Brian Salonen

Last updated
Brian Salonen
No. 89
Position: Tight end / Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1961-07-29) July 29, 1961 (age 62)
Glasgow, Montana, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:229 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school: Great Falls (MT)
College: Montana
NFL draft: 1984  / Round: 10 / Pick: 278
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:32
Player stats at PFR

Brian Scott Salonen (born July 29, 1961) is a former American football tight end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) or the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Montana.

Contents

Early years

Salonen attended Great Falls High School, where he was an All-state football player that played on offense and defense (linebacker). In basketball, he received both All-state and All-American honors.

He accepted a football scholarship from the University of Montana, where he played as a tight end and also served as team's long snapper.

In 1983, he established seven school receiving records, after posting 68 receptions for 832 receiving yards (led the conference) and 9 touchdowns, including six games with more than 100 yards receiving. He also set Division I-AA records for tight ends with 6.8 catches per game in a season, 151 career receptions and 1,882 career receiving yards. His 68 receptions in a season tied Dan Ross' Division I-AA mark for tight ends.

He finished his career as the school's all-time leading receiver, with 151 receptions for 1,882 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns, all school records. He also made the conference's All-academic list three years in a row. [1]

In 2003, Sports Illustrated named Salonen as the 17th greatest athlete in Montana sports history. [2] In 2016, he was inducted into the Montana Football Hall of Fame. [3]

Professional career

Salonen was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 10th round (278th overall) of the 1984 NFL Draft. He was also selected by the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League in the ninth round (188th overall) of the 1984 USFL Draft. As a rookie, he made the team as the third-string tight end and played mainly on special teams.

In 1985, he was converted into an outside linebacker before the start of training camp. He was the backup to Mike Hegman, but still remained a reserve at tight end and as a core special teams player. His only game action at linebacker was in place of an injured Hegman during the second half against the St. Louis Cardinals.

On August 19, 1986, he was placed on the injured reserve list. [4] He retired on May 15, 1988, after failing to recover from a shoulder injury he suffered in November 1986 and spending two years on the injured reserve. [5]

Personal life

Salonen works as a financial advisor and was the Montana State President for NAIFA (The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Witten</span> American football player (born 1982)

Christopher Jason Witten is an American former professional football tight end for 17 seasons, primarily for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He currently is the head football coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas. He played college football for the University of Tennessee, and was drafted by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft. Witten ranks second in all-time career receptions and receiving yards by an NFL tight end, trailing only Tony Gonzalez. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Novacek</span> American football player (born 1962)

Jay McKinley Novacek is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis / Phoenix Cardinals (1985–1989) and the Dallas Cowboys (1990–1995). He played college football for the Wyoming Cowboys and was selected by the Cardinals in the sixth round of the 1985 NFL draft. Novacek was a five-time Pro Bowler, who was selected to play each year from 1991 through 1995. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

Robert Mitchell Awalt is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, and Buffalo Bills. He played college football at San Diego State University.

Johnny Mitchell Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League for the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Olsen (American football)</span> American football player and sportscaster (born 1985)

Gregory Walter Olsen is an American football sportscaster and former tight end who played for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. Olsen also played for the Carolina Panthers, with whom he made three Pro Bowls, and became the first tight end in NFL history to record three consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards. Olsen played his final season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2020. Following his retirement Olsen joined Fox as a sportscaster and is currently the lead color commentator for the NFL on Fox.

James G. Price is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys and the St. Louis Rams. He played college football at Stanford University.

Dialleo Burks Sr. is an American college football coach and former arena football wide receiver and linebacker. He is the head football coach for Warner University, a position he has held since 2022. He played college football at Eastern Kentucky.

Jackie Bernard Harris is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Oilers / Titans and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at what is now known as the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Kendell Mario Watkins is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the 1995 NFL draft. He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Michael Thomas Lucky is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Rudolph</span> American football player (born 1989)

Kyle Daniel Rudolph is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Vikings in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft. He has been selected to two Pro Bowls. He also played for the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kelly Reardon Blackwell is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Fort Worth Cavalry in the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Texas Christian University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoff Swaim</span> American football player (born 1993)

Geoff Swaim is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Texas and was selected in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Swaim has also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evan Engram</span> American football player (born 1994)

Evan Michael Engram is an American football tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels, earning first-team All-American honors in 2016. He was selected by the New York Giants with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cole Hikutini</span> American football player (born 1994)

Cole Kenna Hikutini is an American football tight end for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at the University of Louisville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas Goedert</span> American football player (born 1995)

Dallas Clayton Goedert is an American football tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Dakota State, and was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jalen Guyton</span> American football player (born 1997)

Jalen Guyton is an American football wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean McKeon</span> American football player (born 1997)

Sean McKeon is an American football tight end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines. He previously played for the Dallas Cowboys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simi Fehoko</span> American football player (born 1997)

Simione Tufui Fehoko is an American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of 2021 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peyton Hendershot</span> American football player (born 1999)

Peyton Hendershot is an American football tight end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Indiana.

References

  1. ↑ "Vandals' Bailey makes Big Sky academic team" . Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  2. ↑ "The 50 Greatest Montana Sports Figures". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  3. ↑ "New Montana Football Hall of Fame sets inaugural induction of 13 on Aug. 12". 30 June 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Transactions" . Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Cowboy Linebacker Salonen Retires" . Retrieved April 30, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.