Throughout his football career, Grant Wistrom and success went hand in hand.
A 1994 graduate form Webb City, Wistrom was a starter at tight end and defensive end for the Cardinals during their 1992 and 1993 class 4A State Championships. He recorded 122 tackles, eight sacks, six fumble recoveries and nine forced fumbles on defense while hauling in 30 receptions for 527 yards and five touchdowns on offense.
Wistrom continued his career with the University of Nebraska where during his four-year career the Cornhuskers posted a 49-2 record and earned three national championships in 1994, 1995, and 1997.
Individually, Wistrom earned a long list of honors including two-time Consensus All-American, the 1997 Lombardi Award (top collegiate lineman), the 1997 Bill Willis Award (top defensive lineman), two-time First-team All-Big 12 and First-team All-Big 8 and a two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the year. HE was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurksi Defensive Player of the Year award in 1997 with 51 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He finished his career as the all-time Nebraska leader in tackles for loss with 58.5, second in sacks with 26.5 and 206 total tackles.
The 6-foot-5, 273 pound Wistrom was selected No.6 overall in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. His rookie year Wistrom earned team Defensive Rookie of the Year with 30 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery in 13 games. His first career sack came against NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers.
In 1999, Wistrom started the entire season at defensive end totaling 60 tackles, 6.5 sacks, two interceptions (both returned for touchdowns), seven passes defended and a fumble recovery helping the Rams to a Super Bowl XXXIV victory over the Tennessee Titans.
Two years later in Super Bowl XXXVI, Wistrom was a starter in the loss to the New England Patriots. Following the 2003 season, after six seasons and 91 starts with the Rams, Wistrom signed a free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks in March 2004.
Wistrom started nine games in 2004 and missed seven with a knee injury. He started all 16 games with the Seahawks en route on Super Bowl XL where Seattle lost to the Pittsburg Steelers. In 2006, Wistrom started all 16 games for the Seahawks before retiring after the season.
During his NFL career, Wistrom played in 132 games, recorded 409 tackles, 331 solo, 53 sacks, seven forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries.
Wistrom had his No. 98 retired at Nebraska in 1998 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
