Tyrone Anthony Wheatley Sr. (born January 19, 1972) is an American
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
coach and former player who is the head coach at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Previously, he served as the running backs coach of the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played professionally as a
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
for 10 seasons in the NFL.
In high school, Wheatley was named
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
's athlete of the year in both football and track and field. He attended the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
and earned first-team All-
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
honors on Big Ten Champion football and track teams. He ranks among the Wolverines' all-time
rushing leaders in numerous categories, and his name appears in several places in the Big Ten football record book. He was named to All-Big Ten teams in football and track and field a total of four times, and he earned portions of seven Big Ten championships (two team awards for football, one team award for indoor track, one award for
110 meter hurdles
The 110 metres hurdles, or 110-metre hurdles, is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is included in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metres hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hur ...
, and three awards for individual football statistical performances).
Following his graduation from the University of Michigan, Wheatley was selected by 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 division. ...
of the NFL in the first round of the
1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 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 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Th ...
. He was traded to the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
, but cut before the
1999 season began. He signed with the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
and led the team in rushing three times, and twice finishing among the NFL's top ten players in rushing
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron 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. In Ameri ...
s. During his NFL career (
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
–
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
), he totaled over 6,500 all-purpose yards as a running back and
kickoff returner
A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another position ...
.
After retiring from the NFL, Wheatley returned to his hometown to coach his high school alma mater,
Dearborn Heights
Dearborn Heights is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. With a population of 63,292 at the 2020 census., Dearborn Heights is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, and is considered a bedroom community.
History
Dearborn Heigh ...
' Hamilton J. Robichaud High School. He has served as the
running backs coach
In American football, a position coach is a team official in charge of coaching a specific position group. Position coaches have more specialized duties than the head coach, assistant coach, and the offensive and defensive coordinators.
Common ...
for the
Ohio Northern Polar Bears
Ohio Northern University (Ohio Northern or ONU) is a private United Methodist Church–affiliated university in Ada, Ohio. Founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871, ONU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It offers over 60 programs to ...
, the
Eastern Michigan Eagles
The Eastern Michigan Eagles, formerly known as the Normalites and the Hurons, are the athletic teams for Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. The Eagles compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) a ...
, the
Syracuse Orange
The Syracuse Orange are the athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East Conference.
The school's mascot is ...
and the
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 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 women's water polo, which competes in the NCAA inter-divisio ...
on college; and for the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
and the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
of the NFL.
Early life
Wheatley was born in
Inkster, Michigan
Inkster is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2010 census, the city population was 25,369.
History
The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans. It was settled by non-indigenous people in 1825. A post offi ...
. Wheatley's father (also named Tyrone)
[ suffered a mortal ]gunshot
A gunshot is a single discharge of a gun, typically a man-portable firearm, producing a visible flash, a powerful and loud shockwave and often chemical gunshot residue. The term can also refer to a ballistic wound caused by such a discharg ...
wound to the head in 1974 when Wheatley was two years old. Wheatley's stepfather
A stepfather or stepdad is a non-biological male parent married to one's preexisting parent.
A stepfather-in-law is a stepfather of one's spouse. Children from his spouse's previous unions are known as his stepchildren.
Culture
Though less com ...
died of a heart attack when he was 13, leaving behind Wheatley, his sister, and half-brother, two-year-old Leslie Mongo. Shortly afterward, Wheatley's mother, Patricia,[ was ]laid off
A layoff or downsizing is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or, more commonly, a group of employees (collective layoff) for business reasons, such as personnel management or downsizing (reducing the ...
and became an alcoholic
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomin ...
. With the effective loss of his two parents, Wheatley and his sister were forced to move in with an aunt, where he lived through the rest of his childhood.[ Due to family difficulties, Wheatley acted as the guardian of two cousins and his half brother.][ Mongo was ten years younger than Wheatley,][ and graduated from high school in New Jersey in 2004—thirteen years after Wheatley had graduated from high school.][
Wheatley was involved in competitive athletics from an early age: In his youth, he ran competitively with the Penn Park track team, where, as an eight-year-old, he stood out for his discipline and promptness.][ Because of his family trouble, he assumed a family leadership role at a relatively young age. Wheatley made it clear to his brothers and sisters that when chaos came to their lives, they should to turn to him because he would be there and he would never fall.][ When he was in high school, he would take his younger siblings to basketball games, mapping out emergency plans for shooting outbreaks or brawls.][ Wheatley's guardianship continued throughout his career at the University of Michigan and while he was a professional athlete. While playing in the NFL, he realized that leaving Mongo—the youngest of his siblings—in Inkster and merely providing financial support was not a solution because Mongo was still exposed to ]gang
A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...
shootings. As Mongo's guardian, Wheatley moved Mongo to New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
for school. Mongo later earned outstanding freshman athlete honors during the Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[letter of intent
A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a contract, legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a Heads of agreement ( ...]
with Utah State
Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
as a defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
.
School career
High school
Wheatley attended Hamilton J. Robichaud High School in Dearborn Heights, Michigan
Dearborn Heights is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. With a population of 63,292 at the 2020 census., Dearborn Heights is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, and is considered a bedroom community.
History
Dearborn Heig ...
, a neighboring municipality of Inkster. During his time at Robichaud High School, he became a nine-time MHSAA state champion (seven-time individual in track and field, one-time team each in track and field and football). He is among the highest-scoring football players in Michigan high school history, and he led his high school to the state football championships while playing eight different positions and being named the Michigan Football Player of the year. In the 1990 MHSAA Championship game against upper peninsula
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by t ...
powerhouse Kingsford High School Kingsford may refer to:
Places
; Australia
*Kingsford, New South Wales
*Kingsford, South Australia
; United Kingdom
*Kingsford, Worcestershire, England
* Kingsford, near Stewarton, Ayrshire in Scotland
; United States of America
*Kingsford, Mich ...
at the Pontiac Silverdome
The Pontiac Silverdome (also known simply as the Silverdome) was a stadium in Pontiac, Michigan. It opened in 1975 and sat on 199 acres (51 ha) of land. When the stadium opened, it featured a fiberglass fabric roof held up by air pressure, ...
, Wheatley ran for 165 yards and a touchdown in a 21–7 victory. That season, he led the Bulldogs to a 12–1 record, and to their only state football championship. He has been described as the greatest football player in Michigan High School history.
In track and field, he won the Michigan High School Track and Cross Country Athlete of the Year award in 1991. However, at one point Wheatley had quit the track team because the coach refused to let him run four individual events as a sprinter, jumper and hurdler
Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today, ...
.[ The coach relented, and Wheatley became a seven-time MHSAA Class B individual state champion by winning the ]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 takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
, 100 meters
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...
, 110-meter hurdles both his junior and senior seasons and winning the 200 meters
The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...
as junior. In his junior year, he led his school to the state Class B track championships, and he became the first individual four-time track and field state champion in the same year in MHSAA history. Through the 2007 MHSAA season he was the MHSAA All class long jump record holder with a 1991 leap of , his high school 100 meters time (10.59 seconds, 1990) continues to rank third in MHSAA history, and his 110-meter hurdles time (13.87 sec., 1991) ranked seventh in MHSAA history. In addition, through the 2007 track season his hurdle time continued to be a MHSAA lower peninsula
The Lower Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Lower Michigan – is the larger, southern and less elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; the other being the Upper Peninsula, which is separated by the S ...
Class B state record. His long jump record has been retired.[ Wheatley became a high school ]All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n in track,[ and he was also a member of successful relay teams in high school. He had made a name for himself as a nine-time ]Michigan High School Athletic Association
The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
Unlike ma ...
(MHSAA) state champion athlete.[ His athleticism and jumping abilities were further exhibited in basketball; Wheatley played for his high school basketball team and was able to ]slam dunk
A slam dunk, also simply known as dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one ...
.[ He claims that against his high school rival, ]Inkster High School
Inkster High School was a high school in Inkster, Michigan in Metro Detroit. It was a part of Inkster Public Schools.
History
Inkster High School on Middlebelt was built in 1952. In 2013 the school had 940 students.Higgins, Lori.Inkster district ...
, he performed a dunk from the foul line, which is a difficult dunk made famous in slam dunk competitions by Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
(Dr. J.) and later revived by Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
.[ Yet, despite his versatility and promise, Wheatley considered turning down athletic scholarships in hopes of obtaining an academic scholarship.][
]
College
Wheatley chose to remain in metropolitan Detroit and attend the University of Michigan on an athletic scholarship. He played running back for the football team for four years and ran on the track team for three years. As both a football player and track athlete he was highly decorated; he earned first-team All-Big Ten honors on teams that won Big Ten Championships in both sports and All-American Honors in track. In football, he set and retains numerous school records and in track he achieved some of the fastest times in school history. Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...
Fred Jackson recalled that Wheatley was always prompt, never overweight, played while injured, and even babysat for Jackson's children. Wheatley was described in the press as a football player who put his team ahead of himself.
Wheatley wore #6 for the Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its ...
program from 1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
to 1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
. At the end of the 2007 season, he ranked third in Michigan football history in career points and second in career touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron 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. In Ameri ...
s (behind Anthony Thomas) with forty seven rushing touchdowns, six receiving touchdowns and one kickoff return
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in gridiron football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team". The receiving team is then entitled to ''return ...
for a touchdown. His 47 rushing touchdowns, which ranked third in Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
history at the end of his career, ranked fifth behind Ron Dayne
Ronald Dayne (born March 14, 1978) is a former professional American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. Dayne played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers football, University of Wisco ...
(71), Anthony Thompson (68), Pete Johnson (56) and Thomas through the 2006 season. His 17 touchdowns in 1992 ranks as the fifth most productive offensive season in Michigan history.[ In ]1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
, he was the Big Ten rushing and scoring champion in an offense where Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Elvis Grbac
Elvis M. Grbac (born August 13, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the ...
was also a statistical Big Ten champion. He earned the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Award that season and capped the season off by earning the MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
of the 1993 Rose Bowl on a 235-yard, 15-carry performance against Washington Huskies
The Washington Huskies are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Washington, located in Seattle. The school competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac- ...
, which included touchdown runs of 88, 56 and 24 yards.
Through the 2012 season, he ranked fifth on the Michigan career rushing yards list (behind Mike Hart, Denard Robinson
Denard Xavier Robinson (born September 22, 1990) is currently the Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the University of Michigan football program. Robinson is also a former American football running back who played for four seasons in th ...
, Anthony Thomas, and Jamie Morris
James Walter Morris (born June 6, 1965) is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins and a record-setting running back in college for the University of Michigan Wolverine ...
) with 4,178 yards.[ His 1992 ]sophomore
In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. In ...
season 7.3 yards per carry is a Michigan single-season record (minimum 75 attempts), and his freshman
A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions.
Ara ...
yards per carry average ranks fourth at Michigan since 1949 (and it is a Michigan Freshman record).[ He has both the best and second-best single-game (minimum 15 carries) yards per carry performances in Michigan history.][ He was a three-time All Big Ten selection.
As a freshman for the 1991 Wolverines, Wheatley set the Michigan freshman yards per attempt record with 555 yards on 86 carries for a 6.4 yards per attempt. In his sophomore year, he broke through with his first of three consecutive first team All-Big Ten selections. He rushed for 1,357 yards and 13 Rushing touchdowns in addition to 3 Receiving touchdowns and recording a kickoff return touchdown while subbing for the injured ]Ricky Powers
Richard Powers (born November 30, 1970) is a former running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and a former University of Michigan Wolverines football co-captain. In the NFL, he had a brief career with the Bro ...
.[ Wheatley had amassed the most touchdowns by a running back in Michigan history by the end of his junior year and was a professional prospect. In ]1993
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...
at the end of his junior season 1993 Wolverines, he earned the MVP award of the 1994 Hall of Fame Bowl
The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, usually on New Year's Day. The event has been formerly called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 t ...
.[ Wheatley had finished 8th in the 1993 ]Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
race. Before LeShon Johnson
LeShon Eugene Johnson (born January 15, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was a running back and kick returner in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons during the 1990s. He played college football for N ...
's 306 yard effort in November of that season against Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
team that Wheatley had rushed for 113 yards against, Wheatley had been mentioned as the best running back in the nation, but Johnson's effort and Bam Morris
Byron "Bam" Morris (born January 13, 1972) is a former American football running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Early life
Morris attended Texas Tech University where he ...
' final three games of 223, 222 and 223 yards led to Bam Morris winning the Doak Walker Award
Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football League ...
. Most who finished ahead of him in the Heisman voting either were seniors (Ward, Glenn Foley
Glenn Foley (born October 10, 1970) is a former American football quarterback. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Jets from 1994 to 1998 and the Seattle Seahawks in 1999 and in the Arena Football Lea ...
, Johnson) or gave up their amateur eligibility and declared early for the draft (Heath Shuler
Joseph Heath Shuler (born December 31, 1971) is an American businessman, former NFL quarterback, and former U.S. Representative for from 2007 to 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition during ...
, David Palmer, Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
), which made Wheatley one of the favorites for the award if he stayed in college for one more year. He stayed at Michigan for another year with the stated intent of obtaining his degree, but stayed without receiving the degree. However, the preseason 1994 Heisman Trophy favorite (along with 7th-place finisher J. J. Stokes
Jerel Jamal Stokes (born October 6, 1972) is a former American football wide receiver. Stokes played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, and was recognized as a unanimous All- ...
), missed the beginning of the season with an injury to the same shoulder that had caused him to miss two games in 1993. His return to the lineup on September 24, 1994 was overshadowed by The Miracle at Michigan
The Miracle at Michigan refers to the final play that occurred during the American football game played on September 24, 1994, between the Colorado Buffaloes and Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The game was decide ...
. His senior season return to the 1994 Wolverines had been a surprise, but injuries allowed Tshimanga Biakabutuka and Ed Davis to get some playing time.[ He only finished 12th in the Heisman balloting as a senior. Nonetheless, he thought that his senior-year experience broadened his horizons.][
In college, Wheatley also competed in track and earned ]varsity letter
A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its recipient was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.
Description ...
s in 1993–1995. In 1994, he was the Big Ten outdoor 110 metre hurdles
The 110 metres hurdles, or 110-metre hurdles, is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is included in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metres hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hurd ...
champion, was selected first team All-Big Ten, and was a member of the men's indoor track and field team that won the indoor Big Ten team championship. He placed eighth at the 1995 NCAA outdoor championships in the 110 meter hurdles, which earned him All-American honors.[ At the end of his Michigan track career, he owned the third fastest indoor 60m time in Michigan history at 6.80 seconds as well as the second fastest outdoor 110 metre hurdles time at 13.77 seconds and third fastest outdoor 100 meters at 10.46 seconds. Gradually, succeeding athletes have surpassed his times, and after the 2007 season the 110 meter hurdle time ranked fourth best and the 100 meter dash time was fifth.]
College statistics
Professional career
New York Giants
Dan Reeves era (1995–1996)
Wheatley was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 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 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Th ...
with the seventeenth overall selection. He held out for 17 days before signing a five-year contract with the team.[ The terms included a $2.3 million ]signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
and escalating base salaries totaling over $2.9 million. The negotiations were prolonged in part because of extensive family involvement. Wheatley set no goals for himself and lived by his grandmother's motto on preparing oneself: "You can set your sails, but you can't set the wind".[ The Giants viewed Wheatley as their running back of the future, since ]Rodney Hampton
Rodney Craig Hampton (born April 3, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Giants in the first round of the 1990 NFL D ...
was in the final year of his contract.
Despite the original visions, Wheatley was used sparingly and started only eight games over the course of four seasons with the Giants.[ Off the field, Wheatley moved his half-brother with him to New Jersey to keep him out of the tumultuous environment and to provide him a strong learning environment.][
In 1995 and 1996, under ]Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves (January 19, 1944 – January 1, 2022) was an American football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third most for an ...
the Giants had losing seasons and relied heavily on Rodney Hampton who received the bulk of the carries on rushing plays. In 1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
, running back Herschel Walker
Herschel Junior Walker (born March 3, 1962) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He was also the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia.
...
received more passing downs and in 1996
File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
fullback Charles Way
Charles Christopher Way (born December 27, 1972) is a former professional American football fullback in the National Football League for five seasons for the New York Giants.
Early life
Way was born in 1972 to Jacqueline and Cleveland Way. he ...
was a main weapon. Wheatley returned kickoffs for the 1995 and 1996, with 10 returns for 18.6 yards per return in 1995 and 23 returns for 21.9 yards per return in 1996. While Hampton led the team in rushing with 827 yards to Wheatley's 400 yards in 1996, Wheatley's 503 return yards
Return yards is a gridiron football statistical measure that takes several forms. In American and Canadian football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the opposing team's goal line. Progress can be made during play by the o ...
and 51 yards receiving gave him the team all-purpose yards
All-purpose yards or all-purpose yardage is a gridiron football statistical measure. It is virtually the same as the statistic that some football leagues refer to as combined net yards. In the game of football, progress is measured by advancing t ...
leadership.[ However, Wheatley had 6 ]fumble
A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...
s on only 147 touches (112 rushes, 12 receptions, and 23 kickoff returns).[
The drafting of Wheatley had been hotly contested. Some Giant draft war-room personnel had wanted to select ]Korey Stringer
Korey Damont Stringer (May 8, 1974 – August 1, 2001) was an American professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. He played college football at the Ohio State University and wa ...
and others had an interest in Rashaan Salaam
Rashaan Iman Salaam (October 8, 1974 – December 5, 2016) was an American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons during the 1990s. Salaam played college football ...
when the Giants' selection came. After Wheatley was selected with the seventeenth pick, running backs Napoleon Kaufman
Napoleon "Nip" Kaufman (born June 7, 1973) is a former American football player and currently an ordained minister and head football coach at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California. He is a former NFL running back, playing for the ...
, James Stewart
James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...
and Rashaan Salaam were chosen with the eighteenth, nineteenth and twenty-first selections, respectively. Reeves made it no secret that he would have selected Salaam over Wheatley in the draft
Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vessel ...
.[ Wheatley's introduction to the Giants was a contract squabble that kept him from getting to ]training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events, ...
on time. Then, in rookie season training camp, he had the misfortune of pulling a hamstring
In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury.
In quadrupeds, ...
while running sprints on the first day. Speculation had been that the injury had occurred in a stumble in a June track meet.[ Reeves held the prompt injury against the running back he never wanted.][ Wheatley later fell asleep in a meeting which drew a fine from Reeves. Although he only actually fell asleep in one meeting, he also had mental concentration issues in practice. He was not known for living erratically so his falling asleep and loss of concentration was enough of a problem that the Giants had Wheatley evaluated.] On top of this, Wheatley was fined several times for tardiness to team meetings.
Jim Fassel era (1997–1998)
In 1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, by the end of training camp, Rodney Hampton's knees had given out, and although Wheatley had a great camp, Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia ...
was named the starting tailback.[ That season, ]Jim Fassel
James Edward Fassel (August 31, 1949 – June 7, 2021) was an American college and professional football player and coach. He was the head coach of the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) from 1997 to 2003. He was offensive coor ...
's first, the Giants went to the playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
with a 10–5–1 record. Wheatley led the team in carries that season despite missing two games and shared the ballcarrying responsibilities with Way and Barber. On October 12, Wheatley had his first 100-yard game with 102 yards on 22 carries against the Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
in a 27–13 victory on the road.[ While Wheatley and Way divided the rushing load, Barber and Way divided most of the responsibility for the running backs' role in the passing attack, while Wheatley had less than half as many receptions and reception yards as either of them.][ An ankle injury caused Wheatley to miss the final two regular season games and the wild card ]playoff
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
game.
By 1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
, Wheatley was the only four-year veteran in the Giants backfield and although he developed another good relationship with an offensive coordinator, he was becoming accustomed to being described as an enigma.[ The Giants fell to 8–8 while relying on Barber, Way and Gary Brown. During the season, Wheatley often performed ]scout team
The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see ''Glossary of Canadian football''.
0–9
...
duties and was inactive for some games. Fassel was not sympathetic to Wheatley's desire for playing time and thought that Wheatley was overweight.[ Over the course of the season, there was controversy about a season long weight limit of that had been placed on Wheatley.] Wheatley's playing weight limit had been set at in training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events, ...
and had been raised to 235 on Wheatley's request.[ He had played at in the final game of his college career.][ By week 11, Wheatley had only dressed in five games and played in four and was relegated to a role as an alternate when he played.
Wheatley thought he was treated unfairly in New York although two different coaching staffs had issues with him. He points out ]double standard
A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for situations that are, in principle, the same. It is often used to describe treatment whereby one group is given more latitude than another. A double standard arises when two ...
s that gave him bad feelings in retrospect. In situations where he was not the only Giant who was overweight or stuck in traffic, he was punished while others were not and those with worse problems such as showing up at practice drunk or being cited for D.U.I.
Drunk driving is the act of operating a motor vehicle with the operator's ability to do so impaired as a result of alcohol consumption, or with a blood alcohol level in excess of the legal limit. For drivers 21 years or older, driving with a bloo ...
were not vilified. Wheatley had the responsibility of driving his brother, Leslie Mongo, to his school that opened at 8:15 and thought he was the victim of New Jersey traffic in relation to occasionally being late for 9:00 a.m. team meetings.[ Charles Way, by contrast, Wheatley's closest friend on the team and ]roommate
A roommate is a person with whom one shares a living facility such as a room or dormitory ''except'' when being family or romantically involved. Similar terms include dormmate, suitemate, housemate, or flatmate ("flat": the usual term in Britis ...
on the road, was nicknamed "Teacher's Pet."
According to ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', there was a misperception of Wheatley as a "cancer"[ in the locker room by most accounts. Although he had some issues, his teammates remembered him for his personality and mannerly nature.][ The general opinion of Wheatley was that he was blessed with enormous talent, but as a package he was an enigma. According to ]Michael Strahan
Michael T. Strahan ( ; born November 21, 1971) is an American television personality, journalist, and former professional football player. He played his entire 15-year professional career as a defensive end for the New York Giants of the Nation ...
, Wheatley "...could outrun the wide receivers, outlift the linemen
Lineman or linesman may refer to:
In personal roles:
*Lineworker, one who installs and maintains electrical power, telephone, or telegraph lines
*Lineman (gridiron football), a position in American football
*Head linesman, the American football of ...
and outdebate anyone."[ Thus, his off-season workout pattern of sloughing the weights for discussion of politics and current affairs was troubling, but not challenged because he could outlift most.][ However, in addition to the enigmatic issues, Wheatley had physical problems in New York. He was injured and unable to perform for parts of all four of the training camps.][ After the 1998 season Wheatley was traded to Jimmy Johnson's ]Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
.[ In the February trade, the Giants were satisfied receiving a seventh round draft pick in return.][
]
Oakland Raiders
The Dolphins hoped that Wheatley would compete for the starting tailback position with Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar
Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar (born Sharmon Shah; June 28, 1974), known previously as Karim Abdul-Jabbar, is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). Al-Jabbar played college foot ...
, who had rushed for a league-leading 15 touchdowns in 1997 but whose production had fallen off to only 6 in 1998. However, Wheatley was cut from the Miami Dolphins training camp roster. He had only gone through one week of Dolphins training camp before being released, making him available to the Raiders. The Raiders signed Wheatley on August 4, 1999 to help make up for the loss of Zack Crockett
Zachary Theopolis Crockett (born December 2, 1972) is a SE Scout for the Las Vegas Raiders and former American football fullback. He was originally drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college fo ...
who suffered a broken foot. Ironically, Wheatley, the seventeenth overall selection in the 1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 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 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Th ...
, earned his 1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
roster spot in a battle with Rashaan Salaam
Rashaan Iman Salaam (October 8, 1974 – December 5, 2016) was an American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons during the 1990s. Salaam played college football ...
, the twenty-first overall selection in the 1995 NFL Draft, who had been Dan Reeves' preferred draft choice in 1995.[ Wheatley was paired in the Raiders backfield with ]Napoleon Kaufman
Napoleon "Nip" Kaufman (born June 7, 1973) is a former American football player and currently an ordained minister and head football coach at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California. He is a former NFL running back, playing for the ...
, the eighteenth overall selection in the 1995 NFL Draft.
While in Oakland
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
, Wheatley would achieve much greater success than he had in New York. Wheatley rushed for 1,000 yards in a season, led the Raiders in rushing three times, appeared in three consecutive playoffs (including one Super Bowl) and finished in the top-10 in the NFL for rushing touchdowns twice. Through the 2007 NFL season, Wheatley was the seventh leading rusher in Oakland Raider history with 3,682 yards as a Raider. In his role as a Raider, Wheatley was able to contribute to some of the greatest memories in the history of the franchise. Seven of his eight career 100-yard rushing games came as a Raider.[ Five of these games were at the ]Oakland Coliseum
Oakland Coliseum, currently branded as RingCentral Coliseum, is a stadium in Oakland, California. It is part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, with the adjacent Oakland Arena, near Interstate 880. The Coliseum is the home b ...
and two were on the road
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
against the Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
.[ None of these games came in the playoffs where his highest rushing total was 56 yards.]
Jon Gruden era (1999–2001)
How well Wheatley complemented Napoleon Kaufman in Oakland was quickly evident to the New York media, and his newfound success was noticed when the Giants had an impotent running game in his absence. In his early years with the Raiders, Wheatley quickly made good on the promise of his potential with a combination of the power to run inside and the speed to run outside. Wheatley was quite popular in Oakland. The players liked him and his coach, Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden (born August 17, 1963) is a former American professional football coach who was a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He held his first head coaching position with the Raiders franchise during thei ...
, even joked with him during his interviews.[
On the field, Wheatley became an important part of a surprisingly efficient ]West Coast offense
In American football, the West Coast offense is an offense that places a greater emphasis on passing than on running.
There are two similar but distinct offensive strategic systems that are commonly referred to as "West Coast offenses". Original ...
run by Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden (born August 17, 1963) is a former American professional football coach who was a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He held his first head coaching position with the Raiders franchise during thei ...
.[ In 1999, Wheatley was the Raiders' leading rusher and their only running back to have more than one touchdown reception. For the first time, Wheatley had multiple 100-yard games in the same season:][ 100 yards on 20 rushes on October 3 against the Seattle Seahawks and 111 yards on 19 rushes on December 19 against the ]Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
. The players gelled as a unit and not only did Wheatley have his best seasons in Oakland, but also long time NFL veterans on the Raiders amassed their best season upon his arrival. For example, Rich Gannon
Richard Joseph Gannon (born December 20, 1965) is an American former football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Subsequently, he was a sports commentator with CBS Sports for 16 years.
Gannon was born in ...
, an NFL veteran quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
since 1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
, made his first four Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
appearances with Wheatley as a weapon. The team only compiled an 8–8 record, however.
Wheatley had the best season of his career in the 2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
as the Raiders went 12–4 and reached the American Football Conference
The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the National Football Conference ...
championship game of the 2000–01 NFL playoffs. Wheatley amassed 1,046 yards rushing and 9 touchdowns on 232 carries and added 20 receptions for 156 yards. Wheatley combined effectively with Kaufman to form an inside and outside attacking combination in these first two years. Wheatley’s 4.5 yards per carry ranked ninth in the NFL. Not only did Wheatley amass a career-high three 100-yard rushing games that season, but he also had his three highest career single-game performances: 156 yards on only 15 carries on October 22 at home against the Seattle Seahawks, 146 yards on December 16 at Seattle and 112 yards on November 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
. The 100-yard performances against Seattle were his second and third in his first four games against them as a Raider. In the playoffs, Wheatley only posted a total of 63 yards rushing on 31 carries and one reception for four yards in two home playoff games. On January 6, 2001, Wheatley posted what would turn out to be his career (seven career games) playoff high 56 yards rushing and his only playoff touchdown. In the January 14 conference championship against the Baltimore Ravens he only rushed for 7 yards on 12 carries.
In 2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
, with the arrival of Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. Known primarily as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, winning three championshi ...
and Charlie Garner
Charlie Garner III (born February 13, 1972) is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee ...
, the offense focused on the passing game, running five more pass attempts per game than the year before. The team produced two 1,000-yard receivers with Rice amassing 1,139 yards and Tim Brown Timothy, Timmy, or Tim Brown may refer to:
Music
* Timothy Brown (bassist) (born 1969), bassist for the band The Boo Radleys
* Timothy Brown (conductor) (born 1946), English choral conductor
* Timothy Brown (hornist), English hornist
Sports Gridir ...
totaling 1,165 yards. Garner led the team in rushing and accumulated 72 receptions. Meanwhile, Wheatley only started three games and accumulated only 12 receptions over the course of the season. For the first time as a Raider, Wheatley went an entire season without a 100-yard rushing game.[ The team went 10–6 and returned to the 2001–02 NFL playoffs, but Wheatley only had 88 carries during the regular season despite tying Zack Crockett for the running back leadership with 6 touchdowns. In the first round wild card game, Wheatley posted his second highest playoff total of 37 yards. In Wheatley's first and only career ]road
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
playoff game, he only posted five yards rushing on four carries.
Bill Callahan era (2002–2003)
Under new coach Bill Callahan, the 2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
Raiders became more reliant on Garner as the primary running back. Again, Rice and Brown were primary targets for Gannon who, while having his best season with 4,689 yards, did not use Wheatley as a receiver as much as other players. Wheatley had more carries than in 2001, but did not start a single game and did not see the end zone often. Again, Wheatley went an entire season without a 100-yard rushing game.[ However, as a role player he was able to play in three 2002–03 playoff games including the 2003 Super Bowl against former coach Gruden.][ As in his previous seasons, Wheatley posted his best playoff numbers in his first game, this time 30 yards on only four carries. A week later on January 19, 2003, Wheatley had his final post-season carry, a 5-yard run on his only carry of the game. In Super Bowl XXXVII on January 26, Wheatley's only touch came on a seven-yard reception. Although the Raiders did not win the Super Bowl, Tyrone Wheatley was re-signed.
In ]2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, Wheatley reclaimed his role as the Raiders' leading rusher although Garner, the second leading rusher, continued to be the target of more passes and Crockett made it to the end zone as a rusher as often as Wheatley and Garner combined. Wheatley became the sixth person to lead the Raiders franchise in rushing yards three times (Clem Daniels
Clemon Daniels Jr. (July 9, 1937 – March 23, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a halfback in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL).
College career
At Prairie View A&M University, h ...
, Marv Hubbard
''For the career criminal of the same name, see Battle of Alcatraz''
Marvin Ronald Hubbard (May 7, 1946 – May 4, 2015) was a professional American football player. He played fullback for the American Football League's and later National F ...
, Mark van Eeghen, Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen (born March 26, 1960) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the greatest goal line and short-y ...
, Napoleon Kaufman
Napoleon "Nip" Kaufman (born June 7, 1973) is a former American football player and currently an ordained minister and head football coach at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California. He is a former NFL running back, playing for the ...
). The 2003 Raiders fell to 4–12 and had no 1,000-yard receivers or runners. Wheatley’s only 100-yard rushing game came on November 16 at home against the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
.[
Wheatley's name and those of several of his teammates were found on the list of clients of the ]Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative
The Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) (1984–2003) was an American company led by founder and owner Victor Conte. In 2003, journalists Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada investigated the company's role in a drug sports scandal later re ...
(BALCO) that had given performance-enhancing drugs to Marion Jones
Marion Lois Jones (born October 12, 1975), also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is an American former world champion track and field athlete and former professional basketball player. She won three gold medals and two bronze medals at the 200 ...
and others. As a result, he, and teammates Chris Hetherington
Chris Ray Hetherington (born November 27, 1972) is a former American football fullback in the NFL who last played for the San Francisco 49ers. He went to Yale University. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1 ...
, Dana Stubblefield
Dana William Stubblefield (born November 14, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). After graduating from Taylor High School in North Bend, Ohio, Stubblefie ...
, and Chris Cooper
Christopher Walton Cooper (born July 9, 1951) is an American actor. He has appeared in several major Hollywood films, including '' American Beauty'' (1999), ''October Sky'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), ''Seabiscuit'' (2003), '' Cap ...
were called to testify before a 2003 federal grand jury
A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...
investigating a laboratory that produces nutritional supplements
A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in order ...
. Johnnie Morton
Johnnie James Morton, Jr. (born October 7, 1971) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Southern California (USC), and was ...
was called before the same jury. Wheatley, Stubblefield, and Morton all declined to comment. This court appearance in the BALCO hearings was notable for Wheatley's assault of a freelance
''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
photographer who attempted to take Wheatley's photo outside the Philip Burton Federal Building just after Wheatley had informed the KNTV
KNTV (channel 11), branded as NBC Bay Area, is a television station licensed to San Jose, California, United States, serving as the San Francisco Bay Area's NBC network outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Sta ...
cameraman
A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not imply that a male is performing the task.
In filmmakin ...
that he would sue anyone who took his picture.
Norv Turner era (2004)
Although Wheatley's 2003 performance had been modest compared with the other seasons that he led the Raiders in rushing (1999, 2000), it was sufficient to convince the Raiders that they did not need to re-sign the pass catching running back Charlie Garner for the 2004 season with the new coach Norv Turner
Norval Turner (born May 17, 1952) is an American football coach in the National Football League (NFL). An offensive assistant for the majority of his coaching career, he came to prominence as the Dallas Cowboys' offensive coordinator during the ...
. The 2004 Raiders used a platoon of five runners (Wheatley, Crockett, Justin Fargas
Justin Alejandro Fargas (born January 25, 1980) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Michigan and Southern California and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft.
Colleg ...
, J. R. Redmond and Amos Zereoué
Amos L. Zereoué (born October 8, 1976) is a former American football player in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for West Virginia. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round (95th overall) of the ...
) who all rushed for between 100 and 500 yards and caught between 10 and 40 passes. Wheatley compiled his final 100-yard rushing game on September 26 in week 3 of the season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 102 yards on 18 carries. This was the earliest point in the season Wheatley had rushed for 100 yards in a game as a professional.[ Wheatley's career ended in week 12 of the season on November 28, 2004 in a 25–24 win over the ]Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
with an injury that was first described as an injured hamstring. The hamstring tear turned out to be acute.[ Wheatley had been under contract until 2009 with a 2005 base salary of $800,000 and a 2006 base salary of $2 million.
]
Coaching
Unable to adequately rehabilitate his hamstring, Wheatley retired from the NFL and returned to Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...
. At the University of Michigan, in 2005, he volunteered as a track coach while finishing his bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in sport management
Sport management is the field of business dealing with sports and recreation. Sports management involves any combination of skills that correspond with planning, organizing, directing, controlling, budgeting, leading, or evaluating of any organiz ...
. In November 2006, Wheatley was hired at his alma mater, Robichaud High School
Westwood Community School District is a school district headquartered in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, United States, in Metro Detroit. It serves portions of Dearborn Heights, Inkster and Dearborn; the sections of Dearborn within the district are ...
, as the track coach.[ After taking Robichaud to their first conference title he was also hired as the football coach. To prepare for his coaching duties he partook in Jon Gruden's NFL minority coaching internship by working with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an NFL Minority coaching fellow during the 2006 training camp.][ As football coach in 2007, Wheatley started with a 6–1 record before facing the team's rival, the undefeated ]Inkster High School
Inkster High School was a high school in Inkster, Michigan in Metro Detroit. It was a part of Inkster Public Schools.
History
Inkster High School on Middlebelt was built in 1952. In 2013 the school had 940 students.Higgins, Lori.Inkster district ...
. Despite losing on the field to Inkster, the team was credited with a forfeit victory and compiled an 8–1 regular season record. The team achieved its first berth in 13 years in the MHSAA Class B playoffs, one year after going 0–9. The team won its first round playoff match against Dearborn Heights Annapolis High School and lost its second to Milan High School to finish with a 9–2 record. The team last won the MHSAA title in 1990 during Wheatley's senior season with a 12–1 record. During Wheatley's absence the team was a state semifinalist in 1991 with a 10–2 record and made a playoff appearance in 1994.[ In addition to coaching, Wheatley has worked as an athletic trainer to about 30 clients.][
In 2008, he joined John Fontes' coaching staff as an ]assistant coach
A sports coach is a person coaching in sport, involved in the direction, instruction and training of a sports team or athlete.
History
The original sense of the word ''coach'' is that of a Coach (carriage), horse-drawn carriage, deriving ultima ...
for Team Michigan in the All American Football League
The All American Football League (AAFL) was a proposed professional american football minor league. The league, which was to combine a professional pay structure with the requirement that all players be college graduates, had originally been sch ...
. He was to serve as the running backs coach for the team in the league that planned to begin play in April 2008. However, the league never materialized. Wheatley interned as an NFL Minority coaching fellow with the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
during the summer of 2008 training camp. He also served at the Rising Stars Football Camp as an assistant instructor. In late August 2008, he became the assistant coach at Ohio Northern University
Ohio Northern University (Ohio Northern or ONU) is a private United Methodist Church–affiliated university in Ada, Ohio. Founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871, ONU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It offers over 60 programs to ...
, with responsibility for the team's running backs. After the end of Wheatley's coaching internship at the conclusion of the season, he was hired by Ron English
Ron English (born June 6, 1959) is an American contemporary artist who explores brand imagery, street art, and advertising.
Career
English has produced images on the street, in museums, in movies, books and television. He coined the term POPa ...
as a running backs coach at Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United Sta ...
for the 2009 season.
In February 2010, he was hired to replace Roger Harriott on Doug Marrone
Douglas Charles Marrone (born July 25, 1964) is an American football coach and former offensive lineman who is the offensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as the head coach a ...
's staff at Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
.[ In 2013, he left Syracuse, along with Marrone, to join the ]Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
, Wheatley's first NFL coaching position.
In 2015, Tyrone decided to return to his alma mater and coach the running backs at the University of Michigan on the staff for the new Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph Harbaugh (; born December 23, 1963) is an American football coach and former quarterback, who is the current and 20th head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines. He played college football at Michigan from 1983 to 1986. He play ...
.
In January 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars hired Wheatley as running backs coach to rejoin Marrone, who was hired as Jaguars' head coach. Wheatley along with several other assistant coaches and coordinators were fired by Marrone and the Jaguars after the 2018 season. On February 6, 2019, Wheatley was named head coach of Morgan State Bears football
The Morgan State Bears football team competes in American football on behalf of Morgan State University. The Bears compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, currently as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEA ...
.
Following the 2021 season, Wheatley rejoined the NFL coaching ranks as the running backs coach for new Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
head coach, Nathaniel Hackett
Nathaniel Hackett (born December 19, 1979) is an American football coach. A former long-time assistant to Doug Marrone, Hackett previously served as the offensive coordinator for the NFL's Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, ...
.
Wheatley was named head football coach at Wayne State University in Detroit on January 26, 2023.
Personal life
In addition to his guardianships, Wheatley and Kimberly have three sons and two daughters as of February 2010.[ Wheatley and his wife Kimberly, had their first child, Tyrone Jr., in 1997, and their second in late 1998.][ In 2012, Wheatley was selected for induction into the ]Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports athletes, coaches and contributors. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn, presid ...
.
On February 4, 2015, Tyrone Jr. (known as TJ) signed the National Letter of Intent
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
to play football for his father's alma mater, Michigan. Prior to Michigan's hiring of Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph Harbaugh (; born December 23, 1963) is an American football coach and former quarterback, who is the current and 20th head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines. He played college football at Michigan from 1983 to 1986. He play ...
as coach and Wheatley on his staff, TJ had been deciding between UCLA, USC, Alabama, and Oregon.[
On December 11, 2016, Tyrone's son, Terius committed to play football for the ]Virginia Tech Hokies
The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams representing the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in intercollegiate athletics. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 22 va ...
, joining the 2017 signing class, after spending a year at Fork Union Military Academy
Fork Union Military Academy (abbreviated as FUMA) is a private, all-male, college preparatory military boarding school located in Fork Union, Virginia. Founded in 1898, Fork Union is considered one of the premier military boarding academies in th ...
.
NFL career statistics
Head coaching record
See also
* Lists of Michigan Wolverines football rushing leaders
References
External links
*
Denver Broncos bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheatley, Tyrone
1972 births
Living people
American football running backs
American male hurdlers
Buffalo Bills coaches
Denver Broncos coaches
Eastern Michigan Eagles football coaches
Michigan Wolverines football coaches
Michigan Wolverines football players
Michigan Wolverines men's track and field athletes
Michigan Wolverines track and field coaches
Morgan State Bears football coaches
New York Giants players
Oakland Raiders players
Ohio Northern Polar Bears football coaches
Syracuse Orange football coaches
High school football coaches in Michigan
People from Dearborn Heights, Michigan
People from Inkster, Michigan
Coaches of American football from Michigan
Players of American football from Detroit
Track and field athletes from Michigan
African-American coaches of American football
African-American players of American football
African-American male track and field athletes
20th-century African-American sportspeople
21st-century African-American sportspeople