Tai Streets
Encyclopedia
Tai Streets is a former professional American football
wide receiver
in the National Football League
(NFL). He was selected with the second pick of the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft
by the San Francisco 49ers
. He also played for the Detroit Lions
in 2004. He was the leading receiver for the national champion 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team
. Over the course of his career he was notable for fourth quarter performances in various bowl game
s and NFL playoff games. As a professional athlete, he was known for his modesty. As an amateur athlete, he was known as the best high school athlete in the city of Chicago.
In high school, he was an All-American in football and as a senior led his team to a 9–0 regular season before losing in the playoffs. In basketball, he was an All-State selection by numerous publications and led his team past Kevin Garnett
's high school team to reach the finals of the state championship playoff tournament. Despite losing in the finals, he was the highest votegetter on the All-tournament team. In track, he was a state long jump
champion as a junior and runner-up as a senior when he also helped his school's 4 x 400 metres relay
team finish third in the state. In 1995, he was widely regarded as the best high school athlete in the Chicago metropolitan area, winning athlete of the year awards from the Chicago Tribune
, Chicago Sun-Times
and Illinois High School Association
. He is considered to be one of the greatest three-sport athletes in the history of Illinois
.
Streets led the Michigan Wolverines football
team in receiving yards each season from 1996–1998. He had two touchdown
receptions
in the 1998 Rose Bowl
, which clinched a share of the national championship. During his years as the primary receiver, there were quarterback
controversies each year with battles among Brian Griese
, Scott Dreisbach
, Tom Brady
and Drew Henson
. As a senior, he was voted football team MVP and All-Big Ten Conference
second-team wide receiver. That season, he posted five 100-yard games and totaled over one thousand yards. He played in the Senior Bowl
and was selected for the Hula Bowl
. He was injured right before the 1999 draft causing him to slip from a projected second-round selection to a sixth-round choice. As a sophomore, he played part of the season for the 1996–97 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team, which won the 1997 National Invitation Tournament
, but has since vacated the championship due to the University of Michigan basketball scandal
.
Streets had modest success as a professional in five seasons with the 49ers. He began as a fourth wide receiver on a team with perennial Pro Bowl
receivers Jerry Rice
and Terrell Owens
, but he eventually became a starter before moving on to play his final season with the Lions. His career was highlighted by playoff performances in which he caught at least four receptions for at least 50 yards in all three playoff games. He recorded two fourth quarter playoff touchdowns one of which was the game-winner in a 24-point comeback victory and the other of which was a game-tying touchdown in a losing effort.
. His mother, Karen Streets, named him after Olympic figure skater Tai Babilonia. Streets' father is Clayton Streets. His mother kept him active in sports as a youth to keep him out of trouble. His mother describes him as a clumsy awkward youth and his father remembers him for his duck-footed stance. However, his father says the first time he saw Tai play youth football, he outran everyone on the other team when running an end reverse. Streets has
younger sisters named Aja and Jad.
of he participated initially in basketball and track with basketball in his sights for professional success. As a sophomore, Streets briefly played halfback
for the football team, but he broke his ankle in a freak accident after the second game, and vowed never to return. Rich South coach Hud Venerable, who had seen videotape
s of Streets, set out to bring him back as a junior. He attempted to recruit Streets by attending his basketball games and track meets. He knew Streets wanted to play wide receiver. He realized football could provide a better college opportunity than basketball, especially for a 6 in 4 in (1.93 m) athlete such as himself. After he returned to football, he became widely known in all three sports.
As a sophomore in 1992–93, Streets scored 20 points
and posted 12 rebounds
in his first varsity basketball game for Rich South on January 22, 1993. The team finished that season with a 14–10 record. That same season, Streets won the Amateur Athletic Union
(AAU) triple jump
championship. As a junior, he helped the team compile a 26–2 record as it entered the sectional finals. In track, he won the Class AA state championship in the long jump
on his final jump of 23 in 7 in (7.19 m) and was leading in the triple jump
with a jump of 49 foot until Byron Topps leapt to a state record of 50 in 7 in (15.42 m). During his junior year, he was recognized, along with fellow future professional football player Donovan McNabb
, as one of the 16 best boy athletes in the Chicago metropolitan area by the Chicago Sun-Times
for his efforts in high school football
, basketball and track. That spring he was also selected as one of the ten best football prospects in the Chicago area by high school athlete expert Tom Lemming for his play at wide receiver
. College coaches who recruit in the Chicago area selected him as one of the top 16 1994 football prospects. One recruiting service rated him as one of the top five football prospects in Illinois and one of the top three wide receiver prospects in the United States. During the summer between his junior and senior year Streets was selected as to the All-Tournament team for the AAU 17 & under men's basketball National Invitational Tournament held in .
Streets moved in with his dad and transferred to Thornton Township High School
. At the time of his 1994 senior year transfer to Harvey, Illinois
's Thornton, Streets was described by a Chicago Sun-Times journalist as "the best high school athlete in Illinois". The Sun-Times chose him as one of the six best football prospects in the area and as an All-Area Offensive selection before his senior season. He was a preseason All-American in football. Lemming named him as one of the top 100 senior prospects in the nation. By this time, Lemming considered him to be the best high school wide receiver in Illinois. According to Sporting News, Streets and Randy Moss
were among the four best wide receivers in the nation. National Recruiting Advisor listed him fifth behind Peter Warrick
, Moss, Mondriel Fulcher, and Corey Jones.
Streets and sophomore quarterback
Antwaan Randle El
helped Thornton snap Homewood-Flossmoor High School
's 44-game conference winning streak in the SICA East in football. Over the course of the season he helped Thornton achieve a 9–0 record on its way to the Class 6A state playoffs. Although Streets accumulated nine receptions
for 145 yards in the playoff game, he only had one touchdown
in the waning moments and was kept from making gamebreaking plays when it mattered. He ended the season as a Chicago Tribune
second-team All-state selection. In high school, he aspired to have a broadcasting
career after athletics like his role model Ahmad Rashad
and also had visions of Olympic Games
competition. As late as December of his senior year, he was considering Michigan
, Illinois
, Notre Dame
, Wisconsin
and South Carolina
. In January 1995, he selected the University of Michigan
because of its tradition of producing National Football League
wide receivers such as Anthony Carter
, Derrick Alexander, Desmond Howard
and Chris Calloway
. Streets was part of a Michigan football recruiting class that included Tom Brady
and Charles Woodson
. Streets was selected to play in the Chicago Public League Football Coaches Association eighth annual Harold Washington All-Star Football Game. In the 12th annual Suburban All-Star Football Classic, Streets caught a 37-yard fly pattern for the game-winning touchdown.
During his senior basketball season, he was named by the Chicago Tribune as a Prep Athlete of the Week for leading Thornton to victory over Champaign, Illinois
' Centennial High School, the 12th ranked school in the state. After the regular season, he was a member of the Chicago Sun-Times All-Area team as well as their Class AA All-State team headlined by Player of the Year Kevin Garnett
. He was also selected to the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette All-state team. Eventually, Streets was named to all five notable All-State teams. In the state playoffs, Streets helped lead Thornton to victory over Garnett's number-one-ranked Farragut Academy
team, which also included Ronnie Fields
and Michael Wright
, in the Class AA state quarterfinals. In the championship game, Streets had a game-high 15 rebounds in a losing effort against Manual High School
as Thornton finished with a 30–2 record. Streets was the highest vote-getter on the Associated Press
Class AA all-tournament team. He was selected to play in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-star game. Streets scored 12 points and had 10 rebounds in the game. Streets was also selected as a member of the Chicago Suburban All-Stars. He placed fourth in the 1995 Illinois Mr. Basketball
selection that Garnett won in a landslide. USA Today
recognized him as an honorable mention All-USA selection. He was part of a Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
incoming number-one ranked recruiting class with three McDonald's All-Americans: Robert Traylor
, Albert White
, and Louis Bullock
.
During his 1995 senior track season, he ran a sub-21 second 200 meter in the SICA East Conference championship meet. In the sectional state championship meet qualifier, Streets posted a long jump of 24 in 9 in (7.54 m) and a triple jump of 45 foot. The Illinois High School Association
(IHSA) championship meet record of 24 foot set in 1969 seemed in jeopardy. On the first day of the long jump competition, Streets posted a 23 in 6 in (7.16 m), which was second to the leader's 24 foot, and neither athlete improved his jump on the second day, leaving Streets as the second-place finisher. Streets also ran a 47 split for his leg of the third-place 4 x 400 metres relay
team at the state meet.
He graduated in the class of 1995. His high school basketball teams included future professional athletes Randle El, Melvin Ely
, and Napoleon Harris
. As a senior, Streets won the Chicago Sun-Times all sport 1994–95 high school athlete of the year award. He also was named Chicago Tribune March 1995 Athlete of the Month and 1994–95 Chicago Tribune Athlete of the Year, which was awarded June 21, 1995 at Comiskey Park
. Streets was also honored as the IHSA Sports Report Athlete of the Year. Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Illinois
said that Streets would have won their Athlete of the Year award had he competed in their coverage area. Streets was so highly regarded as an athlete that the Thornton baseball coach repeatedly extended him an open offer to pitch
for the baseball
team.
and basketball at the University of Michigan
. As a true freshman in the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season
, Streets only caught five passes for the 1995 Michigan Wolverines football team
: he caught three in the 52–17 October 28 Little Brown Jug rivalry game
victory against the Minnesota Golden Gophers and two in the 31–23 November 25 Michigan – Ohio State rivalry game with the Ohio State Buckeyes
. All five athletes who had more receptions than him that season went on to play professional football (Mercury Hayes
− 48, Amani Toomer
– 44, Jay Riemersma
– 41, Chris Howard
– 14 and Jerame Tuman
– 9). Hayes, Toomer and Riemersma, who accounted for 75 percent of the team's yardage, were all selected in the 1996 NFL Draft
, leaving Streets as the leading returning wide receiver (Howard was a running back
and Tuman was a tight end
).
In 1996
, Michigan dealt with a starting quarterback returning from a season-ending injury and a depleted receiving group: Scott Dreisbach
had missed the final two-thirds of the season, leaving Brian Griese
as the starter and freshman Tom Brady
served as an understudy. Streets earned the starting wide receiver job and started in all twelve games. He led the 1996 Michigan Wolverines football team
in receptions and reception yardage with 44 receptions for 730 yards. In the first game of the season against , Streets made the key block on Dreisbach's 72-yard touchdown run. Two weeks later he made key catches on both the game-tying and game-winning scoring drives against the . His best statistical performance came at home in Cook County, Illinois
in front of a large gathering of friends and family against Northwestern
when he recorded 12 receptions for 150 yards in an October 5 17–16 loss. This first appearance in the Chicago area would be his collegiate career-best in terms of single-game receptions. The 12 receptions was a school record, but it was overshadowed by a fumble
that changed the momentum of the game. Streets caught two touchdown passes both in rivalry games: the opening score from Dreisbach in the 44–10 victory against Minnesota and the only touchdown in a 13–9 victory over Ohio State
from Griese. In his sophomore year, after the football season ended with the January 1, 1997 Outback Bowl
game, he joined the Michigan Wolverines basketball team in the last week of January and made his debut in a February 1, 1997 game against . The team went on to win the 1997 National Invitation Tournament
on March 27 that season, and Streets played a few minutes in four of the five games. However, due to the University of Michigan basketball scandal
the championship has been vacated. After the basketball season ended, Streets rejoined the football team for Spring practice, and he led all receivers with four receptions for 125 yards in the annual spring game on April 12.
According to his mother, during the summer prior to his 1997
junior year, Streets dedicated himself to weight training like he never had before in an effort to end a Rose Bowl
draught that made the 1997 Wolverines
the first since the 1969 team
to have no Rose Bowl veterans. Although Streets and Russell Shaw
were the starting receivers, it was understood that Charles Woodson
, who was regarded as one of the most versatile athletes in college football, was expected to play on offense that season. However, it was not clear whether Dreisbach, Brady or Griese would quarterback the team. Griese was named starter shortly before the season opener. It was believed that a solid season by any of the quarterbacks could lead to a productive season by Streets and the receivers. Streets' first touchdown of the season was a 41-yard game-tying catch from Griese in a 21–14 September 27 victory in the rivalry game against Notre Dame. During the season, Streets dislocated both thumbs, with the second injury occurring in the November 1 Little Brown Jug game against Minnesota. Streets caught no passes against either Minnesota or Penn State the following week. His production drought was notable and he recovered on November 15 with five catches for 108 yards including a 38-yard touchdown from Griese on November 15 against Wisconsin
. Although the injury-hampered Streets went without a catch in three of the last four regular season tames he caught touchdown passes of 53 and 58 yards and drew a key pass interference
penalty in the 1998 Rose Bowl
. The Rose Bowl performance was Streets' season-high with 127 receiving yards and two touchdowns. It helped solidify Michigan's case as the Bowl Alliance
national champion.
In 1998
, Streets' returned for his senior season with several experienced receivers including 1997 All-American
tight end Tuman. The 1998 Michigan Wolverines football team
entered the season with a quarterback battle between Brady, Driesbach and Drew Henson
and wide receiver battle between David Terrell and Marquise Walker
. In the season September 5 opening game loss against Notre Dame, Streets caught 8 passes for 101 yards in the first half and Marcus Knight
accounted for 126 of Michigan's 322 passing yards from Brady and Henson. Streets had back-to-back 100 yard games in October: He posted 117 yards on eight receptions in the October 24 homecoming
game against , and he had a career-high 192 yards against Minnesota on October 31. Against Ohio State
, he caught Michigan's only touchdown in a 31–16 November 21 loss as part of a 9 catch and 118 yard effort. In the game-tying touchdown drive in the fourth quarter of the 1999 Florida Citrus Bowl
victory over Arkansas, Streets caught a 15-yard completion on third-and-11 and the 8-yarder on fourth-and-2 on his way to a career-ending 7-catch 129-yard effort. Streets caught a fourth quarter touchdown pass and two-point conversion
in the January 23, 1999 Senior Bowl, and he was on the January 24, 1999 Hula Bowl roster.
As a senior, Streets totalled 1035 yards and 11 touchdowns on 76 receptions, and he was named team Most Valuable Player
for the 1998 season. Streets was voted to the All-Big Ten Second Team in 1998. Streets remains second to Jack Clancy
on the all-time Michigan single game receptions yardage list with 192. Streets led the Michigan receivers statistically for three consecutive years from 1996
– 1998
(Yards 1996–1998, Receptions 1996 & 1998, Receiving touchdowns 1997–1998). Streets finished his career at Michigan with 2284 yards and 19 touchdowns on 144 receptions.
At the March NFL Combine
, Streets ran the third fastest 40-yard dash in a time of 4.42 seconds. Streets was regarded as between the 6th and 8th best wide receiver in the 1999 NFL Draft
according to most expert analyses in April. However, he ruptured his right achilles tendon
in a pickup basketball game prior to the draft and was expected to be sidelined for six to eight months. As a result, he was the twentieth wide receiver selected. Streets, who was on crutches at the time of the draft, was relieved to have been drafted.
, who had Jerry Rice
, Terrell Owens
, and J. J. Stokes
, did not need a wide receiver right away and gambled on the projected 2nd-round selection with their sixth round pick. Head coach Steve Mariucci
said that the team had evaluated his prospect as an injured athlete and had determined him to be a good selection for later rounds despite his injury. Streets was the only 1999 draftee not to sign in July when the other draftees signed, but he signed just before the end of the month. Just before the season started, Streets was placed on the reserve non-football injury list in order to make roster space for Na'il Benjamin and Damon Griffin
. In the third game of the 1999 49ers season
, Steve Young was sacked from his blindside on a Corner Blitz by Defensive Back
Aeneas Williams
, which caused a concussion. Young would never again play professional football, which left Jeff Garcia
as the starting quarterback for the 49ers. Streets was activated onto the 53-man roster prior to week 13 of the season to replace the injured R. W. McQuarters
. He activated for the gameday roster three weeks later for the final two games. In his second game, he caught his first two NFL receptions on the Monday Night Football
season finale.
When Streets had the chance to exhibit his skills during the 2000 NFL season
for the 2000 49ers
, he proved himself to be the only speed receiver with the ability to create big plays downfield, but he remained the fourth receiver. During the season as the number four receiver, Streets caught a total of 19 receptions, and he caught four in both games Owens was inactive. In mid-December, Streets broke his tibia
and ended his season two weeks prior to the end of the season. The game was Rice's last home game as a 49er and the day that Owens set the then-NFL record for single-game receptions, with 20.
In the 2001 NFL season
, Rice signed with the Oakland Raiders
. Streets became the number three receiver for the 2001 49ers
behind Stokes and Owens that season. In the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons
, Streets totaled 81 yards receiving as part of a 335-yard day by Garcia. This was Streets' single-game season-high yardage total for the season. It included a 52-yard overtime
catch on 3rd-and-5 in the game-winning drive, the longest reception of Streets' career and more yards than he would accumulate in any single game the rest of the season. Streets recorded his first career touchdown on December 2, 2001 against the Buffalo Bills
. Over the course of the season Streets started three games and his total receptions and yards compared to the prior season increased from 19 to 28 and 287 to 345, respectively. The 2001–02 NFL playoffs were Streets' NFL playoff debut. In the team's only game against Green Bay
, Streets tied for the team-high with four receptions and 50 yards, just two yards short of Stokes' 52-yard effort. Streets caught a fourth quarter touchdown and game-tying two-point conversion in the game, but the 49ers yielded ten fourth quarter points to lose 25–15.
In the 2002 NFL season
, Stokes often performed the role of a tight end
, and got injured clearing the way for Streets to start in some games for the 2002 49ers
. Streets started a total of 14 games that season. He had eight receptions three times, but recorded no 100-yard games. The final eight-reception game against the Arizona Cardinals
on December 21 would prove to be Streets' career-high 90-yard game. The following week on the final Monday Night game of the regular season, Streets posted his first and only two-touchdown effort in a losing cause against the St. Louis Rams
. That season, Streets posted his career-highs in yards (756) and receptions (72) and totaled five touchdowns for the first time. The 49ers' season continued into the 2002–03 NFL playoffs and Streets caught five receptions in both of the teams' playoff games, including a game-winning touchdown with one minute remaining in the January 5, 2003 39–38 victory over the New York Giants
. The Giants game was memorable for its 24-point comeback by the 49ers. Despite the natural glory of the game-winning catch, Streets remained a modest footnote in the press and humble with his friends. After the season, Streets was a restricted free agent
. He was expected to be signed and traded to another team before the 2003 NFL draft
in order to improve the 49ers' draft position.
The team replaced Mariucci with Dennis Erickson
in February 2003. Before the 2003 NFL season
, Stokes, who at the end of 2002 had been struggling to hold on to the third receiver position, was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars
. Streets started every game for the 2003 49ers
. His best performance in terms of receptions and yards was a December 14 6-reception 89-yard day that included a 41-yard touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals
, which was his longest reception of the season. That season he totaled 47 receptions and 595 yards as well as a career-high seven touchdowns. Over the course of the season he was slowed by knee tendinitis and after the season he wanted to return to the Midwest. Streets along with Owens, starting quarterback Garcia and starting running back
Garrison Hearst
, and starting offensive linemen Derrick Deese
and Ron Stone
were all let go by the team that year. That is regarded as the biggest release of offensive starters in NFL history by a team in a single season.
, who were coached by Mariucci, for the 2004 NFL season
. The Lions' other wide receivers were Charles Rogers and Az-Zahir Hakim
. In the 2004 NFL Draft
, the Lions drafted wide receiver Roy Williams
with the seventh overall selection one year after drafting Rogers in the first round. Williams and Rogers were projected as the starters with Streets considered the third receiver as the season began. Rogers broke his collarbone on the third play of the season and was lost for the entire year. Streets started 12 of the 13 games that he played for the 2004 Lions
while accumulating 260 yards on 28 receptions. In the seventh game against the Dallas Cowboys
on October 31, Roy Williams
leveled Streets, who did not catch another pass in the game after the second quarter hit. Streets did not return to practice until November 17. He was in the lineup on November 21, and caught a pass against the Minnesota Vikings
. Streets was listed with an injured knee after the December 26 game against the Chicago Bears
. Streets did not appear in the Lions' final game of the season on January 2. After the season, he was an unrestricted free agent, due to his years of seniority. The 49ers received a compensatory draft pick in the 2005 NFL Draft
for losing Streets to free agency. Instead of re-signing Streets, the Lions signed wide receiver Kevin Johnson in April 2005. They also made wide receiver Mike Williams their first round draft choice in the 2005 NFL Draft
.
, Balmoral Park Race Track, McDonald's
, Comcast
and radio station 99.9 FM.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). He was selected with the second pick of the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. He also played for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in 2004. He was the leading receiver for the national champion 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team
1997 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third year under head coach Lloyd Carr, Michigan compiled a perfect 12–0 record, won the Big Ten Conference championship, defeated Washington State in the 1998...
. Over the course of his career he was notable for fourth quarter performances in various bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s and NFL playoff games. As a professional athlete, he was known for his modesty. As an amateur athlete, he was known as the best high school athlete in the city of Chicago.
In high school, he was an All-American in football and as a senior led his team to a 9–0 regular season before losing in the playoffs. In basketball, he was an All-State selection by numerous publications and led his team past Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
's high school team to reach the finals of the state championship playoff tournament. Despite losing in the finals, he was the highest votegetter on the All-tournament team. In track, he was a state long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
champion as a junior and runner-up as a senior when he also helped his school's 4 x 400 metres relay
4 x 400 metres relay
The 4 x 400 meters relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes...
team finish third in the state. In 1995, he was widely regarded as the best high school athlete in the Chicago metropolitan area, winning athlete of the year awards from the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
and Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
. He is considered to be one of the greatest three-sport athletes in the history of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
Streets led the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
team in receiving yards each season from 1996–1998. He had two touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
in the 1998 Rose Bowl
1998 Rose Bowl
The 1998 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1998 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. It was the 84th Rose Bowl Game. The game featured Michigan beating Washington State by a score of 21–16. The ending of the game is controversial...
, which clinched a share of the national championship. During his years as the primary receiver, there were quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
controversies each year with battles among Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
, Scott Dreisbach
Scott Dreisbach
Scott Dreisbach is a former American football quarterback who last played for the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League...
, Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
and Drew Henson
Drew Henson
Drew Daniel Henson is a retired Major League Baseball third baseman and National Football League quarterback. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
. As a senior, he was voted football team MVP and All-Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
second-team wide receiver. That season, he posted five 100-yard games and totaled over one thousand yards. He played in the Senior Bowl
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
and was selected for the Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
. He was injured right before the 1999 draft causing him to slip from a projected second-round selection to a sixth-round choice. As a sophomore, he played part of the season for the 1996–97 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team, which won the 1997 National Invitation Tournament
1997 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Connecticut 74, Arkansas 64Michigan later forfeited its entire 1996-97 schedule after Robert Traylor, Maurice Taylor and Louis Bullock were found to have taken money from a Michigan booster....
, but has since vacated the championship due to the University of Michigan basketball scandal
University of Michigan basketball scandal
The University of Michigan basketball scandal or Ed Martin scandal was a six-year investigation of the relationship between the University of Michigan, its men's basketball teams and basketball team booster Ed Martin...
.
Streets had modest success as a professional in five seasons with the 49ers. He began as a fourth wide receiver on a team with perennial Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
receivers Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
and Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
, but he eventually became a starter before moving on to play his final season with the Lions. His career was highlighted by playoff performances in which he caught at least four receptions for at least 50 yards in all three playoff games. He recorded two fourth quarter playoff touchdowns one of which was the game-winner in a 24-point comeback victory and the other of which was a game-tying touchdown in a losing effort.
Early life
Streets was born in Matteson, IllinoisMatteson, Illinois
Matteson is a village in Cook and Will Counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,928 at the 2000 census and an estimated 17,080 as of July 2007.-Geography:Matteson is located at ....
. His mother, Karen Streets, named him after Olympic figure skater Tai Babilonia. Streets' father is Clayton Streets. His mother kept him active in sports as a youth to keep him out of trouble. His mother describes him as a clumsy awkward youth and his father remembers him for his duck-footed stance. However, his father says the first time he saw Tai play youth football, he outran everyone on the other team when running an end reverse. Streets has
younger sisters named Aja and Jad.
High school
After Streets' parents separated, he lived with his mother in Matteson. She started him in track, which quickly supplanted baseball, which he last played at age 12. At Rich South High SchoolRich South High School
Rich South High School or RSHS, is a public four-year high school located in Richton Park, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. The Rich South Campus serves the cities of Matteson, Park Forest, Richton Park, Olympia Fields & University Park...
of he participated initially in basketball and track with basketball in his sights for professional success. As a sophomore, Streets briefly played halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
for the football team, but he broke his ankle in a freak accident after the second game, and vowed never to return. Rich South coach Hud Venerable, who had seen videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
s of Streets, set out to bring him back as a junior. He attempted to recruit Streets by attending his basketball games and track meets. He knew Streets wanted to play wide receiver. He realized football could provide a better college opportunity than basketball, especially for a 6 in 4 in (1.93 m) athlete such as himself. After he returned to football, he became widely known in all three sports.
As a sophomore in 1992–93, Streets scored 20 points
Point (basketball)
Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....
and posted 12 rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
in his first varsity basketball game for Rich South on January 22, 1993. The team finished that season with a 14–10 record. That same season, Streets won the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
(AAU) triple jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
championship. As a junior, he helped the team compile a 26–2 record as it entered the sectional finals. In track, he won the Class AA state championship in the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
on his final jump of 23 in 7 in (7.19 m) and was leading in the triple jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
with a jump of 49 foot until Byron Topps leapt to a state record of 50 in 7 in (15.42 m). During his junior year, he was recognized, along with fellow future professional football player Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
, as one of the 16 best boy athletes in the Chicago metropolitan area by the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
for his efforts in high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, basketball and track. That spring he was also selected as one of the ten best football prospects in the Chicago area by high school athlete expert Tom Lemming for his play at wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
. College coaches who recruit in the Chicago area selected him as one of the top 16 1994 football prospects. One recruiting service rated him as one of the top five football prospects in Illinois and one of the top three wide receiver prospects in the United States. During the summer between his junior and senior year Streets was selected as to the All-Tournament team for the AAU 17 & under men's basketball National Invitational Tournament held in .
Streets moved in with his dad and transferred to Thornton Township High School
Thornton Township High School
Thornton Township High School, often simply referred to as Thornton is a public high school founded in 1899. The school is located in Harvey, Illinois one of the south suburbs of the city of Chicago, Illinois. The school is one of three schools administered by Thornton Township High Schools...
. At the time of his 1994 senior year transfer to Harvey, Illinois
Harvey, Illinois
Harvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. The population was 30,000 at the 2000 census.Harvey is bordered by Dixmoor, Riverdale and Blue Island to the north, Posen and Markham to the west, South Holland, Phoenix, and Dolton to the east, and East Hazel Crest to the...
's Thornton, Streets was described by a Chicago Sun-Times journalist as "the best high school athlete in Illinois". The Sun-Times chose him as one of the six best football prospects in the area and as an All-Area Offensive selection before his senior season. He was a preseason All-American in football. Lemming named him as one of the top 100 senior prospects in the nation. By this time, Lemming considered him to be the best high school wide receiver in Illinois. According to Sporting News, Streets and Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
were among the four best wide receivers in the nation. National Recruiting Advisor listed him fifth behind Peter Warrick
Peter Warrick
Peter Warrick is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals fourth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
, Moss, Mondriel Fulcher, and Corey Jones.
Streets and sophomore quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
helped Thornton snap Homewood-Flossmoor High School
Homewood-Flossmoor High School
Homewood-Flossmoor High School is a public high school in Flossmoor, Illinois, in the Chicago metropolitan area. The majority of HF students live in Flossmoor and nearby Homewood, but the school also serves areas of Olympia Fields, Chicago Heights, Glenwood, and Hazel Crest serving school...
's 44-game conference winning streak in the SICA East in football. Over the course of the season he helped Thornton achieve a 9–0 record on its way to the Class 6A state playoffs. Although Streets accumulated nine receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
for 145 yards in the playoff game, he only had one touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
in the waning moments and was kept from making gamebreaking plays when it mattered. He ended the season as a Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
second-team All-state selection. In high school, he aspired to have a broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
career after athletics like his role model Ahmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashād is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals...
and also had visions of Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
competition. As late as December of his senior year, he was considering Michigan
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
, Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
, Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
and South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks
The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
. In January 1995, he selected the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
because of its tradition of producing National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
wide receivers such as Anthony Carter
Anthony Carter
Anthony Bernard Carter is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New York Knicks.-Early life:...
, Derrick Alexander, Desmond Howard
Desmond Howard
Desmond Kevin Howard is a former NFL wide receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner.He played football for the University of Michigan from 1989–1991 and won the Heisman Trophy in 1991...
and Chris Calloway
Chris Calloway
Christopher Fitzpatrick Calloway was a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 1990 NFL Draft. A 5'10", 189 lbs. wide receiver from the University of Michigan and Mount Carmel High School , Calloway played in 11 NFL...
. Streets was part of a Michigan football recruiting class that included Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
and Charles Woodson
Charles Woodson
Charles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
. Streets was selected to play in the Chicago Public League Football Coaches Association eighth annual Harold Washington All-Star Football Game. In the 12th annual Suburban All-Star Football Classic, Streets caught a 37-yard fly pattern for the game-winning touchdown.
During his senior basketball season, he was named by the Chicago Tribune as a Prep Athlete of the Week for leading Thornton to victory over Champaign, Illinois
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
' Centennial High School, the 12th ranked school in the state. After the regular season, he was a member of the Chicago Sun-Times All-Area team as well as their Class AA All-State team headlined by Player of the Year Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
. He was also selected to the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette All-state team. Eventually, Streets was named to all five notable All-State teams. In the state playoffs, Streets helped lead Thornton to victory over Garnett's number-one-ranked Farragut Academy
Farragut Career Academy
Farragut Career Academy High School is a public 4-year high school located in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. As a Career Academy, Farragut emphasizes a curriculum that combines academic instruction with work-study experiences and vocational training...
team, which also included Ronnie Fields
Ronnie Fields
Ronnie Fields is an American professional basketball player.-High school:Ronnie Fields played at Farragut Academy in Chicago from 1992–1996 and was a teammate of Kevin Garnett during the 1995 season. Fields had a 50-inch vertical leap...
and Michael Wright
Michael Wright (basketball)
Michael Wright is an American-Turkish professional basketball player, currently with Turkish team Turk Telekom...
, in the Class AA state quarterfinals. In the championship game, Streets had a game-high 15 rebounds in a losing effort against Manual High School
Manual High School (Peoria, Illinois)
Manual High School is a public high school located in the south end of Peoria, Illinois. It is the southernmost of the three city high schools operated by the Peoria Public Schools. Manual opened in 1909 and moved from its Lincoln avenue site to a new building located at 811 S...
as Thornton finished with a 30–2 record. Streets was the highest vote-getter on the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
Class AA all-tournament team. He was selected to play in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-star game. Streets scored 12 points and had 10 rebounds in the game. Streets was also selected as a member of the Chicago Suburban All-Stars. He placed fourth in the 1995 Illinois Mr. Basketball
Illinois Mr. Basketball
Each year the Illinois Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen as the best high school boys basketball player in the U.S. state of Illinois....
selection that Garnett won in a landslide. USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
recognized him as an honorable mention All-USA selection. He was part of a Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the...
incoming number-one ranked recruiting class with three McDonald's All-Americans: Robert Traylor
Robert Traylor
Robert DeShaun "Tractor" Traylor was an American professional basketball player.-High school and college:...
, Albert White
Albert White (basketball)
Albert White is a professional American basketball player who last played for the London Lightning of the National Basketball League of Canada. Before joining the Lightning, White had played in a variety of domestic and foreign basketball leagues. In high school, he was one of the most highly...
, and Louis Bullock
Louis Bullock
Louis Bullock, Jr. is an American professional basketball player. He is currently with the pro club CB Cajasol Sevilla in Spain....
.
During his 1995 senior track season, he ran a sub-21 second 200 meter in the SICA East Conference championship meet. In the sectional state championship meet qualifier, Streets posted a long jump of 24 in 9 in (7.54 m) and a triple jump of 45 foot. The Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
(IHSA) championship meet record of 24 foot set in 1969 seemed in jeopardy. On the first day of the long jump competition, Streets posted a 23 in 6 in (7.16 m), which was second to the leader's 24 foot, and neither athlete improved his jump on the second day, leaving Streets as the second-place finisher. Streets also ran a 47 split for his leg of the third-place 4 x 400 metres relay
4 x 400 metres relay
The 4 x 400 meters relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes...
team at the state meet.
He graduated in the class of 1995. His high school basketball teams included future professional athletes Randle El, Melvin Ely
Melvin Ely
Melvin Anderson Ely is an American professional basketball player who last played in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets....
, and Napoleon Harris
Napoleon Harris
Napoleon Bill Harris is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Northwestern and was drafted in the first round by the Oakland Raiders in the 2002 NFL Draft....
. As a senior, Streets won the Chicago Sun-Times all sport 1994–95 high school athlete of the year award. He also was named Chicago Tribune March 1995 Athlete of the Month and 1994–95 Chicago Tribune Athlete of the Year, which was awarded June 21, 1995 at Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
. Streets was also honored as the IHSA Sports Report Athlete of the Year. Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about 25 miles northwest of the city's downtown. The population was 75,101 at the 2010 census....
said that Streets would have won their Athlete of the Year award had he competed in their coverage area. Streets was so highly regarded as an athlete that the Thornton baseball coach repeatedly extended him an open offer to pitch
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team.
College career
Streets played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and basketball at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. As a true freshman in the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season
1995 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Alliance and was a relatively calm year compared to the early 1990s.Tom Osborne led Nebraska to its second straight national title with a victory over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl....
, Streets only caught five passes for the 1995 Michigan Wolverines football team
1995 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1995 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1995 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr...
: he caught three in the 52–17 October 28 Little Brown Jug rivalry game
Little Brown Jug (football)
The Little Brown Jug is an earthenware jug that serves as a trophy awarded to the winner of the American college football rivalry game played annually by the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team of the university of Minnesota and the Michigan Wolverines football team of the University of Michigan...
victory against the Minnesota Golden Gophers and two in the 31–23 November 25 Michigan – Ohio State rivalry game with the Ohio State Buckeyes
1995 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1995 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1995-1996. The Buckeyes compiled a 11–2 record, including the in Orlando, Florida, where they lost 20–14 to the Tennessee Volunteers.-Schedule:-Coaching staff:* John...
. All five athletes who had more receptions than him that season went on to play professional football (Mercury Hayes
Mercury Hayes
Mercury Wayne Hayes is a former professional American football and Canadian football wide receiver, kickoff returner, and punt returner. He has played in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, and he has played in the Canadian Football League for the...
− 48, Amani Toomer
Amani Toomer
Amani Toomer is a retired American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan, where he was a fan favorite.Toomer has also been a member of the Kansas...
– 44, Jay Riemersma
Jay Riemersma
Allen Jay Riemersma is a former American football tight end. He played for the University of Michigan from 1994 to 1995. He next played nine seasons in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers . In 2007, he accepted a position as the regional director of the Family Research...
– 41, Chris Howard
Chris Howard (American football)
Christopher L. "Chris" Howard is a retired professional American football running back who played in the National Football League for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Howard had been drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
– 14 and Jerame Tuman
Jerame Tuman
Jerame Dean Tuman is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
– 9). Hayes, Toomer and Riemersma, who accounted for 75 percent of the team's yardage, were all selected in the 1996 NFL Draft
1996 NFL Draft
The 1996 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996...
, leaving Streets as the leading returning wide receiver (Howard was a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and Tuman was a tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
).
In 1996
1996 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Florida Gators crowned National Champions, but not as unanimously as the Bowl Alliance would have hoped....
, Michigan dealt with a starting quarterback returning from a season-ending injury and a depleted receiving group: Scott Dreisbach
Scott Dreisbach
Scott Dreisbach is a former American football quarterback who last played for the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League...
had missed the final two-thirds of the season, leaving Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
as the starter and freshman Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
served as an understudy. Streets earned the starting wide receiver job and started in all twelve games. He led the 1996 Michigan Wolverines football team
1996 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1996 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1996 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in...
in receptions and reception yardage with 44 receptions for 730 yards. In the first game of the season against , Streets made the key block on Dreisbach's 72-yard touchdown run. Two weeks later he made key catches on both the game-tying and game-winning scoring drives against the . His best statistical performance came at home in Cook County, Illinois
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
in front of a large gathering of friends and family against Northwestern
1996 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The 1996 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Season:...
when he recorded 12 receptions for 150 yards in an October 5 17–16 loss. This first appearance in the Chicago area would be his collegiate career-best in terms of single-game receptions. The 12 receptions was a school record, but it was overshadowed by a fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
that changed the momentum of the game. Streets caught two touchdown passes both in rivalry games: the opening score from Dreisbach in the 44–10 victory against Minnesota and the only touchdown in a 13–9 victory over Ohio State
1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1996-1997. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and...
from Griese. In his sophomore year, after the football season ended with the January 1, 1997 Outback Bowl
1997 Outback Bowl
The 1997 Outback Bowl, part of the 1996 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1997, at Houlihan's Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference...
game, he joined the Michigan Wolverines basketball team in the last week of January and made his debut in a February 1, 1997 game against . The team went on to win the 1997 National Invitation Tournament
1997 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Connecticut 74, Arkansas 64Michigan later forfeited its entire 1996-97 schedule after Robert Traylor, Maurice Taylor and Louis Bullock were found to have taken money from a Michigan booster....
on March 27 that season, and Streets played a few minutes in four of the five games. However, due to the University of Michigan basketball scandal
University of Michigan basketball scandal
The University of Michigan basketball scandal or Ed Martin scandal was a six-year investigation of the relationship between the University of Michigan, its men's basketball teams and basketball team booster Ed Martin...
the championship has been vacated. After the basketball season ended, Streets rejoined the football team for Spring practice, and he led all receivers with four receptions for 125 yards in the annual spring game on April 12.
According to his mother, during the summer prior to his 1997
1997 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-A level, began in late summer 1997 and culminated with the major bowl games in early January 1998. The national championship was...
junior year, Streets dedicated himself to weight training like he never had before in an effort to end a Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
draught that made the 1997 Wolverines
1997 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third year under head coach Lloyd Carr, Michigan compiled a perfect 12–0 record, won the Big Ten Conference championship, defeated Washington State in the 1998...
the first since the 1969 team
1969 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1969 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1969 college football season. The team was head coached by Bo Schembechler in his first year at Michigan. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium....
to have no Rose Bowl veterans. Although Streets and Russell Shaw
Russell Shaw
Russell Lee Shaw, Jr. is an American football wide receiver/defensive back most recently playing for the Chicago Rush in the Arena Football League. He attended the University of Michigan.-External links:*...
were the starting receivers, it was understood that Charles Woodson
Charles Woodson
Charles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
, who was regarded as one of the most versatile athletes in college football, was expected to play on offense that season. However, it was not clear whether Dreisbach, Brady or Griese would quarterback the team. Griese was named starter shortly before the season opener. It was believed that a solid season by any of the quarterbacks could lead to a productive season by Streets and the receivers. Streets' first touchdown of the season was a 41-yard game-tying catch from Griese in a 21–14 September 27 victory in the rivalry game against Notre Dame. During the season, Streets dislocated both thumbs, with the second injury occurring in the November 1 Little Brown Jug game against Minnesota. Streets caught no passes against either Minnesota or Penn State the following week. His production drought was notable and he recovered on November 15 with five catches for 108 yards including a 38-yard touchdown from Griese on November 15 against Wisconsin
1997 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 1997 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Schedule:-Season Summary:...
. Although the injury-hampered Streets went without a catch in three of the last four regular season tames he caught touchdown passes of 53 and 58 yards and drew a key pass interference
Pass interference
In American and Canadian gridiron football, pass interference is a penalty that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulling, or cutting in front of the receiver or...
penalty in the 1998 Rose Bowl
1998 Rose Bowl
The 1998 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1998 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. It was the 84th Rose Bowl Game. The game featured Michigan beating Washington State by a score of 21–16. The ending of the game is controversial...
. The Rose Bowl performance was Streets' season-high with 127 receiving yards and two touchdowns. It helped solidify Michigan's case as the Bowl Alliance
Bowl Alliance
The Bowl Alliance was an agreement among college football bowl games for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship bowl game and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions of its member conferences...
national champion.
In 1998
1998 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL...
, Streets' returned for his senior season with several experienced receivers including 1997 All-American
1997 College Football All-America Team
The 1997 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News and Football News....
tight end Tuman. The 1998 Michigan Wolverines football team
1998 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1998 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1998 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. The 1998 Wolverines finished the season with a 10–3 record and defeated the...
entered the season with a quarterback battle between Brady, Driesbach and Drew Henson
Drew Henson
Drew Daniel Henson is a retired Major League Baseball third baseman and National Football League quarterback. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
and wide receiver battle between David Terrell and Marquise Walker
Marquise Walker
Marquise Walker is a former professional American football wide receiver and punt returner who signed to play in the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan where he set many of the school's receiving records and became an 2001 College Football...
. In the season September 5 opening game loss against Notre Dame, Streets caught 8 passes for 101 yards in the first half and Marcus Knight
Marcus Knight
Marcus Knight is a former National Football League wide receiver/kick returner for the Oakland Raiders and a former Arena Football League wide receiver/defensive back for the Columbus Destroyers....
accounted for 126 of Michigan's 322 passing yards from Brady and Henson. Streets had back-to-back 100 yard games in October: He posted 117 yards on eight receptions in the October 24 homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
game against , and he had a career-high 192 yards against Minnesota on October 31. Against Ohio State
1998 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1998 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1998-1999. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and...
, he caught Michigan's only touchdown in a 31–16 November 21 loss as part of a 9 catch and 118 yard effort. In the game-tying touchdown drive in the fourth quarter of the 1999 Florida Citrus Bowl
1999 Florida Citrus Bowl
The 1999 Florida Citrus Bowl featured the Arkansas Razorbacks of the SEC against the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten. Both teams were surprised to be playing in the game...
victory over Arkansas, Streets caught a 15-yard completion on third-and-11 and the 8-yarder on fourth-and-2 on his way to a career-ending 7-catch 129-yard effort. Streets caught a fourth quarter touchdown pass and two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
in the January 23, 1999 Senior Bowl, and he was on the January 24, 1999 Hula Bowl roster.
As a senior, Streets totalled 1035 yards and 11 touchdowns on 76 receptions, and he was named team Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
for the 1998 season. Streets was voted to the All-Big Ten Second Team in 1998. Streets remains second to Jack Clancy
Jack Clancy
Jack David Clancy is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Miami Dolphins in 1967 and 1969 and for the Green Bay Packers in 1970. He also played in college for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1963 to 1966....
on the all-time Michigan single game receptions yardage list with 192. Streets led the Michigan receivers statistically for three consecutive years from 1996
1996 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Florida Gators crowned National Champions, but not as unanimously as the Bowl Alliance would have hoped....
– 1998
1998 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL...
(Yards 1996–1998, Receptions 1996 & 1998, Receiving touchdowns 1997–1998). Streets finished his career at Michigan with 2284 yards and 19 touchdowns on 144 receptions.
At the March NFL Combine
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
, Streets ran the third fastest 40-yard dash in a time of 4.42 seconds. Streets was regarded as between the 6th and 8th best wide receiver in the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
according to most expert analyses in April. However, he ruptured his right achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
in a pickup basketball game prior to the draft and was expected to be sidelined for six to eight months. As a result, he was the twentieth wide receiver selected. Streets, who was on crutches at the time of the draft, was relieved to have been drafted.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, who had Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
, Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
, and J. J. Stokes
J. J. Stokes
Jeral Jamal Stokes is a retired American football wide receiver. Stokes played in the National Football League from 1995 to 2003 with the San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars and the New England Patriots.-High school:...
, did not need a wide receiver right away and gambled on the projected 2nd-round selection with their sixth round pick. Head coach Steve Mariucci
Steve Mariucci
Stephen Ray "Steve" Mariucci is a former National Football League coach. He coached for the San Francisco 49ers and most recently for the Detroit Lions.-Early career:...
said that the team had evaluated his prospect as an injured athlete and had determined him to be a good selection for later rounds despite his injury. Streets was the only 1999 draftee not to sign in July when the other draftees signed, but he signed just before the end of the month. Just before the season started, Streets was placed on the reserve non-football injury list in order to make roster space for Na'il Benjamin and Damon Griffin
Damon Griffin
Damon Gilbert Griffin is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at Oregon....
. In the third game of the 1999 49ers season
1999 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1999 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 50th year with the National Football League. This would also be Steve Young's last season as he was forced to retire due to a concussion.-Schedule:-References:* *...
, Steve Young was sacked from his blindside on a Corner Blitz by Defensive Back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
Aeneas Williams
Aeneas Williams
Aeneas Demetrius Williams is a former American football cornerback and free safety, who played with the Arizona Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams. Williams attended Fortier High School, where he played football on a team with three future NFL players. Although he was admitted to Dartmouth College,...
, which caused a concussion. Young would never again play professional football, which left Jeff Garcia
Jeff Garcia
Jeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
as the starting quarterback for the 49ers. Streets was activated onto the 53-man roster prior to week 13 of the season to replace the injured R. W. McQuarters
R. W. McQuarters
Robert William McQuarters, II, born December 21, 1976 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is an American football cornerback who most recently played for the New York Giants. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
. He activated for the gameday roster three weeks later for the final two games. In his second game, he caught his first two NFL receptions on the Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
season finale.
When Streets had the chance to exhibit his skills during the 2000 NFL season
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
for the 2000 49ers
2000 San Francisco 49ers season
The 2000 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 51st year with the National Football League. Jerry Rice entered the 2000 season as the oldest player in the league at the Wide Receiver position.-Schedule:-Awards and records:...
, he proved himself to be the only speed receiver with the ability to create big plays downfield, but he remained the fourth receiver. During the season as the number four receiver, Streets caught a total of 19 receptions, and he caught four in both games Owens was inactive. In mid-December, Streets broke his tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
and ended his season two weeks prior to the end of the season. The game was Rice's last home game as a 49er and the day that Owens set the then-NFL record for single-game receptions, with 20.
In the 2001 NFL season
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
, Rice signed with the Oakland Raiders
2001 Oakland Raiders season
-AFC Divisional Playoff:-References:...
. Streets became the number three receiver for the 2001 49ers
2001 San Francisco 49ers season
-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-NFC Wild Card - January 13, 2002:*Green Bay Packers 25, San Francisco 49ers 15at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI-Milestones:*Jeff Garcia named to second consecutive Pro Bowl...
behind Stokes and Owens that season. In the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons
2001 Atlanta Falcons season
The 2001 Atlanta Falcons season was the Falcons 36th season. The Falcons obtained the first pick overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. With the pick, the Falcons drafted Michael Vick.-Offseason:...
, Streets totaled 81 yards receiving as part of a 335-yard day by Garcia. This was Streets' single-game season-high yardage total for the season. It included a 52-yard overtime
Overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:*by custom ,*by practices of a given trade or profession,*by legislation,...
catch on 3rd-and-5 in the game-winning drive, the longest reception of Streets' career and more yards than he would accumulate in any single game the rest of the season. Streets recorded his first career touchdown on December 2, 2001 against the Buffalo Bills
2001 Buffalo Bills season
The 2001 Buffalo Bills season was the team’s forty-second season. Previous head coach Wade Phillips was relieved of his duties as coach and replaced by Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams....
. Over the course of the season Streets started three games and his total receptions and yards compared to the prior season increased from 19 to 28 and 287 to 345, respectively. The 2001–02 NFL playoffs were Streets' NFL playoff debut. In the team's only game against Green Bay
2001 Green Bay Packers season
The 2001 Green Bay Packers season ended with a loss to the St. Louis Rams in the NFC divisional playoff game, where Packers quarterback Brett Favre threw a career high 6 interceptions.-2001 NFL draft:...
, Streets tied for the team-high with four receptions and 50 yards, just two yards short of Stokes' 52-yard effort. Streets caught a fourth quarter touchdown and game-tying two-point conversion in the game, but the 49ers yielded ten fourth quarter points to lose 25–15.
In the 2002 NFL season
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
, Stokes often performed the role of a tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
, and got injured clearing the way for Streets to start in some games for the 2002 49ers
2002 San Francisco 49ers season
The first season following divisional realignment, the Niners won the new-look NFC West title with a 10–6 record; they swept new division rivals Seattle and Arizona while splitting with the Rams; the Niners lost to former division rival New Orleans...
. Streets started a total of 14 games that season. He had eight receptions three times, but recorded no 100-yard games. The final eight-reception game against the Arizona Cardinals
2002 Arizona Cardinals season
-Roster:-Schedule:-References:**...
on December 21 would prove to be Streets' career-high 90-yard game. The following week on the final Monday Night game of the regular season, Streets posted his first and only two-touchdown effort in a losing cause against the St. Louis Rams
2002 St. Louis Rams season
The 2002 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 65th year with the National Football League and the eighth season in St. Louis.-Schedule:This season marked the decline of Kurt Warner and The Greatest Show On Turf-Standings:...
. That season, Streets posted his career-highs in yards (756) and receptions (72) and totaled five touchdowns for the first time. The 49ers' season continued into the 2002–03 NFL playoffs and Streets caught five receptions in both of the teams' playoff games, including a game-winning touchdown with one minute remaining in the January 5, 2003 39–38 victory over the New York Giants
2002 New York Giants season
The 2002 New York Giants season was the team's 78th season in the National Football League. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 7–9, winning ten games and making a playoff appearance. They ended the season on a four game winning streak....
. The Giants game was memorable for its 24-point comeback by the 49ers. Despite the natural glory of the game-winning catch, Streets remained a modest footnote in the press and humble with his friends. After the season, Streets was a restricted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was expected to be signed and traded to another team before the 2003 NFL draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
in order to improve the 49ers' draft position.
The team replaced Mariucci with Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona...
in February 2003. Before the 2003 NFL season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, Stokes, who at the end of 2002 had been struggling to hold on to the third receiver position, was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars
2003 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2003 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the ninth season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars failed to improve upon their 6–10 regular season record in 2002 and did not make the playoffs....
. Streets started every game for the 2003 49ers
2003 San Francisco 49ers season
The 49ers entered their 2003 season attempting to improve upon their 10-6 output from the previous year.-Week 1: vs. Chicago Bears:Sunday, September 7, 2003 at San Francisco Stadium at Candlestick Point, San Francisco, California...
. His best performance in terms of receptions and yards was a December 14 6-reception 89-yard day that included a 41-yard touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals
2003 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2003 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 36th year in professional football and its 34th with the National Football League. The Bengals are now under first year Head Coach Marvin Lewis, who replaced Dick LeBeau who was fired following the 2002 season for the worst season in Bengals history...
, which was his longest reception of the season. That season he totaled 47 receptions and 595 yards as well as a career-high seven touchdowns. Over the course of the season he was slowed by knee tendinitis and after the season he wanted to return to the Midwest. Streets along with Owens, starting quarterback Garcia and starting running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Garrison Hearst
Garrison Hearst
Gerard Garrison Hearst is a former National Football League running back who last played for the NFL's Denver Broncos in 2004. He had previously played for the Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, and San Francisco 49ers...
, and starting offensive linemen Derrick Deese
Derrick Deese
Derrick Deese is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League. He co-hosts a radio show on Fox Sports Radio weekends from 9am to 1pm Pacific Time.-Professional career:...
and Ron Stone
Ron Stone (American football)
Ron Christopher Stone is a former professional American football guard and tackle who played 13 seasons in the National Football League from 1993 to 2005. He was a part of the Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XXVIII and Super Bowl XXX winning team and was selected to three Pro Bowls...
were all let go by the team that year. That is regarded as the biggest release of offensive starters in NFL history by a team in a single season.
Detroit Lions
In March, Streets signed with the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, who were coached by Mariucci, for the 2004 NFL season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
. The Lions' other wide receivers were Charles Rogers and Az-Zahir Hakim
Az-Zahir Hakim
Az-Zahir Ali Hakim is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
. In the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
, the Lions drafted wide receiver Roy Williams
Roy Williams (wide receiver)
Roy Eugene Williams, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a member of the Chicago Bears. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions seventh overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
with the seventh overall selection one year after drafting Rogers in the first round. Williams and Rogers were projected as the starters with Streets considered the third receiver as the season began. Rogers broke his collarbone on the third play of the season and was lost for the entire year. Streets started 12 of the 13 games that he played for the 2004 Lions
2004 Detroit Lions season
The 2004 Detroit Lions season began with the team trying to improve on their 5–11 record in 2003.-Staff:-Final roster:-Schedule:-References:...
while accumulating 260 yards on 28 receptions. In the seventh game against the Dallas Cowboys
2004 Dallas Cowboys season
Even before 2004 season began, the Cowboys would face adversity and be forced to adjust. Coming off their first winning season in 5 years, the team, under Bill Parcells direction, would continue to bring in veteran talent and draft promising prospects. In the off-season, the Cowboys would sign...
on October 31, Roy Williams
Roy Williams (safety)
Roy Lee Williams is a retired American football safety. He played college football at Oklahoma before he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys eighth overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He spent seven seasons with the Cowboys and earned five straight Pro Bowl selections from 2003–2007...
leveled Streets, who did not catch another pass in the game after the second quarter hit. Streets did not return to practice until November 17. He was in the lineup on November 21, and caught a pass against the Minnesota Vikings
2004 Minnesota Vikings season
2004 was the 44th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 85th regular season of the National Football League.The Vikings finished the 2004 season going 3-7 over the final 10 weeks just like they did in 2003. However, they made the playoffs with an 8-8 record...
. Streets was listed with an injured knee after the December 26 game against the Chicago Bears
2004 Chicago Bears season
-Scoring Summary:Q1 - CHI - 7:38 - Thomas Jones 2 yd TD run Q2 - DET - 0:16 - Jason Hanson 27 yd FG Q3 - DET - 12:17 - Bracy Walker 92 yd blocked FG return TD...
. Streets did not appear in the Lions' final game of the season on January 2. After the season, he was an unrestricted free agent, due to his years of seniority. The 49ers received a compensatory draft pick in the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
for losing Streets to free agency. Instead of re-signing Streets, the Lions signed wide receiver Kevin Johnson in April 2005. They also made wide receiver Mike Williams their first round draft choice in the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
.
Personal
Streets was active in mentoring and coaching youth basketball while he was a professional football player. He coached a team to the 16-under national AAU championship. Streets was actively involved in creating and expanding the Chicago-area AAU basketball program. Streets was also active in coaching local all-star games, such as the spring game sponsored by The Star/Daily SouthtownDaily Southtown
The SouthtownStar is a newspaper of the Chicago, Illinois metropolitan area that covers the south suburbs of Chicago and the South Side neighborhoods of the city - a wide region known as the Chicago Southland. Its popular slogan is "People Up North Just Don't Get It"...
, Balmoral Park Race Track, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
and radio station 99.9 FM.
External links
- Streets at ESPN.comESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
- Streets at Pro-Football-Reference.com
- Streets football stats at University of Michigan
- Streets basketball stats at University of Michigan
- Streets archive at Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....