{{Short description|American football player (born 1969)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Use American English|date=February 2023}} {{BLP sources|date=January 2011}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Yancey Thigpen | image = YanceyThigpen.jpg | caption = Thigpen with the Tennessee Titans | number = 84, 82 | position = Wide receiver | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|8|15}} | birth_place = Tarboro, North Carolina, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lb = 208 | high_school = Southwest Edgecombe {{nowrap|(Pinetops, North Carolina)}} | college = Winston-Salem State (1988–1990) | draftyear = 1991 | draftround = 4 | draftpick = 90 | pastteams = * San Diego Chargers ({{NFL Year|1991}}) * Pittsburgh Steelers ({{NFL Year|1992|1997}}) * Tennessee Oilers / Titans ({{NFL Year|1998|2000}}) | highlights = * 2× Second-team All-Pro (1995, 1997) * 2× Pro Bowl (1995, 1997) | statlabel1 = Receptions | statvalue1 = 313 | statlabel2 = Receiving yards | statvalue2 = 5,081 | statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns | statvalue3 = 30 | pfr = T/ThigYa00 }}
'''Yancey Dirk Thigpen''' (born August 15, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers (1991), Pittsburgh Steelers (1992–1997), the Tennessee Oilers/Titans (1998–2000).<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110106215103/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=THIGPYAN01 Yancey Thigpen]}}. databasefootball.com</ref> Before his NFL career, he played for Winston-Salem State University, where he also played collegiate basketball.
==Professional career== Thigpen was selected in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1991 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1991/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Thigpen played infrequently in his first three seasons, but had a breakout year in 1994, catching 36 passes for 546 yards. Then in 1995, he made the Pro Bowl, catching 85 passes for 1,307 yards and five touchdowns, and assisting his team to Super Bowl XXX, where he recorded three catches for 19 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers 27–17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.<ref>{{cite web |title=Super Bowl XXX - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys - January 28th, 1996 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199601280dal.htm |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=3 July 2018}}</ref> His tough style of play earned him the nickname "Meatball," which was later changed to "Phil" when he joined the Oilers in 1998. His role with the Steelers, over time, would eventually be filled by Hines Ward.
Thigpen played only six games in the following season due to injuries, but made a full recovery in the 1997 season, catching 79 passes for 1,398 yards and 7 touchdowns and making his second Pro Bowl selection.
In 1998, he signed a five-year, $21 million contract with the Oilers,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/thigpen-dumps-steelers-for-oilers/ |title=Thigpen Dumps Steelers For Oilers |date=15 February 1998 |website=CBS News |access-date=3 July 2018}}</ref> which at the time was the highest known contract ever signed among wide receivers. He went on to play with them for the final three seasons of his career, assisting the team (now known as the Titans) to Super Bowl XXXIV in the 1999 season. Such a large contract for a wide receiver was a signal of the role which wide receivers would begin to play in the NFL. Thigpen retired after the 2000 season with 313 career receptions for 5,081 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also rushed for four yards, returned two punts for 30 yards, and gained 188 yards on eight kickoff returns.
==NFL career statistics== {| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" ! colspan="2"| Legend |- | style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"| | Led the league |- | '''Bold''' | Career high |}
===Regular season=== {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="5"| Receiving |- ! GP !! GS !! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD |- ! 1991 !! SD | 4 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 |- ! 1992 !! PIT | 12 || 0 || 1 || 2 || 2.0 || 2 || 0 |- ! 1993 !! PIT | 12 || 0 || 9 || 154 || 17.1 || 39 || 3 |- ! 1994 !! PIT | 15 || 6 || 36 || 546 || 15.2 || 60 || 4 |- ! 1995 !! PIT | 16 || 16 || '''85''' || 1,307 || 15.4 || 43 || 5 |- ! 1996 !! PIT | 6 || 2 || 12 || 244 || '''20.3''' || 39 || 2 |- ! 1997 !! PIT | 16 || 15 || 79 || '''1,398''' || 17.7 || '''69''' || '''7''' |- ! 1998 !! TEN | 9 || 8 || 38 || 493 || 13.0 || 55 || 3 |- ! 1999 !! TEN | 10 || 10 || 38 || 648 || 17.1 || 35 || 4 |- ! 2000 !! TEN | 12 || 0 || 15 || 289 || 19.3 || 56 || 2 |- ! colspan="2"| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/ThigYa00.htm Career] !! 112 !! 58 !! 313 !! 5,081 !! 16.2 !! 69 !! 30 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{San Diego Chargers 1991 draft navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thigpen, Yancey}} Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Tarboro, North Carolina Category:American football wide receivers Category:Winston-Salem State Rams football players Category:San Diego Chargers players Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players Category:Tennessee Oilers players Category:Tennessee Titans players Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players Category:Players of American football from North Carolina