When the Titans moved to Nashville in 1999, the team defined what football was for the entire fanbase. It’s a legacy that regardless of the roster, front office, or coaches, the team has continued to chase. When fans talk about Titans football, it conjures images of a stout defense, a bruising run game, and a mobile quarterback. But the linchpin that keeps the Titans offense moving has often been the tight end position.
When the national media brings up “Titans football”, their go-to highlight is Eddie George stiff-arming Ray Lewis in the 2003 playoffs. But Titans fans also remember Wycheck blocking a rookie Terrell Suggs on the backside of the play, giving George time to get around the edge and one-on-one with Ray Lewis.
The most glaring example of how much Wycheck meant to the Titans organization & fans is the class that he went into the Titans Ring of Honor with. The Titans waited for Steve McNair to retire in 2007, so they could recognize Steve McNair, Eddie George, owner Bud Adams, and Frank Wycheck together.
Last of a Breed
As the league was beginning to shift to more athletic pass-catching tight ends, Wycheck was able to keep pace with the best of them. During his time as a Titan, he would receive the 2nd most targets on the team, with only Derrick Mason getting targeted more often. But he took as much pride in his run blocks as he did his touchdowns.
During the 2003 playoff game in Baltimore, one week before he would retire, Wycheck would have only 17 receiving yards. In large part, this was because the Titans weren’t asking Wycheck to run many pass routes during the game. For the majority of his snaps, Wycheck would line up across from Terrell Suggs & stay in to block. In the regular season, Suggs finished 7th with 12 sacks. With the help of Wycheck’s blocking and chipping, Suggs finished the playoff game with 1 tackle and no sacks.
One week later, Wycheck would play his final game. He finished his career with 505 receptions for 5,125 yards and 28 touchdowns, earning him 3 Pro Bowl appearances and an All-Pro honor.
Infamy
Frank Wycheck is probably best remembered for his lateral to Kevin Dyson with 16 seconds left in the 1999 Wild Card playoffs. Nearly 25 years later, opinions of later vs forward pass still go on. But I think we can all agree, this ball went backwards. I think we can all agree that this ball clearly went backward.
Did you know?
Even though Wycheck was a throwback type of player, he had a few surprises up his sleeve, as well. He went 5 of 6 on pass attempts in his career with 2 passing touchdowns, giving him a perfect 158.3 career passer rating. This wouldn’t be his only perfect record in sports, because in 2007 Wycheck would make an appearance for TNA Wrestling. After beating the NWA World Champion in a tag team match, Wycheck would hang up his wrestling boots with a perfect 1-0 record.
A Legacy Beyond Sports
After retiring from the NFL due to concussions, Wycheck spent 12 years calling Titans games for the Titans Radio Network. In addition to using his platform to promote the Special Olympics, he was also a vocal leader on the front lines of the concussion lawsuits against the NFL. Wycheck would use his platform to open up about severe headaches and other “scary symptoms” that led him to believe he was suffering from CTE. He made arrangements for his brain to be donated for CTE research, which his family plans to follow through with.
