Jim Seegraves

Jim Seegraves, a 1983 DeWitt graduate, earned six varsity letters in football, basketball, and track.  His strength and toughness helped turn around a 1-8 Panther football program to 7-2 his senior year, including a Capital Circuit League Championship.  Seegraves was a punishing 210-pound linebacker and fullback who dominated the competition.  Leading DeWitt’s wishbone rushing attack as an overpowering lead blocker, Seegraves also ran for 659 yards.  As a linebacker, he led the Panthers with 139 tackles and five interceptions, and his hard-hitting style of play helped a small Class C school like DeWitt compete in the Capital Circuit League against much bigger schools.  His own coaches regularly kept Seegraves out of hitting drills to keep his teammates healthy and ready for Friday night.  He earned First Team All-League, All-Clinton County, All-Area, Class C All-Area Player of the Year, and Associated Press First Team All-State as a linebacker in 1982.  Additionally, Seegraves earned Detroit Free Press First Team All-State, United Press International Honorable Mention, and played in the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association All-Star game.  At the time of his graduation, he held school records for most solo tackles in a season (88) and most pass interceptions in a season (5).  He also tied the school record for most career pass interceptions (5).  In basketball, he helped lead the Panthers to a 20-4 record, a first place tie in the Capital Circuit, and a Class C District Championship.  His success in football, basketball, and track earned him DeWitt’s Male Athlete of the Year in 1983.  Seegraves earned a scholarship to play at Western Michigan University, where he cracked the starting lineup as a freshman at linebacker playing next to future NFL star John Offerdahl.  Injuries following his freshman season ended his playing career with the Broncos.