When Oilers coach Jeff Fisher sat down to contemplate
Tennessee's shortcomings following the 1997 season, everything
seemed to point to young quarterback Steve McNair's needing the
help of a veteran wide receiver. The stat sheet showed that the
Oilers' No. 1 receiver in 1997 was their tight end Frank
Wycheck. Plus, when several veterans knocked on Fisher's door on
their way home for the winter, each had shared the same message:
This team is one star player from a deep playoff run.
In Thigpen, the Oilers get a wideout who has
averaged 37 catches a season.
(Bob Rosato)
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That player could be Yancey Thigpen, a two-time Pro Bowl wideout
with the Steelers, whom Tennessee signed to a five-year, $21
million contract in February, making him the highest-paid
receiver in the NFL. "Getting Yancey is very close to being the
most important acquisition we've ever had," says Fisher. "After
three years of looking, we found the receiver that can take us
where we want to go." Adds Oilers general manager Floyd Reese,
"For our team, this guy was very, very important."
It's not hard to see why. The 6'1", 180-pound Thigpen, a
fourth-round draft pick by the Chargers in '91, blossomed into a
star in '95, his fourth season with Pittsburgh. That year he
caught 85 passes, to surpass the Steelers' record set by John
Stallworth, and piling up 1,307 receiving yards on his way to
Super Bowl XXX and the Pro Bowl. After a string of leg injuries
reduced his playing time in 1996, Thigpen bounced back in '97
with 79 catches. He also broke another of Stallworth's team
records with 1,398 yards receiving.
It was Thigpen's performance in a 35-24 win against the Broncos
on Dec. 7 that really hooked Fisher. Thigpen had six catches for
175 yards and three first-half touchdowns of 33, 69 and 21
yards. It was then that the Oilers, who haven't had a 1,300-yard
receiver in 34 years, went into OT (Operation Thigpen). McNair
began sweet-talking Thigpen on the field after Pittsburgh and
Tennessee met in the teams' regular-season finale. More Oilers
cornered him at the Super Bowl. On the plane ride to the Pro
Bowl in Honolulu, Tennessee running back Eddie George sat in the
seat next to Thigpen and campaigned throughout the flight.
Oilers safety Blaine Bishop took over when they landed.
Thigpen says he chose the Oilers above 11 other suitors because
McNair's passing abilities reminded him of Pittsburgh
quarterback Kordell Stewart and because by staying in the AFC
Central, he'll face familiar defenses. Shortly after signing
with Tennessee, however, Thigpen had surgery to repair a screw
that had been inserted into his left foot last year for
stabilization. He missed almost all the Oilers' spring practices.
In the middle of Yancey's first minicamp with Tennessee, in
early June, his father, Edward, died after a battle with
Guillain-Barre syndrome. "All my life everyone has said how
blessed I am," says Yancey. "I'd give all that up to have my
father back."
Because of the injury and his dad's death, last week was the
first time Thigpen ran hard since the Pro Bowl, and he was sore
for two days after the workout. "But it's a good feeling," he
says. "It lets me know I've got my feet under me, and even
though things have been tough lately, I'm about to go to a whole
new level."
The Oilers only hope that Thigpen takes them along.
Issue date: June 29, 1998
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