Grant Wistrom

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 and 4.5 sacks as he 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, while being named First Team All-Big Eight as the Huskers won their second consecutive national title. In 1996, Wistrom helped the Husker defensive 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 six-season career, including a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV with the Rams. He retired as a Seattle Seahawk just after the 2006 season ended.