Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/730644
then finishing up his career with Kansas City in 2009. Only one other Penn State wide receiver comes close to Engram's 14 years in the NFL, and that is Joe Jurevi- cius, Engram's Nittany Lion teammate in 1994 and '95, who spent 10 years in the league. In fact, only two other Penn State players were in the NFL longer, kicker Matt Bahr and quarterback Kerry Collins, another teammate who helped Engram set all those Penn State records. Very few pure wide receivers in the his- tory of the NFL, possibly as few as 35, have played as long as Engram. And most of those "ironmen" have been bigger and taller than the 5-foot-10, 188-pound Penn Stater. Engram led the Bears in receptions and yardage in 1997 and '98, but after battling injuries in 2000 he became a free agent and signed with Seattle, where his career blossomed. The Seahawks reached the playoffs every season from 2003-07, win- ning four NFC West championships. En- gram was the perfect combination of a prime and possession receiver, leading the team in receptions and yardage in 2005 (67 catches for 778 yards and three TDs) when Seattle reached the Super Bowl, losing to Pittsburgh, 21-10, in a game filled with controversial penalties. Then in 2007, Engram had the best year of his pro career, gaining 1,147 yards on a team-record 94 receptions and scoring six touchdowns. He also led the Seahawks in receiving the following year (47 recep- tions for 489 yards), but then injuries began to take their toll. He moved on to Kansas City in 2009, and a year later he was out of football. While contemplating his future in 2010, Engram received the highest honor of his NFL life when he was voted by Seattle fans to the official all-time Seahawks team on the 35th anniversary of the founding of the franchise. There were only 29 players selected, and the other two wide receivers were Hall of Famer Steve Largent and former Miami Hurri- canes All-American Brian Blades. "Man, I was honored and humbled," Engram said. "You think about so many good players, so many good receivers that have gone through Seattle, and then to be RECORD SETTER Although his Penn State ca- reer ended two decades ago, En- gram still holds several of the school's all-time receiving records. His 3,026 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns are the most in Nit- tany Lion foot- ball history, as are his 16 100- yard receiving games. Photo by Mark Selders