COACHING
Drawing on his 17 seasons as an NFL player, former wide receiver Ricky Proehl moves to the sideline as an offensive consultant with the Panthers, working primarily with wide receivers coach Fred Graves.
Proehl finished his career with 669 receptions for 8,878 yards and 54 touchdowns. He appeared in 244 games with 110 starts for the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Panthers and Indianapolis Colts. Proehl was a member of four Super Bowl teams, including championship teams with the Rams and Colts. In three seasons with the Panthers, he registered 86 catches for 1,327 yards and eight touchdowns and participated on two playoff teams.
But Proehl's playing days were distinguished by far more than his statistical achievements. He earned a reputation as a sure-handed and clutch player, making dramatic plays at critical times.
In the 2003 season opener versus Jacksonville, his first game with Carolina, Proehl caught a 12-yard touchdown on fourth down with 16 seconds left to cap a come-from-behind win and propel the Panthers on their Super Bowl run. During the 1999 postseason, he snagged a one-handed, 30-yard touchdown reception with 4:44 to play that lifted St. Louis to a victory over Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship.
Noted for the example he set for young players with his hard work, savvy and veteran leadership, Proehl essentially began coaching while still playing. A student of the game and an excellent communicator, he mentored teammates like Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt in St. Louis and Steve Smith in Carolina.
Those experiences will help Proehl in his role with the Panthers. Carolina has one of the NFL's youngest receiving corps and drafted three wideouts in 2010, all of whom will benefit from his knowledge and detail-oriented approach to the game.
PLAYING AND PERSONAL
Since retiring following the 2006 season, Proehl has owned and operated Proehlific Park, a family sports complex and fitness center, in Greensboro, N.C.
A standout wide receiver at Wake Forest from 1986-89 before being selected in the third round (58th overall) of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Cardinals, Proehl left the university as the holder of almost every major receiving record. He still ranks as the Demon Deacons' all-time leader with 2,949 receiving yards and 25 touchdown catches, and his 188 receptions stand second. Proehl led the team in receiving three consecutive seasons and finished first in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 65 catches for a school-record 1,053 yards as a senior in 1989.
Proehl majored in speech communications at Wake Forest. In recognition of his college and professional accomplishments, he was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in May 2011. Proehl and his wife, Kelly, have a daughter, Alexandria, and two sons, Austin and Blake.
HISTORY
Wide receiver: Wake Forest 1986-89. Pro wide receiver: Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals 1990-94, Seattle Seahawks 1995-96, Chicago Bears 1997, St. Louis Rams 1998-2002, Carolina Panthers 2003-05, Indianapolis Colts 2006. Pro coach: Joined Panthers in 2011.
COACHING
Drawing on his 17 seasons as an NFL player, former wide receiver Ricky Proehl moves to the sideline as an offensive consultant with the Panthers, working primarily with wide receivers coach Fred Graves.
Proehl finished his career with 669 receptions for 8,878 yards and 54 touchdowns. He appeared in 244 games with 110 starts for the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Panthers and Indianapolis Colts. Proehl was a member of four Super Bowl teams, including championship teams with the Rams and Colts. In three seasons with the Panthers, he registered 86 catches for 1,327 yards and eight touchdowns and participated on two playoff teams.
But Proehl's playing days were distinguished by far more than his statistical achievements. He earned a reputation as a sure-handed and clutch player, making dramatic plays at critical times.
In the 2003 season opener versus Jacksonville, his first game with Carolina, Proehl caught a 12-yard touchdown on fourth down with 16 seconds left to cap a come-from-behind win and propel the Panthers on their Super Bowl run. During the 1999 postseason, he snagged a one-handed, 30-yard touchdown reception with 4:44 to play that lifted St. Louis to a victory over Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship.
Noted for the example he set for young players with his hard work, savvy and veteran leadership, Proehl essentially began coaching while still playing. A student of the game and an excellent communicator, he mentored teammates like Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt in St. Louis and Steve Smith in Carolina.
Those experiences will help Proehl in his role with the Panthers. Carolina has one of the NFL's youngest receiving corps and drafted three wideouts in 2010, all of whom will benefit from his knowledge and detail-oriented approach to the game.
PLAYING AND PERSONAL
Since retiring following the 2006 season, Proehl has owned and operated Proehlific Park, a family sports complex and fitness center, in Greensboro, N.C.
A standout wide receiver at Wake Forest from 1986-89 before being selected in the third round (58th overall) of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Cardinals, Proehl left the university as the holder of almost every major receiving record. He still ranks as the Demon Deacons' all-time leader with 2,949 receiving yards and 25 touchdown catches, and his 188 receptions stand second. Proehl led the team in receiving three consecutive seasons and finished first in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 65 catches for a school-record 1,053 yards as a senior in 1989.
Proehl majored in speech communications at Wake Forest. In recognition of his college and professional accomplishments, he was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in May 2011. Proehl and his wife, Kelly, have a daughter, Alexandria, and two sons, Austin and Blake.
HISTORY
Wide receiver: Wake Forest 1986-89. Pro wide receiver: Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals 1990-94, Seattle Seahawks 1995-96, Chicago Bears 1997, St. Louis Rams 1998-2002, Carolina Panthers 2003-05, Indianapolis Colts 2006. Pro coach: Joined Panthers in 2011.
