Eric Decker is a former American professional football player who piled his trade in the NFL as a wide receiver for almost a decade (eight years) before he retired in 2018. He enjoyed a stellar high school and college career, playing both baseball and football. His impressive play as a baseballer got him drafted twice into Major League Baseball but his desire to be an American footballer made him focus more on the sport. To this end, Decker eventually got drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 3rd round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
More than being a former NFL player, Eric is a dedicated husband to Jessie James Decker and a caring father. He now spends more time with his family since his retirement.
Chronicling The Amateur Career That Brought Eric To NFL
Eric Thomas Decker was born on the 15th of March 1987 in Cold Spring, Minnesota. Eric had his high school education at Rocori High School, Cold Spring, Minnesota. Young Decker was so gifted in sports that during his high school, he played football, basketball, as well as Baseball. His outstanding performances in the three sports earned him All-Conference, All-Area, and All-Section honors, among others. In football, Eric Decker was named the most valuable player (MVP) for two consecutive years. Decker finished his high school career excellently, with 2,156 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns.
He got admitted to the University of Minnesota where he signed up with the school’s baseball and football teams. He finished his freshman season with 378 receiving yards and three touchdowns. While in his sophomore season, he recorded 909 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Decker improved the records in his junior season in 2008 with an impressive 84 catches for 1,074 yards and seven touchdowns. For his senior season, he pulled off a record of 758 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
While Eric Decker kept on improving his style of play on the gridiron, he wasn’t lacking either in baseball. In fact, his impressive outings got him selected twice to play baseball professionally for the Milwaukee Brewers in the 37th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft and then the Minnesota Twins in the 27th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. But Decker decided to drop baseball for football, thus entering the 2010 NFL Draft where he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round.
Eric Decker Broke Some Broncos Franchise Records
He inked a four-year contract with the Denver Broncos worth $2,522,000 in July of 2010. During his four year spell with the Broncos, he played a total of 62 games pulling off 222 receptions for 3070 receiving yards and 33 touchdowns.
In his rookie season, he broke his first Broncos franchise record. In a game against the Arizona Cardinals on the 12th of December 2010, he managed the most kick return yards (211) in a single game.
Later, in the 2013 season, on the 1st of December, he attained another franchise record. This time, he pulled off the most receiving touchdowns (4) in a single game.
His Exploits With The New York Jets and Other Teams
Eric Decker joined the New York Jets in March 2014 on a five-year deal worth $36.25 million. He eventually played for three seasons and recorded a total of 33 games with 163 receptions for 2183 receiving yards with 19 touchdowns.
Following a late hit he made on Cincinnati Bengals’ cornerback Josh Shaw, which got him a fine of $9,115, and other challenges that marred his career with the Jets, he was officially released by the Jets on June 12, 2017. This paved way for him to join the Tennessee Titans. He signed a one year contract with the Titans worth $3.85 million on June 18, 2017. With the Titans, he attained 54 receptions for 563 yards and a touchdown in the 2017 season.
The Minnesota born footballer joined the New England Patriots on August 2, 2018, on a one-year deal. But then, three weeks later; precisely on August 26, 2018, Eric announced his retirement, bringing his eight-year-long NFL career to a sudden but successful end.
He retired with a total of 54 touchdowns, 796 return yards, and 439 receptions for 5,816 receiving yards.
Here’s Why Eric Decker Retired Unexpectedly
When the wide receiver announced his retirement, it was a surprise to many as he had just inked a deal with the Patriots. Nonetheless, there was no doubt that his decision to retire was a necessary one; his performance had been a shadow of what it used to be.
This decline in performance began to manifest after he injured his hip and shoulder and went through surgeries to fix them in 2016. The statement Eric Decker released about his retirement acknowledged that declining performance inspired the decision, albeit subtly.
The former footballer and his wife starred in the reality television show titled Eric & Jessie: Game On. It ran for 20 episodes in three seasons from September of 2013 to 2017.
Meet The Wife of The Former NFL Star
The former wide receiver is the proud husband of the fabulous Italian born country singer, Jessie James. They walked down the aisle on June 22, 2013, in Colorado.
Eric Decker’s wife, Jessie, was born on the 12th of April 1988 in Vicenza, Veneto, Italy. The musician doubles as a businesswoman with her online clothing line called Kittenish. The outfit launched its first physical location in Nashville, Tennessee sometime in February of 2019.
Quite an accomplished entertainer, Jessie James has thus far released three studio albums, four extended plays, and many singles. Her first EP titled Coming’ Home was released in April 2014. It debuted in the top 5 on Billboard’s top country albums chart and attained the number one spot on iTunes top albums chart as well.
Eric And Jessie Are Parents To Three Kids
Their union has brought forth three children; they had their first, a daughter named Vivianne Rose Decker on March 18, 2014. She is now a sister to two brothers named Eric Thomas Decker II and Forrest Bradley Decker. They were born on September 3, 2015, and March 31, 2018, respectively.
Judging by the pictures the couple upload on social sites, they are having a great time together and are dedicated to raising their kids and helping them become responsible adults.
An Overview Of The Family Eric Decker Hails From
Eric Decker was born to German parents, Susan Meyer and Thomas Charles Decker. During their prime, his father worked as a facilities manager while his mother was a sales supervisor.
They later got separated but raised their kids jointly. Eric has just one sibling named Sarah Decker who is equally an athlete. Eric’s family has been his massive support system, morally and emotionally.
