Eric Bjornson
{{Short description|American football player (born 1971)}}
{{About|the American football player|the American cross-country skier|Erik Bjornsen}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Eric Bjornson
| image = ETB (2).jpg
| caption = Bjornson with the Dallas Cowboys
| number = 86
| position = Tight end
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|12|15|mf=y}}
| birth_place = San Francisco, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lb = 237
| high_school = Oakland (CA) Bishop O'Dowd
| college = Washington
| draftyear = 1995
| draftround = 4
| draftpick = 110
| pastteams =
- Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|1995|1999}})
- New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|2000}})
- Oakland Raiders ({{NFL Year|2001}})*
| highlights =
- Super Bowl champion (XXX)
- National champion (1991)
- Second-team All-Pac-10 (1994)
| statlabel1 = Receptions
| statvalue1 = 147
| statlabel2 = Receiving yards
| statvalue2 = 1,384
| statlabel3 = Touchdowns
| statvalue3 = 8
| pfr = BjorEr00
}}
Eric Thomas Bjornson (born December 15, 1971) is an American former professional football tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. He was selected by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 1995 NFL draft. He played college football at the University of Washington.
Early life
Bjornson attended Bishop O'Dowd High School, where he became a three-year starter at quarterback. As a sophomore, he had a game where he threw for 5 touchdowns.
As a senior, he helped his team earn a 10–1 record and the East Shore Athletic League championship. He received scholar-athlete awards from the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame and the Oakland Tribune. He finished his career with 583 completions for 4,074 yards and 36 touchdowns.
College career
Bjornson accepted a football scholarship to the University of Washington. As a redshirt freshman in 1991, he was the third-string quarterback behind Billy Joe Hobert and Mark Brunell, on the national championship team. He was converted into a wide receiver as a sophomore, making 14 receptions for 170 yards and 2 touchdowns. As a junior, he returned to quarterback, as the backup to Damon Huard, getting a chance to start the final 3 games of the 1993 season, registering a 2–1 record.
As a senior, he was moved back to wide receiver, leading the team with 49 receptions (at the time fifth highest total in school history), for 770 yards and 7 touchdowns.{{cite web| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-10-02-sp-45751-story.html| title=This Personnel Switch Well Received : Huskies: Bjornson goes from passing to catching, giving Huard a target who can sense trouble | website=Los Angeles Times | date=October 2, 1994 | access-date=May 4, 2023}} He was sixth in the Pacific-10 in receptions and tied for second in touchdown receptions, while earning second-team All-Pac-10, Academic All-Pac-10 and second-team Academic All-American honors. He finished his college career with 64 receptions for 958 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Professional career
=Dallas Cowboys=
Bjornson was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round (110th overall) of the 1995 NFL draft,{{Cite web |title=1995 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1995/draft.htm | access-date=May 4, 2023|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com}} with the plan of converting him into a tight end.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=19950804&id=9C9SAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CTYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1595,4828879 | title=Rookie shining at tight end | access-date=May 4, 2023}} As a rookie, he contributed on special teams (6 tackles) and as a backup, while being part of the Super Bowl XXX championship team.
He became a starter in 1996, after Pro Bowler Jay Novacek suffered a back injury, that eventually forced him to retire. He would go on to start 10 games and had career-highs with 48 receptions (second on the team) and 3 touchdowns, despite playing through two sprained ankles that limited his playing time over the final four games of the regular season and the playoffs.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19961122&id=QNYjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=suoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1265,5257943 | title=Cowboys sign tight end Mitchell, who ends retirement | access-date=May 4, 2023}}
In 1997, although the Cowboys had drafted tight end David LaFleur in the first round, Bjornson still was an integral part of the offense, finishing second on the team and third among NFC tight ends with 47 receptions. He also was third on the team with a career-high 442 receiving yards, even though he suffered a fractured left fibula in Week 14.
In 1998, he was re-signed by the Cowboys to a two-year contract. That year, he played in all 16 games mainly as a backup (four starts) to LaFleur and although he was used some times as the slot receiver in four-wide receiver sets, his production decreased when he wasn't the starter.
In 1999, he played in all 16 games (six starts), finishing with 10 receptions for 131 yards. He was also used as the placekicker holder and had a 20-yard touchdown run on a fake field goal attempt.
Bjornson had 127 receptions for 1,232 yards (9.7 avg.) and six touchdowns during his five seasons with the Cowboys.
=New England Patriots=
On February 29, 2000, he signed as a free agent with the New England Patriots, but was released on November 15.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/16/sports/transactions-232980.html | title=Transactions | work=The New York Times | date=November 16, 2000 | access-date=May 4, 2023}} He appeared in 8 games (6 starts), collecting 20 receptions for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns.
=Oakland Raiders=
On March 1, 2001, he signed as a free agent with the Oakland Raiders. He was released before the season started on August 28.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/29/sports/transactions-922358.html | title=Transactions | work=The New York Times | date=August 29, 2001 | access-date=May 4, 2023}}
NFL career statistics
| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! colspan="2"| Legend |
| style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"|
| Won the Super Bowl |
| Bold
| Career high |
| 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 | |
| 1995 | style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"| DAL
| 14 || 1 || 7 || 53 || 7.6 || 16 || 0 | ||||||
| 1996 | DAL
| 14 || 10 || 48 || 388 || 8.1 || 25 || 3 | ||||||
| 1997 | DAL
| 14 || 14 || 47 || 442 || 9.4 || 32 || 0 | ||||||
| 1998 | DAL
| 16 || 4 || 15 || 218 || 14.5 || 43 || 1 | ||||||
| 1999 | DAL
| 16 || 6 || 10 || 131 || 13.1 || 32 || 0 | ||||||
| 2000 | NWE
| 8 || 6 || 20 || 152 || 7.6 || 19 || 2 | ||||||
| colspan="2"| | 82 | 41 | 147 | 1,384 | 9.4 | 43 | 6 |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20150524213117/http://archive.patriots.com/alumni/index.cfm?ac=alumnibiosdetail&bio=118 New England Patriots bio]
{{Washington Huskies quarterback navbox}}
{{1991 Washington Huskies football navbox}}
{{Cowboys1995DraftPicks}}
{{Super Bowl XXX}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bjornson, Eric}}
Category:Players of American football from Oakland, California
Category:American football tight ends
Category:American football quarterbacks
Category:Washington Huskies football players
Category:Dallas Cowboys players