No. 85 | |||||||||||
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Position: | Tight end | ||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||
Born: | Urbana, Illinois, U.S. | November 9, 1957||||||||||
Died: | April 10, 2024 | (aged 66)||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||
Weight: | 236 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||
High school: | Washington-Lee (Arlington, Virginia) | ||||||||||
College: | Maryland | ||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1981 / Round: 4 / Pick: 107 | ||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Eric Scott Sievers (November 9, 1957 – April 10, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the San Diego Chargers. He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins before being selected by the Chargers in the fourth round of the 1981 NFL draft. Sievers was named to the NFL All-Rookie team in 1981. He played for ten NFL seasons from 1981 to 1990 for the Chargers, the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots.
Sievers attended Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia,[1] where he earned 1975 Parade All-American and Scholastic All-American honors. Other All-Americans named in the same award group included future NFL players, Mark Malone, Matt Suhey, Stan Brock, Brad Budde, Anthony Munoz, Bruce Clark, and Curtis Dickey. He was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 1997.[2]
At the University of Maryland, College Park, Sievers established himself as a strong blocker, but he did not catch the ball much as the Terrapins did not pass often. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 1981 NFL draft with the 107th overall pick.[3][4] and played eight seasons for the team. A solid blocker, his best receiving years were in 1984 and 1985, when he posted identical seasons of 41 catches for 438 yards.[5] In 1988, he was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury.[6] San Diego tried to activate him by passing him through waivers, but he was claimed by the Los Angeles Rams,[6] with whom he played one regular-season and one playoff game at the end of their season before becoming a Plan B free agent.[5]
Sievers signed with the New England Patriots in 1989. Although Lin Dawson started at tight end, Sievers established career highs the year with 54 receptions for 615 yards.[1][5]
Sievers died from cancer on April 10, 2024, at the age of 66.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Eric Sievers Stats". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ Sanders, Rich (August 7, 2012). "Top 100: Eric Sievers, Washington-Lee, Football, 1976". Connection Newspapers. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ Maffei, John (April 29, 1981). "Script reads defense, but Chargers go offense". Times-Advocate. pp. D1, D4. Retrieved April 12, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Granberry, Mike (April 29, 1981). "Chargers Stick With Their Offsensive Game Plan". Los Angeles Times. Part III, pp. 1, 12. Retrieved April 12, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Weyler, John (December 23, 1989). "A Role Player's Dream Season". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ a b Dufrense, Chris (December 8, 1988). "Rams Charge Down Freeway Again, Get San Diego's Sievers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "Chargers News: Beloved Former San Diego-Era TE Dies Of Cancer". Si. April 11, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.