Joe Jurevicius: Chronicling the Former Seattle Seahawk

The first installment of my series chronicling the careers of former Seahawks begins with one of my favorite wide receivers ever.

Joe Jurevicius began his career with the New York Giants.  He was drafted in the second round in the 1998 NFL Draft out of Penn State.  In his career as a Nittany Lion, he hauled in 94 passes for 1,894 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Jurevicius struggled in his rookie season, catching only nine passes for 146 yards.  He began to slowly emerge as a decent wide receiver the following season, catching 18 passes for 318 yards and one touchdown. 

In his third season as a Giant, he played in his first Super Bowl.  The Giants lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-7 and Jurevicius did not record a reception.

After his fourth season with the Giants in 2001, he signed a four year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.   The previous year had been his best season to date, catching 51 passes for 706 yards and three touchdowns.

In his second season in 2002, he became a key player in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl run.   In the NFC Championship game in Philadelphia, he hauled in a 71 yard reception to set up a Buccaneers touchdown.  They won 27-10.

He was the team leading receiver in the Super Bowl XXXVII rout of the Raiders 48-21, with four receptions for 78 yards, including a 33 yard reception. 

Tragedy then struck the Jurevicius family on March 24, 2003.  After being born premature in January, Jurevicius’ son Michael William Jurevicius, died of sialidosis, a rare neuro-degenerative disorder that is caused by a missing enzyme needed for proper cell function.  He continued to play after the death of his son, remembering him after every touchdown by pointing to the sky.

Jurevicius said he drew inspiration to continue on through his son, who lived two months after doctors said he would not make it past 48 hours.  Here are some excerpts from an Associated Press article dated June 12th, 2003:

"It was a lot things to bundle up in a short amount of time . . . playing in the NFC championship game, having a chance to go to the Super Bowl and becoming a father," Jurevicius said.

"And it's not that I'm patting myself on the back, but I don't know how I did it."

“But I've become a stronger person for it. I think I've become a better husband for it. I think I've become a better family man for it. I think that Michael helped me become a better football player." 

After struggling through injuries in Tampa Bay, Jurevicius signed a one year deal with the Seattle Seahawks as insurance for the depleted WR core. 

Jurevicius brought some sure hands to a Seahawks team in desperate need of some.  However, he was not expected to be a heavy contributor on a team with both Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram.

Injuries forced Jurevicius into the starting lineup in week five against St. Louis.  He flourished in his new role, catching nine passes and gaining a career high 137 yards.

He went on to have his best season as a pro, finishing the 2005 regular season with 55 receptions for 694 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

Jurevicius played in his third Super Bowl on February 5th, 2006.  He led the team with five catches for 93 yards in the Seahawks 21-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He eventually signed with his hometown Cleveland Browns.  In 2007, he was third in 3rd down receptions in the league with 29.

Unfortunately for Jurevicius, his career in Cleveland was cut short after he developed a staph infection after knee surgery in 2008.  He was released from the Browns on March 11, 2009 after vowing to come back from his seventh surgery.

He plans on coming back this year after several knee surgeries, hoping one team will give a 34-year-old wide receiver another chance.  If he doesn't land a job this season, it could be the end of very good career for one of the most sure handed wide receivers I ever saw play.