Reggie Wilkes
Encyclopedia
Reginald Wayman Wilkes (born May 27, 1956 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
) is a former American football
linebacker
in the National Football League
for the Philadelphia Eagles
and Atlanta Falcons
. He attended university and played college football
at Georgia Tech
, graduating with a Bachelor of Science
. Wilkes was drafted
by the Eagles in the third round of the 1978 NFL Draft
.
In his rookie year, Wilkes recorded 88 tackles, and along with Pro Bowler Bill Bergey
, co-led the team with five fumble recoveries. He was named to the UPI and Pro Football Weekly
All-Rookie teams in 1978–79. Wilkes played in every regular season game in his first three NFL seasons, and was a starting outside linebacker on the 1980–81 Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl XV
team. After eight seasons with the Eagles, Wilkes finished his career with two years on the Atlanta Falcons. In 1989, Wilkes was inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame.
During his 10-year NFL career, Wilkes worked on the staff of Merrill Lynch
advisory group in the off-seasons. Following his retirement from the NFL in 1988, Wilkes and two partners began a registered investment advisory firm, Pro Cap, which specialized in investment and lifestyle management services for professional athletes. They later sold that business to Mercantile Trust Bank, based in Baltimore, MD, and Wilkes maintained his position as senior vice president, heading up its sports and entertainment division. Wilkes returned to Merrill Lynch in 2007 and founded "The Wilkes Group", specializing in wealth management of high net-worth athletes in the NFL and NBA. Wilkes, and his company, has been featured by numerous news and media outlets, including the New York Times, Forbes
, and HBO: Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.
Wilkes operates offices in Philadelphia and Atlanta and lives with his wife in Philadelphia, PA.
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
) is a former American football
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...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
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...
for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He attended university and played college football
College 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...
at Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
, graduating with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
. Wilkes was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Eagles in the third round of the 1978 NFL Draft
1978 NFL Draft
The 1978 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 May 2–3, 1978...
.
In his rookie year, Wilkes recorded 88 tackles, and along with Pro Bowler Bill Bergey
Bill Bergey
William Earl Bergey is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player. He played collegiately for Arkansas State University and for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL Philadelphia Eagles....
, co-led the team with five fumble recoveries. He was named to the UPI and Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, that covers the National Football League...
All-Rookie teams in 1978–79. Wilkes played in every regular season game in his first three NFL seasons, and was a starting outside linebacker on the 1980–81 Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1980 regular season...
team. After eight seasons with the Eagles, Wilkes finished his career with two years on the Atlanta Falcons. In 1989, Wilkes was inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame.
During his 10-year NFL career, Wilkes worked on the staff of Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
advisory group in the off-seasons. Following his retirement from the NFL in 1988, Wilkes and two partners began a registered investment advisory firm, Pro Cap, which specialized in investment and lifestyle management services for professional athletes. They later sold that business to Mercantile Trust Bank, based in Baltimore, MD, and Wilkes maintained his position as senior vice president, heading up its sports and entertainment division. Wilkes returned to Merrill Lynch in 2007 and founded "The Wilkes Group", specializing in wealth management of high net-worth athletes in the NFL and NBA. Wilkes, and his company, has been featured by numerous news and media outlets, including the New York Times, Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
, and HBO: Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.
Wilkes operates offices in Philadelphia and Atlanta and lives with his wife in Philadelphia, PA.
External links
- The Wilkes Group, Merrill Lynch Website
- Reggie Wilkes featured on HBO Real Sports, episode 166 (originally aired 1/25/11)
- Reggie Wilkes featured in the New York Times, "Financial Lessons From Sports Stars' Mistakes," September 10, 2011
- Reggie Wilkes featured in Dow Jones NewsPlus, September 21, 2011
- Reggie Wilkes featured in The Wall Street Journal, September 26, 2011
- Reggie Wilkes featured in OregonLive.com, October 29, 2011