Ernest Lamour 'Wheels' Wheelwright (November 28, 1939 – May 1, 2001) was an American football player. He attended

Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of Tr ...

. He had several careers but is chiefly remembered as an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

player who played as a running back for the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

(1964–65),

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcon ...

(1966–67) and the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

(1967–70). He was also an actor who appeared in a number of films including: '' The Longest Yard ''(1974), ''Trackdown'' (1976), '' The Greatest'' (1977) & '' Wildcats'' (1986). Immediately before he began his career as a running back he had served in the

101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...

(a.k.a. the Screaming Eagles). Ernie Wheelwright was also owner of one of Atlanta's premier nightclubs in the 1960s, the Pink Pussycat Club. 'Wheels' hosted many visiting black artists and had the opportunity to cut a record 'Beggin You Back' for the local Gaye label owned by Johnny Brooks.J T. Brooks who was also an engineer and record producer had opened his own facility in Atlanta in 1964. Wheelwright's disc was one of at least eight on Gaye. In addition Brooks was owner of the gospel label Sounds of Atlanta whose roster included Little Jimmy Dempsey, Big Chief Weatherington, the Soul Searchers and The Blackwood Singers. In 1970 the NFL asked Wheelwright, then with the New Orleans Saints, to sell his interest on the grounds that continuing ownership would bring the NFL into disrepute.Sports Illustrated, This Saint has been called a sinner, June 1, 1970 Ernie Wheelwright died of cancer in Las Vegas on May 1, 2001, aged 61.

Filmography

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wheelwright, Ernie 1939 births 2001 deaths Players of American football from Columbus, Ohio American football running backs Southern Illinois Salukis football players New York Giants players Atlanta Falcons players New Orleans Saints players African-American male actors American male film actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors Deaths from cancer in Nevada 20th-century African-American male singers