Ricky Proehl

Infobox NFLretired


|caption=
position=Wide Receiver
number=87, 81, 11
birthdate=birth date and age|1968|3|7
Bronx, New York
debutyear=1990
finalyear=2006
draftyear=1990
draftround=3
draftpick=58
college=Wake Forest
teams=
* Phoenix / Arizona Cardinals (1990-1994)
* Seattle Seahawks (1995-1996)
* Chicago Bears (1997)
* St. Louis Rams (1997-2002)
* Carolina Panthers (2003-2005)
* Indianapolis Colts (2006)
stat1label=Receptions
stat1value=669
stat2label=Receiving Yards
stat2value=8,878
stat3label=Touchdowns
stat3value=54
nfl=PRO191673
highlights=
* 2x Super Bowl champion (XXXIV, XLI)
HOF=
CollegeHOF=

Richard Scott Proehl (born March 7, 1968 in Bronx, New York) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He currently lives in Greensboro, North Carolina and owns Proehlific Park, also in Greensboro. The park helps local athletes of any age perform better in sports. Proehl has played 16 seasons with the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers, and Indianapolis Colts. He has played in four Super Bowls and has won two: Super Bowl XXXIV with the Rams and Super Bowl XLI with the Colts.

High school career

Proehl attended Hillsborough High School in Hillsborough, New Jersey, where he starred in both football and baseball. During his senior year in football, he caught 42 passes for 900+ yards and 13 touchdowns. For his efforts that year, he was named a New York All-Metro selection, the Somerset County Player of the Year, and an All-State pick.

College career

Proehl played college football at Wake Forest University, where he was a four-year letterman in football. He holds the school record for receiving yards (2,949 yards), and touchdowns (25), as well as ranking in the top five in receptions and receiving average. He ended his college years playing in the Blue-Gray Football Classic and the East-West All-Star Game.

Professional career

Proehl was taken in the third round (58th overall) of the 1990 NFL Draft. He set the Cardinal rookie record for receptions, as well as becoming the first rookie to lead the team in receptions since Bob Shaw in 1950. He played four more seasons for the Cardinals before being traded to Seattle for a draft pick. He spent two seasons with the Seahawks, signed with Chicago for one year, and ended up with the Rams for the start of the 1998 NFL season. As part of "The Greatest Show on Turf", he helped lead the Rams to victory at Super Bowl XXXIV. He spent three more seasons with the Rams before signing with Carolina as a free agent at the start of the 2003 NFL season. He was talked out of retirement for a 16th season by Panther quarterback Jake Delhomme and coach John Fox. Proehl retired and worked as a color analyst with the Rams' television pre-season games and the Rams radio network on various shows and pre-games.

On November 29, 2006, Proehl came out of retirement to join the Indianapolis Colts, to replace injured WR Brandon Stokley.

Achievements

Proehl is best known for his role in three memorable playoff games:
*As a Ram in the 1999 NFC Championship Game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Proehl recorded 6 receptions for 100 yards and caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 4:44 to play. The Rams won 11-6 and went on to win the Super Bowl.
*Two years later, in Super Bowl XXXVI against the New England Patriots, with the Rams trailing 17-10, Proehl caught a touchdown pass with 1:30 to play to tie the game, but the Patriots won on a last-second field goal by Adam Vinatieri, 20-17. Before the game, Proehl guaranteed that a dynasty would be born that night. His prediction ("Tonight, a dynasty is born!") proved correct--but the dynasty was the Patriots', who won three of the next four Super Bowls.
*Two years later, in Super Bowl XXXVIII against New England, this time as a member of the Panthers, Proehl again caught a touchdown pass with 1:08 remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game. However, the Patriots won the game on another last-second field goal by Vinatieri, 32-29.
*After those two Super Bowl moments, in which Vinatieri kicked the game winning field goal after Proehl caught a touchdown, Proehl and Vinatieri became teammates in Indianapolis and were part of the Colts team that won Super Bowl XLI.

Proehl's Super Bowl numbers

Super Bowl XXXIV : 1 reception, 11 yards - St. Louis 23, Tennessee 16

Super Bowl XXXVI : 3 receptions, 71 yards, 1 TD - N. England 20, St. Louis 17

Super Bowl XXXVIII : 4 receptions, 71 yards, 1 TD N. England 32, Carolina 29

External links

*"ESPN.com:" [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=0889 Ricky Proehl player card]