Grant Wistrom terrorized opposing backfields as a cornerstone of Nebraska’s defense, eventually parlaying his collegiate dominance into a stellar, Super Bowl-winning career in the NFL.
Football Bio
July 3, 1976 – Joplin, Missouri – Grant Wistrom, who was the University of Nebraska’s defensive end from 1994 to 1997, was born.
The National Football Foundation says the Cornhuskers put up a 49-2 win-loss record, en route to winning three national championships behind the dominant play of the two-time unanimous All-American selection during his time at the school. The word dominant is an appropriate word to describe this player.
As a freshman on the 1994 national championship team, Wistrom notched 36 tackles, four and a half sacks, and eventually became the Big Eight Newcomer of the Year. During his sophomore season, he recorded 44 tackles, including a team-leading 15 tackles for loss, and was named to the first-team All-Big Eight as the Huskers won their second straight national title.
In 1996, Wistrom helped the Husker defense unit to the top 10 in the nation in all four major defensive categories.
As a senior, Wistrom won the Lombardi Award and earned a finalist spot for the Nagurski Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Grant Wistrom’s collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 2009.
Grant was picked in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams, and he had an immediate impact. Wistrom took home the Rams Defensive Rookie of the Year honors for his efforts.
Later, Wistrom played in three Super Bowls during his sixth-season career, including a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV with the Rams. He retired as a Seattle Seahawk just after the 2006 season had ended.
This doesn’t have anything to do with the July 3rd holiday, but in 1878, according to football historian Park H. Davis, the public was up in arms when it learned that the Princeton-Yale game that took place that year had to pay what was considered a ridiculous sum of $300 to rent the field.
In today’s college games, some pay more than that for a single admission ticket. So $300 to rent the field, not a problem. $300 to go see Alabama LSU, that could be a problem in somebody’s pocketbook.
Grant Wistrom leaves behind a phenomenal legacy as a three-time national champion and a Super Bowl victor. He perfectly blended unmatched intensity with elite talent to cement his status as one of football’s greatest defensive ends.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2009.
- Super Bowl Champion: Won Super Bowl XXXIV with the St. Louis Rams.
- 3× National Champion: 1994, 1995, and 1997 with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
- Lombardi Award Winner: 1997.
- Bill Willis Trophy Winner: 1996.
- 2× Consensus First-Team All-American: 1996, 1997.
- 2× Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year: 1996, 1997.
- NFL First-Round Draft Pick: Selected 6th overall in 1998 by the St. Louis Rams.
- Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2019.
- Retired Number: His #98 jersey was retired by the Nebraska Cornhuskers.