yard receiving game. That came on October 21, 2021 in a 27-24 Titans win over the Detroit Lions.

In Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers history, Wycheck is third all-time in receptions with 482, and most among tight ends. He was only behind Ernest Givens of St. Petersburg, Florida (542 receptions), and Haywood Jeffries of Greensboro, North Carolina (515 receptions).

Wycheck is best remembered however for the Music City Miracle. On January 8, 2000, in the AFC Wildcard game between the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans, the Bills were leading the Titans 16-15 with 16 seconds left. During a kickoff return, Wycheck threw a lateral pass to Kevin Dyson of Logan, Utah, who had a 75-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and gave the Titans a 22-16 win.

Wycheck is the second notable former NFL tight end to pass away in 2023. He follows Russ Francis of Seattle, Washington. The former New England Patriots tight end died in a plane crash in Lake Placid, New York on October 1 at the age of 70.

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