Frank Wycheck
Encyclopedia
Frank John Wycheck is a former American football
tight end
in the National Football League
. Wycheck attended Archbishop Ryan High School
in Northeast Philadelphia. Drafted
in sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft
out of the University of Maryland
by the Washington Redskins
. With the arrival of new coach Norv Turner
in 1994, the Redskins made a failed attempt to switch Wycheck to fullback. Later that same season, Wycheck was suspended by the league for testing positive for anabolic steriods. Wycheck was released by the Redskins in 1995 and picked up by the Houston Oilers
. Wycheck continued to play for that franchise (later known as the Tennessee Oilers
and Tennessee Titans
) until his retirement following the 2003 season
.
Upon the Oilers franchise's rocky transition into Tennessee, Wycheck quickly adopted Nashville
as his hometown (even before the team officially left Houston
), and thereby became one of the most visible players in the community. When the team reached enormous popularity in Nashville, Wycheck's stellar performance on the field and visibility in the media helped him become one of the most popular players on the team. Even following his retirement, he remains a popular public figure in Middle Tennessee.
Wycheck amassed 505 receptions for 5,126 yards and 28 touchdown
s over his 11-year career, one of only six tight ends to surpass 500 receptions in NFL history (the others being Shannon Sharpe
, Ozzie Newsome
, Kellen Winslow
, Tony Gonzalez, and Antonio Gates
). Wycheck led the Titans in receiving for three consecutive seasons (1999–2001). Wycheck also went 5-for-6 passing the ball in his career (all on trick plays), resulting in 148 yards, two touchdowns, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating
. He also made the Pro Bowl
in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Wycheck is perhaps most famous for his particiption in the Music City Miracle
, where, with the Titans down 16-15 with 16 seconds remaining, to the Buffalo Bills
in the wild card round of the playoffs in 2000, after taking a handoff from Lorenzo Neal
, he lateraled the ball to Kevin Dyson
, who turned the ball upfield 75 yards for the game winning touchdown. The play was looked at several times on replay by the officials, in the end, it was ruled a touchdown. The Titans would go on to make the Super Bowl
that year, but would lose by a touchdown.
Wycheck now serves as a sports talk radio host at WGFX
104.5 The Zone in Nashville
. He stars on "The Wake-Up Zone", the morning show, with former WTVF
sports talking head Mark Howard and the brilliant radio announcer-impressionist Kevin Ingram. Beginning with the 2005 season, Wycheck assumed color commentary duties on the Tennessee Titans
Radio Network.
Wycheck is a strong supporter of the Tennessee Special Olympics, hosting the Wycheck Harley Ride charity event.
announced that during a press conference in Nashville
, that an altercation between Wycheck and James Storm
disrupted events. Wycheck, with the help of Jeff Jarrett
, delivered a guitar shot to James Storm after the "Tennessee Cowboy" spat beer in the former Tennessee Titan's face. TNA Wrestling would then announce that Wycheck has agreed in principle to a match with James Storm
at Slammiversary
on June 17, 2007. The match was made official on TNA's website later that day. At Slammiversary, he teamed with Jerry Lynn
to defeat Storm and Ron Killings
in a tag match. Wycheck won the match with a Cradle Piledriver, Lynn's finishing move.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Wycheck attended Archbishop Ryan High School
Archbishop Ryan High School
Archbishop Ryan High School is a Roman Catholic high school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA...
in Northeast Philadelphia. Drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft
1993 NFL Draft
The 1993 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 25-26, 1993...
out of the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
by the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. With the arrival of new coach Norv Turner
Norv Turner
Norval Eugene Turner is the head coach for the National Football League's San Diego Chargers. He also has served as head coach of the Washington Redskins and the Oakland Raiders, and as offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers...
in 1994, the Redskins made a failed attempt to switch Wycheck to fullback. Later that same season, Wycheck was suspended by the league for testing positive for anabolic steriods. Wycheck was released by the Redskins in 1995 and picked up by the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. Wycheck continued to play for that franchise (later known as the Tennessee Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
and Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
) until his retirement following the 2003 season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
.
Upon the Oilers franchise's rocky transition into Tennessee, Wycheck quickly adopted Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
as his hometown (even before the team officially left Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
), and thereby became one of the most visible players in the community. When the team reached enormous popularity in Nashville, Wycheck's stellar performance on the field and visibility in the media helped him become one of the most popular players on the team. Even following his retirement, he remains a popular public figure in Middle Tennessee.
Wycheck amassed 505 receptions for 5,126 yards and 28 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s over his 11-year career, one of only six tight ends to surpass 500 receptions in NFL history (the others being Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe is a former American Football tight end who played for the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. Sharpe is known for his creative commentary and trash talking. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and inducted on August 6, 2011...
, Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome Jr. and a 1974 graduate of Colbert County High School in Leighton, Alabama, is a former American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns, an inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the current General Manager of the Baltimore Ravens.-College career:Before his NFL career,...
, Kellen Winslow
Kellen Winslow
Kellen Boswell Winslow is a former American football tight end with the Missouri Tigers and the San Diego Chargers. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the game. He is currently the athletic director at Central State University.Winslow did not play high...
, Tony Gonzalez, and Antonio Gates
Antonio Gates
Antonio Gates is an American football tight end for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003 after playing college basketball at Kent State University...
). Wycheck led the Titans in receiving for three consecutive seasons (1999–2001). Wycheck also went 5-for-6 passing the ball in his career (all on trick plays), resulting in 148 yards, two touchdowns, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
. He also made the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Wycheck is perhaps most famous for his particiption in the Music City Miracle
Music City Miracle
The Music City Miracle is the name commonly given to a play that took place on January 8, 2000 during the National Football League's 1999–2000 playoffs...
, where, with the Titans down 16-15 with 16 seconds remaining, to the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the wild card round of the playoffs in 2000, after taking a handoff from Lorenzo Neal
Lorenzo Neal
Lorenzo LaVonne Neal is an American football fullback who played in the NFL from 1993–2009. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL Draft...
, he lateraled the ball to Kevin Dyson
Kevin Dyson
Kevin Tyree Dyson is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Oilers 16th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Utah....
, who turned the ball upfield 75 yards for the game winning touchdown. The play was looked at several times on replay by the officials, in the end, it was ruled a touchdown. The Titans would go on to make the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
that year, but would lose by a touchdown.
Wycheck now serves as a sports talk radio host at WGFX
WGFX
WGFX is a radio station broadcasting on the FM band at 104.5 MHz licensed to the city of Gallatin, Tennessee, but serving the Nashville market as a whole. It is currently branded as 104.5 The Zone, broadcasting a sports talk format. It is owned by Cumulus Media and operates out of studios on Second...
104.5 The Zone in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. He stars on "The Wake-Up Zone", the morning show, with former WTVF
WTVF
WTVF is the CBS-affiliated television station for Middle Tennessee that is licensed to Nashville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 5 from a transmitter north of downtown along I-24. Owned by Landmark Media Enterprises, the station has studios on James Robertson Parkway...
sports talking head Mark Howard and the brilliant radio announcer-impressionist Kevin Ingram. Beginning with the 2005 season, Wycheck assumed color commentary duties on the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
Radio Network.
Wycheck is a strong supporter of the Tennessee Special Olympics, hosting the Wycheck Harley Ride charity event.
Professional wrestling appearances
On May 31, 2007 Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
announced that during a press conference in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, that an altercation between Wycheck and James Storm
James Storm
James Allen Cox is an American professional wrestler who competes under the ring name "The Cowboy" James Storm. Since 2002, Storm has been employed by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he, along with A.J...
disrupted events. Wycheck, with the help of Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
, delivered a guitar shot to James Storm after the "Tennessee Cowboy" spat beer in the former Tennessee Titan's face. TNA Wrestling would then announce that Wycheck has agreed in principle to a match with James Storm
James Storm
James Allen Cox is an American professional wrestler who competes under the ring name "The Cowboy" James Storm. Since 2002, Storm has been employed by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he, along with A.J...
at Slammiversary
Slammiversary (2007)
Slammiversary was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, which took place on June 17, 2007 at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. It was the third event under the Slammiversary chronology and marked the fifth anniversary of...
on June 17, 2007. The match was made official on TNA's website later that day. At Slammiversary, he teamed with Jerry Lynn
Jerry Lynn
Jeremy "Jerry" Lynn is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
to defeat Storm and Ron Killings
Ron Killings
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
in a tag match. Wycheck won the match with a Cradle Piledriver, Lynn's finishing move.