Freddie Solomon

Freddie Solomon
No. 86, 88
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:(1953-01-11)January 11, 1953
Sumter, South Carolina, U.S.
Died:February 13, 2012(2012-02-13) (aged 59)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school:Sumter
College:Tampa
NFL draft:1975 / round: 2 / pick: 36
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:371
Receiving yards:5,846
Rushing attempts:61
Rushing yards:519
Total touchdowns:57
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Freddie Solomon (January 11, 1953 – February 13, 2012) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL).[1] He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1975 NFL draft. A native of Sumter, South Carolina, he was a graduate of Sumter High School class of 1971. A 5-foot-11, 184-pound receiver from the University of Tampa (where he had played quarterback), Solomon played in 11 NFL seasons for the Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers from 1975 to 1985. On December 5, 1976, Solomon had a career game, with 5 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown, 1 rushing attempt for 59 yards and a touchdown, and a punt return for 79 yards and a touchdown.[2] Solomon won two Super Bowls with the 49ers, the first two in the history of the franchise.[3]

On "The Catch", Dwight Clark's famous leaping grab that helped the 49ers beat the Dallas Cowboys in the 1982 NFC Playoffs, Solomon was the primary target on the play, but slipped coming out of his cut. Solomon made several key plays on the 49ers final drive of that game.[4]

  1. ^ "McIntyre Gains NCAA, Olympic Bids". The Item. May 7, 1980. p. 22. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  2. ^ "Freddie Solomon, a Star N.F.L. Receiver, Dies at 59". The New York Times. February 14, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  3. ^ "'The Catch' lands a spot in NFL lore". St. Petersburg Times. November 19, 1999. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  4. ^ Off on the wrong foot Sports Illustrated Archived 2023-09-18 at the Wayback Machine