Former Tennessee Titans tight end Frank Wycheck, famous for his role in the “Music City Miracle,” died at the age of 52 on Saturday, according to his family.
A statement on his passing released on Sunday said Wycheck appeared to have fallen inside his Chattanooga, Tennessee, home and hit his head on Saturday morning — after which he was found unresponsive that afternoon.
Wycheck was born on October 14, 1971, in Philadelphia, played college football at the University of Maryland, was a sixth-round pick in the 1993 draft, and then spent about a decade in the NFL, during which time he made it to the Pro Bowl three times.
While playing for the Tennessee Titans in 2000, in the final seconds of a playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, Wycheck threw a lateral pass to teammate Kevin Dyson in a kickoff return that ended with a touchdown. The game-winning play became known as the “Music City Miracle.”
The Music City Miracle. (Jan. 8, 2000)
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Wycheck retired from the NFL in 2004 after sustaining multiple concussions that forced him to miss games. He moved on to do radio commentary for the Titans but stepped down in 2017 after enduring another concussion in another fall at his home.
In 2008, Wycheck joined a group of a dozen retired athletes who pledged to donate their brains after their deaths to the then-new Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center at Boston University’s School of Medicine for a concussion study.
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The statement from Wycheck’s family on Sunday said they plan to work with experts for “on-going brain injury (TBI) and CTE research” in accordance with his wishes.
Wycheck moved to Chattanooga this past summer to be closer to his family, according to his family, which noted that he leaves behind two adult daughters, Deanna and Madison, and three grandchildren: Leo, Stevie, and August.
Among those to offer tribute to Wycheck were the Titans, the team with which he spent most of his NFL career, starting with its previous iteration — the Houston Oilers.
“The Tennessee Titans mourn the loss of a beloved member of our Titans family, Frank Wycheck,” the team said in a post to X.
Rich Gannon, a former NFL quarterback, said, “Saddened to hear of the passing of my friend and former teammate Frank Wycheck. Great man gone way too soon! RIP brother.”
Funeral services have not yet been made at this time, Wycheck’s family said.
“The Wycheck family appreciates the love and support they’ve received, but asks the public to please respect their privacy during this difficult time,” the statement added.