Tyrone Wheatley
Encyclopedia
Tyrone Anthony Wheatley (born January 19, 1972) is the running back
s coach at Syracuse University
and a former professional American football
player who played 10 seasons
in the National Football League
(NFL) and was one of the most successful high school
and collegiate
athletes in Metropolitan Detroit
history. In high school, he was a member of state-champion teams in both track and field and football, and he was named Michigan
's track and field athlete of the year and football athlete of the year in the same academic year. He earned All-America
track honors in both high school and college. Following his graduation as one of Michigan's best high school athletes, he attended the University of Michigan
on an athletic scholarship
and earned first-team All-Big Ten Conference
honors on Big Ten Champion football and track teams.
At the University of Michigan, Wheatley earned the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Award during the 1992 football season
. In the Michigan Wolverines
' post-season bowl game
, he was named the Most Valuable Player
for his performance in the team's Rose Bowl
victory. Wheatley continued his track success as well, earning first-team All-Big Ten Conference
and All-American honors. 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, and three awards for individual football statistical performances).
Following his graduation from the University of Michigan, Wheatley was selected by the New York Giants
of the NFL in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft
. As a running back for the Giants, he was the team's all-purpose yards leader in 1996 and their leading ballcarrier
in 1997. Despite his success on the field, he developed a reputation as a tardy dawdler. He was traded to the Miami Dolphins
, but cut before the 1998 season
began. He signed with the Oakland Raiders
and flourished, leading the team in rushing three times and twice finishing among the NFL's top ten players in rushing touchdown
s. With Wheatley, the Raiders went to the playoffs three years in a row, including one Super Bowl
appearance. During his NFL career (1995
–2004
), he totaled over 6,500 all-purpose yards as a running back
and kickoff returner.
After retiring from the NFL, Wheatley returned to his hometown to coach his high school alma mater, Dearborn Heights
' Hamilton J. Robichaud High School, where he had previously made a name for himself as a nine-time Michigan High School Athletic Association
(MHSAA) state champion athlete. As a player, he had led the school to its only state football championship. In 2007, during his first year as head football coach, his team rebounded from an 0–9 record to compile a 9–2 record, reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1994. He coached at in 2008
, and in 2009
he became an assistant coach for Eastern Michigan University
. He has been hired as the running backs coach
for the Syracuse Orange
for 2010
.
. Inkster is located in Metropolitan Detroit
, east of both Ann Arbor
and University of Michigan. Wheatley's father (also named Tyrone) suffered a mortal gunshot
wound to the head in 1974 when Wheatley was two years old. Wheatley's stepfather 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
and became an alcoholic. 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 acts 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
shootings. As Mongo's guardian, Wheatley moved Mongo to New Jersey
for school. Mongo later earned outstanding freshman athlete honors during the Bergen County, New Jersey
outdoor track championships while living with Wheatley, who was playing for the Giants at the time. In 2004, with his graduation from high school imminent, Mongo signed a letter of intent
with Utah State
as a defensive back
.
Wheatley attended Hamilton J. Robichaud High School in Dearborn Heights, Michigan
, 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
powerhouse Kingsford High School at the Pontiac Silverdome
, Wheatley ran for 165 yards and a touchdown in a 21–7 victory. That season he led the Bulldogs to a 12–1 record. 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
. The coach relented, and Wheatley became a seven-time MHSAA Class B individual state champion by winning the long jump
, 100 meters, 110-meter hurdles both his junior and senior seasons and winning the 200 meters as junior. In his junior year he led his school to the state Class B track championships. 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
Class B state record. Wheatley became a high school All-America
n in track, and he was also a member of successful relay teams in high school. His athleticism and jumping abilities were further exhibited in basketball; Wheatley played for his high school basketball team and was able to slam dunk
. He claims that against his high school rival, Inkster High School, he performed a dunk from the foul line, which is a difficult dunk made famous in slam dunk competitions by Julius Erving
(Dr. J.) and later revived by Michael Jordan
. Yet, despite his versatility and promise, Wheatley considered turning down athletic scholarships in hopes of obtaining an academic scholarship.
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
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
program from 1991
to 1994
. As of the end of the 2007 season, he ranks third in Michigan football history in career points and second in career touchdown
s (behind Anthony Thomas
) with forty-seven rushing
touchdowns, six receiving
touchdowns and one kickoff return for a touchdown. His 47 rushing touchdowns, which ranked third in Big Ten
history at the end of his career, ranked fifth behind Ron Dayne
(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
, he was the Big Ten rushing and scoring champion in an offense where Michigan
quarterback
Elvis Grbac
was also a statistical Big Ten champion. He earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors that season and capped the season off by earning the MVP
of the 1993 Rose Bowl
on a 235-yard, 15-carry performance against Washington Huskies, which included touchdown runs of 88, 56 and 24 yards.
Through the 2007 season, he ranks fourth on the Michigan career rushing yards list (behind Mike Hart, Anthony Thomas, and Jamie Morris
) with 4,178 yards. His 1992 sophomore
season 7.3 yards per carry is a Michigan single-season record (minimum 75 attempts), and his freshman
yards per carry average ranks fourth at Michigan since 1949 (and it is a Michigan Freshman record). Meanwhile, his career 6.1 yard per carry average ranks second in Michigan history (minimum 200 attempts) to Jon Vaughn
, although it is a record for a minimum 250 attempts. 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
. 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
at the end of his junior season 1993 Wolverines
, he earned the MVP award of the 1994 Hall of Fame Bowl. Wheatley had finished 8th in the 1993 Heisman Trophy
race. Before LeShon Johnson
's 306 yard effort in November of that season against Iowa
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
' final three games of 223, 222 and 223 yards led to Bam Morris winning the Doak Walker Award
. Most who finished ahead of him in the Heisman voting either were seniors (Ward, Glenn Foley
, Johnson) or gave up their amateur eligibility and declared early for the draft (Heath Shuler
, David Palmer
, Marshall Faulk
), 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
), 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
. 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
s in 1993–1995. In 1994, he was the Big Ten outdoor 110 metre hurdles 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.
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
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
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
the Giants had losing seasons and relied heavily on Rodney Hampton
who received the bulk of the carries on rushing plays. In 1995
, running back Herschel Walker
received more passing downs and in 1996
fullback
Charles Way
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
and 51 yards receiving gave him the team all-purpose yards
leadership. However, Wheatley had 6 fumble
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
and others had an interest in Rashaan Salaam
when the Giants' selection came. After Wheatley was selected with the seventeenth pick, running backs Napoleon Kaufman
, James Stewart 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
. Wheatley's introduction to the Giants was a contract squabble that kept him from getting to training camp on time. Then, in rookie season training camp, he had the misfortune of pulling a hamstring
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.
, by the end of training camp, Rodney Hampton's knees had given out, and although Wheatley had a great camp, Tiki Barber
was named the starting tailback
. That season, Jim Fassel
's first, the Giants went to the playoffs
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
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
game.
By 1998
, 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
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 235 pound that had been placed on Wheatley. Wheatley's playing weight limit had been set at 230 pound in training camp
and had been raised to 235 on Wheatley's request. He had played at 233 pound 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
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.
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
on the road, was nicknamed "Teacher's Pet."
According to The New York Times
, 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
, Wheatley "...could outrun the wide receiver
s, outlift the linemen 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
. In the February trade, the Giants were satisfied receiving a seventh round draft pick in return.
, 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
who suffered a broken foot. Ironically, Wheatley, the seventeenth overall selection in the 1995 NFL Draft
, earned his 1999
roster spot in a battle with Rashaan Salaam
, 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
, the eighteenth overall selection in the 1995 NFL Draft.
While in Oakland
, 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
and two were on the road
against the Seattle Seahawks
. None of these games came in the playoffs where his highest rushing total was 56 yards.
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
, even joked with him during his interviews.
On the field, Wheatley became an important part of a surprisingly efficient West Coast offense
run by Jon Gruden
. 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 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
, an NFL veteran quarterback
since 1987
, made his first four Pro Bowl
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
as Raiders went 12–4 and reached the American 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 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
, with the arrival of Jerry Rice
and Charlie Garner
, 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 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
playoff game, he only posted five yards rushing on four carries.
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
, 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
, Marv Hubbard
, Mark van Eeghen
, Marcus Allen
, Napoleon Kaufman
). 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
.
Wheatley's name and those of several of his teammates were found on the list of clients of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative
(BALCO) that had given performance-enhancing drugs to Marion Jones
and others. As a result he, and teammates Chris Hetherington
, Dana Stubblefield
, and Chris Cooper were called to testify before a 2003 federal grand jury
investigating a laboratory that produces nutritional supplements
. Johnnie Morton
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 photographer who attempted to take Wheatley's photo outside the Philip Burton Federal Building just after Wheatley had informed the KNTV
cameraman that he would sue anyone who took his picture.
with the new coach Norv Turner
. The 2004 Raiders used a platoon of five runners (Wheatley, Crockett, Justin Fargas
, J. R. Redmond and Amos Zereoue
) 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
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
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.
. At the University of Michigan, in 2005, he volunteered as a track coach while finishing his Bachelor's degree
in sport management
. In November 2006, Wheatley was hired at his alma mater
, Robichaud High School, 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 a 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. 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 for Team Michigan in the All American Football League
. 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
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
, with responsibility for the team's running backs. After end of Wheatley's coaching internship at the conclusion of the season, he was hired by Ron English
as a running backs coach at Eastern Michigan University
for the 2009 season. In February 2010, he was hired to replace Roger Harriott on Doug Marrone
's staff at Syracuse University
.
He is currently the Running Back's Coach at Syracuse University.
As of January 2008, Wheatley ranked fourth in career rushing at Michigan:
100-Yard Games
N.B.: Home team is in bold.
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s coach at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
and a former professional 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...
player who played 10 seasons
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) and was one of the most successful high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and collegiate
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
athletes in Metropolitan Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
history. In high school, he was a member of state-champion teams in both track and field and football, and he was named Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
's track and field athlete of the year and football athlete of the year in the same academic year. He earned All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
track honors in both high school and college. Following his graduation as one of Michigan's best high school athletes, he attended the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
on an athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
and earned first-team All-Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
honors on Big Ten Champion football and track teams.
At the University of Michigan, Wheatley earned the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Award during the 1992 football season
1992 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant...
. In the Michigan Wolverines
1992 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1992 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1992 college football season. The team's head coach was Gary Moeller. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium...
' post-season bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
, he was named the Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
for his performance in the team's Rose Bowl
1993 Rose Bowl
The 1993 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1993 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was the 79th Rose Bowl Game. In the game, the #7 Michigan Wolverines, champions of the Big Ten, defeated the ninth-ranked Washington Huskies, champions of the Pac-10, 38-31...
victory. Wheatley continued his track success as well, earning first-team All-Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
and All-American honors. He ranks among the Wolverines' all-time rushing
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
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, and three awards for individual football statistical performances).
Following his graduation from the University of Michigan, Wheatley was selected by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft
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 Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
. As a running back for the Giants, he was the team's all-purpose yards leader in 1996 and their leading ballcarrier
Carry (American football)
In American football, a carry is a statistical term equivalent to a single rushing play. The term is typically used in reference to "yards per carry," meaning yards per attempt rushing the ball. Any offensive player who performs a carry is known as a ballcarrier, regardless of position....
in 1997. Despite his success on the field, he developed a reputation as a tardy dawdler. He was traded to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but cut before the 1998 season
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
began. He signed with the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and flourished, leading the team in rushing three times and twice finishing among the NFL's top ten players in rushing touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. With Wheatley, the Raiders went to the playoffs three years in a row, including one Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
appearance. During his NFL career (1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
–2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
), he totaled over 6,500 all-purpose yards as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and kickoff returner.
After retiring from the NFL, Wheatley returned to his hometown to coach his high school alma mater, Dearborn Heights
Dearborn Heights, Michigan
Dearborn Heights is a city in Wayne County, in the Detroit metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 57,774 at the 2010 census.-History:...
' Hamilton J. Robichaud High School, where he had previously made a name for himself as a nine-time Michigan High School Athletic Association
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
(MHSAA) state champion athlete. As a player, he had led the school to its only state football championship. In 2007, during his first year as head football coach, his team rebounded from an 0–9 record to compile a 9–2 record, reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1994. He coached at in 2008
2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of the college football season, began on August 28, 2008 and concluded on December 19, 2008 in Chattanooga, Tennessee at the 2008 NCAA Division II National Football Championship game, where the Richmond Spiders defeated the Montana Grizzlies to...
, and in 2009
2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of the college football season, began in August 2009 and concluded with the national championship game on December 18, 2009 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, won by Villanova 23–21 over Montana.-Rule changes for 2009:The NCAA football rules committee...
he became an assistant coach for Eastern Michigan University
2009 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team
The 2009 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team represented Eastern Michigan University in the college football season of 2009. They competed in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the football season...
. He has been hired as the running backs coach
Running backs coach
A running backs coach is a coach in charge of the running backs in gridiron football. The running backs coach typically operates under the team's offensive coordinator....
for the Syracuse Orange
2010 Syracuse Orange football team
The 2010 Syracuse Orange football team represented Syracuse University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Orange were led by head coach Doug Marrone in his second season. They played their home games at Carrier Dome and were members of the Big East Conference...
for 2010
2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season
The 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of the college football season, began in September 2010 and concluded with the national championship game on January 7, 2011 won by Eastern Washington...
.
Early life
Wheatley was born in Inkster, MichiganInkster, Michigan
Inkster is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2010 census, the city population was 25,369. It is one of several suburbs in Metro Detroit whose population is majority or plurality African American.- History :...
. Inkster is located in Metropolitan Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
, east of both Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
and University of Michigan. Wheatley's father (also named Tyrone) suffered a mortal gunshot
Gunshot
A gunshot is the discharge of a firearm, producing a mechanical sound effect and a chemical gunshot residue. The term can also refer to a gunshot wound caused by such a discharge. Multiple discharges of a firearm or firearms are referred to as gunfire. The word can connotate either the sound of a...
wound to the head in 1974 when Wheatley was two years old. Wheatley's stepfather 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
Layoff
Layoff , also called redundancy in the UK, is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or a group of employees for business reasons, such as when certain positions are no longer necessary or when a business slow-down occurs...
and became an alcoholic. 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 acts 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
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
shootings. As Mongo's guardian, Wheatley moved Mongo to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
for school. Mongo later earned outstanding freshman athlete honors during the Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
outdoor track championships while living with Wheatley, who was playing for the Giants at the time. In 2004, with his graduation from high school imminent, Mongo signed a letter of intent
Letter of intent
A letter of intent is a document outlining an agreement between two or more parties before the agreement is finalized. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement...
with Utah State
Utah State Aggies football
The Utah State Aggies are a college football team that competes in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I, representing Utah State University. The Utah State college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Romney Stadium since 1968...
as a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
.
High school
Dearborn Heights, Michigan
Dearborn Heights is a city in Wayne County, in the Detroit metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 57,774 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, 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
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
powerhouse Kingsford High School at the Pontiac Silverdome
Pontiac Silverdome
The Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C...
, Wheatley ran for 165 yards and a touchdown in a 21–7 victory. That season he led the Bulldogs to a 12–1 record. 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
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
, jumper and hurdler
Hurdling
Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...
. The coach relented, and Wheatley became a seven-time MHSAA Class B individual state champion by winning the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
, 100 meters, 110-meter hurdles both his junior and senior seasons and winning the 200 meters as junior. In his junior year he led his school to the state Class B track championships. Through the 2007 MHSAA season he was the MHSAA All class long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
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
Lower Peninsula of Michigan
The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is the southern of the two major landmasses of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is surrounded by water on all sides except its southern border, which it shares with Ohio and Indiana. Geographically, the Lower Peninsula has a recognizable shape that many people...
Class B state record. Wheatley became a high school All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n in track, and he was also a member of successful relay teams in high school. His athleticism and jumping abilities were further exhibited in basketball; Wheatley played for his high school basketball team and was able to slam dunk
Slam dunk
A slam dunk is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball downward through the basket with one or both hands over the rim. This is considered a normal field goal attempt; if successful it is worth two points. The term "slam dunk" was...
. He claims that against his high school rival, Inkster High School, he performed a dunk from the foul line, which is a difficult dunk made famous in slam dunk competitions by Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
(Dr. J.) and later revived by Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
. Yet, despite his versatility and promise, Wheatley considered turning down athletic scholarships in hopes of obtaining an academic scholarship.
College
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Fred Jackson
Fred Jackson (American football coach)
Fred Jackson is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the running backs coach at the University of Michigan and is the longest tenured member of the Michigan Wolverines football coaching staff, having been with the program since 1992. Jackson has served on the staffs of...
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
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
program from 1991
1991 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split champion for the second consecutive season. Both the Miami Hurricanes and the Washington Huskies finished the season undefeated and with the top ranking in a nationally recognized poll...
to 1994
1994 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season saw yet another controversial finish as both Nebraska and Penn State finished undefeated, and yet Penn State finished a distant second in the final AP and UPI polls. The controversial finish, however, could have been an even worse morass if not for some...
. As of the end of the 2007 season, he ranks third in Michigan football history in career points and second in career touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s (behind Anthony Thomas
Anthony Thomas (American football)
Anthony Jermaine Thomas is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the running backs coach at at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Thomas was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
) with forty-seven rushing
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
touchdowns, six receiving
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
touchdowns and one kickoff return for a touchdown. His 47 rushing touchdowns, which ranked third in Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
history at the end of his career, ranked fifth behind Ron Dayne
Ron Dayne
Ron Dayne is a former American football running back who is currently a free agent. He holds the NCAA record for career rushing yards, and he won the 1999 Heisman Trophy.-Early life:...
(71), Anthony Thompson (68), Pete Johnson
Pete Johnson
Pete Johnson was an American boogie-woogie and jazz pianist.Journalist Tony Russell stated in his book The Blues - From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray, that "Johnson shared with the other members of the 'Boogie Woogie Trio' the technical virtuosity and melodic fertility that can make this the most...
(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
1992 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant...
, he was the Big Ten rushing and scoring champion in an offense where Michigan
1992 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1992 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1992 college football season. The team's head coach was Gary Moeller. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Elvis Grbac
Elvis Grbac
Elvis M. Grbac is a retired American football quarterback who played in the NFL. During his career he was a starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens...
was also a statistical Big Ten champion. He earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors that season and capped the season off by earning the MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the 1993 Rose Bowl
1993 Rose Bowl
The 1993 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1993 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was the 79th Rose Bowl Game. In the game, the #7 Michigan Wolverines, champions of the Big Ten, defeated the ninth-ranked Washington Huskies, champions of the Pac-10, 38-31...
on a 235-yard, 15-carry performance against Washington Huskies, which included touchdown runs of 88, 56 and 24 yards.
Through the 2007 season, he ranks fourth on the Michigan career rushing yards list (behind Mike Hart, Anthony Thomas, and Jamie Morris
Jamie Morris
James Walter "Jamie" Morris is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and a record-setting running back in college for the University of Michigan Wolverines...
) with 4,178 yards. His 1992 sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
season 7.3 yards per carry is a Michigan single-season record (minimum 75 attempts), and his freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
yards per carry average ranks fourth at Michigan since 1949 (and it is a Michigan Freshman record). Meanwhile, his career 6.1 yard per carry average ranks second in Michigan history (minimum 200 attempts) to Jon Vaughn
Jon Vaughn
Jonathan Stewart Vaughn is a former professional American football player who played running back and served as a kick returner in the National Football League for 4 seasons from 1991 to 1994 for the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs...
, although it is a record for a minimum 250 attempts. 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
Ricky Powers
Richard "Ricky" Powers is a former running back in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns, and a former University of Michigan Wolverines football co-captain. In the NFL, he had a brief career with the Browns during their final season before they relocated to become the Baltimore...
. 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
1993 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State crowned national champions, but not without controversy.Under the Bowl Coalition, undefeated Big 8 champ and #2 ranked Nebraska hosted ACC champ and #1 ranked Florida State in the Orange Bowl...
at the end of his junior season 1993 Wolverines
1993 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1993 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1993 college football season. The team's head coach was Gary Moeller. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in...
, he earned the MVP award of the 1994 Hall of Fame Bowl. Wheatley had finished 8th in the 1993 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
race. Before LeShon Johnson
LeShon Johnson
LeShon Eugene Johnson is a former American football player who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft....
's 306 yard effort in November of that season against Iowa
1993 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 1993 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1993 college football season.-Schedule:...
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
Bam Morris
Byron "Bam" Morris is a former American football running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and the Kansas City Chiefs.-Early life:...
' final three games of 223, 222 and 223 yards led to Bam Morris winning the Doak Walker Award
Doak Walker Award
The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
. Most who finished ahead of him in the Heisman voting either were seniors (Ward, Glenn Foley
Glenn Foley
Glenn Foley is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League with the New York Jets from 1994–1998 and the Seattle Seahawks in 1999, and the Arena Football League with the New Jersey Gladiators in 2002.He played high school football at Cherry Hill High School East in his...
, Johnson) or gave up their amateur eligibility and declared early for the draft (Heath Shuler
Heath Shuler
Joseph Heath Shuler is a businessman, a former NFL quarterback, and the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
, David Palmer
David Palmer (American football)
David Lee Palmer is a retired American football player from Birmingham, Alabama. He played the position of wide receiver in college at the University of Alabama and professionally for seven seasons with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.Palmer was a star quarterback for...
, Marshall Faulk
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
), 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
J. J. Stokes
Jeral Jamal Stokes is a retired American football wide receiver. Stokes played in the National Football League from 1995 to 2003 with the San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars and the New England Patriots.-High school:...
), 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
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 the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The game was decided on Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart's 64-yard...
. His senior season return to the 1994 Wolverines
1994 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1994 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1994 college football season. Led by Gary Moeller in his last season as head coach, the Wolverines participated in the Holiday Bowl.-Schedule:...
had been a surprise, but injuries allowed Tshimanga Biakabutuka
Tim Biakabutuka
Tshimanga "Tim" Biakabutuka is a former American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL from 1996 to 2001.-College career at Michigan:...
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
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner 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 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
60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
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.
Dan Reeves era (1995–1996)
Wheatley was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft1995 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 Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
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
Signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive to the employee, e.g., if the annual salary is lower than he or she desires...
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 Hampton
Rodney Craig Hampton born April 3, 1969 in Houston, Texas, is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 215 lbs. running back from the University of Georgia by way of Kashmere High School in...
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
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves is a former American football player and head coach. He has participated in more Super Bowls as player/assistant coach/Head Coach than anyone else...
the Giants had losing seasons and relied heavily on Rodney Hampton
Rodney Hampton
Rodney Craig Hampton born April 3, 1969 in Houston, Texas, is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 215 lbs. running back from the University of Georgia by way of Kashmere High School in...
who received the bulk of the carries on rushing plays. In 1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
, running back Herschel Walker
Herschel Walker
Herschel Junior Walker is an American mixed martial artist and a former American football player. He played college football for the University of Georgia Bulldogs and earned the 1982 Heisman Trophy. He began his professional career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League...
received more passing downs and in 1996
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Charles Way
Charles Way
Charles Christopher Way, also known as Charles "Get Out of My" Way is a former professional American football halfback in the National Football League for five seasons for the New York Giants....
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
Return yards is an American football and Canadian 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...
and 51 yards receiving gave him the team all-purpose yards
All-purpose yardage
All-purpose yards or All-purpose yardage is an American football and Canadian 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 the football towards the...
leadership. However, Wheatley had 6 fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
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 Stringer
Korey Damont Stringer was an American football player who died from complications brought on by heat stroke, during training camp in Mankato, Minnesota while in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-College career:Stringer was born in Warren, Ohio and attended...
and others had an interest in Rashaan Salaam
Rashaan Salaam
Rashaan Iman Salaam is a former professional American football player. Salaam won the 1994 Heisman Trophy as a running back for the University of Colorado at Boulder, rushing for 2,055 yards by the end of the season. Salaam is the fourth major college football player to rush for over 2,000 yards...
when the Giants' selection came. After Wheatley was selected with the seventeenth pick, running backs Napoleon Kaufman
Napoleon Kaufman
Napoleon "Nip" Kaufman is a former American football player and currently an ordained minister. He is a former NFL running back, playing for the Oakland Raiders for the entirety of his professional football career....
, James Stewart 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
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 Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
. Wheatley's introduction to the Giants was a contract squabble that kept him from getting to training camp on time. Then, in rookie season training camp, he had the misfortune of pulling a hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
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 19971997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
, by the end of training camp, Rodney Hampton's knees had given out, and although Wheatley had a great camp, Tiki Barber
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu Hakeem-Ah "Tiki" Barber is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia....
was named the starting tailback
Tailback
Tailback can mean:* Halfback * A line of motor vehicles caught up in traffic congestion; a traffic jam...
. That season, Jim Fassel
Jim Fassel
-Professional:-Personal life:Before the 2003 NFL season, Fassel was reunited with a son, John Mathieson, whom he and his wife Kitty gave up for adoption in 1969. The couple was unmarried when he was born....
's first, the Giants went to the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1997-98
The NFL playoffs following the 1997 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXII.-Bracket:-NFC: Minnesota Vikings 23, New York Giants 22:The Vikings scored 10 points in the final 90 seconds of the game to stun the Giants.-AFC: Denver Broncos 42, Jacksonville Jaguars 17:Denver ran over the Jaguars with...
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
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
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
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
and reception yards as either of them. An ankle injury caused Wheatley to miss the final two regular season games and the wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
game.
By 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
, 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
Scout team
In sports, the scout team, also referred to as a practice team, taxi squad, practice squad or practice roster, is a group of players on a team whose task is to emulate future opponents for the featured players. Frequently used in American or Canadian Football, these teams consist of less...
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 235 pound that had been placed on Wheatley. Wheatley's playing weight limit had been set at 230 pound in training camp
Training camp
A training camp is a place, usually with an army-camp-type environment, where people go to learn skills, usually skills involving physical action rather than book subjects, usually for an armed force or an action sport...
and had been raised to 235 on Wheatley's request. He had played at 233 pound 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
Double standard
A double standard is the unjust application of different sets of principles for similar situations. The concept implies that a single set of principles encompassing all situations is the desirable ideal. The term has been used in print since at least 1895...
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 (United States)
Drunk driving is the act of operating and/or driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs to the degree that mental and motor skills are impaired...
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
Roommate
A roommate is a person who shares a living facility such as an apartment or dormitory. Similar terms include suitemate, housemate, flatmate , or sharemate...
on the road, was nicknamed "Teacher's Pet."
According to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, 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 Strahan
Michael Anthony Strahan is a former National Football League defensive end who played his entire career for the New York Giants; a career where he set the record for the most sacks in a single season and won a Super Bowl in his final year. He is currently a football analyst on Fox NFL Sunday, and...
, Wheatley "...could outrun the wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
s, outlift the linemen 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
Jimmy Johnson (American football coach)
James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
's Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. 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-JabbarAbdul-Karim al-Jabbar
Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar, previously Karim Abdul-Jabbar , is a former American football player. A 5'11" running back, he played in the National Football League from 1996 to 2000 with the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts.-College:Born in Los Angeles, California, he played for...
, 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
Zack Crockett
Zack Crockett is a scout for the Oakland Raiders and former American football fullback who is a retired NFL player. He was originally drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Crockett attended Ely High...
who suffered a broken foot. Ironically, Wheatley, the seventeenth overall selection in the 1995 NFL Draft
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 Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
, earned his 1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
roster spot in a battle with Rashaan Salaam
Rashaan Salaam
Rashaan Iman Salaam is a former professional American football player. Salaam won the 1994 Heisman Trophy as a running back for the University of Colorado at Boulder, rushing for 2,055 yards by the end of the season. Salaam is the fourth major college football player to rush for over 2,000 yards...
, 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 Kaufman
Napoleon "Nip" Kaufman is a former American football player and currently an ordained minister. He is a former NFL running back, playing for the Oakland Raiders for the entirety of his professional football career....
, the eighteenth overall selection in the 1995 NFL Draft.
While in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, 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
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
, 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
McAfee Coliseum
O.co Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, California, in the Coliseum Industrial area...
and two were on the road
Road (sports)
Road game , more commonly known as an away game, is a reference to all cities and stadia/arenas/fields/venues where an athletic team plays games for which it is not the host. Most professional teams represent cities or towns and amateur sports teams often represent academic institutions...
against the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. None of these games came in the playoffs where his highest rushing total was 56 yards.
Jon Gruden era (1999–2001)
Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
, even joked with him during his interviews.
On the field, Wheatley became an important part of a surprisingly efficient West Coast offense
West Coast offense
In American football, "West Coast Offense" refers to two similar but distinct offensive-strategic-systems of play: the "Air Coryell" system; or more commonly the pass play system popularized by Bill Walsh...
run by Jon Gruden
Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
. 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
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. 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
Rich Gannon
Richard Joseph Gannon is a former football quarterback, who achieved most of his success late in his career with the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League...
, an NFL veteran quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
since 1987
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
, made his first four Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
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
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
as Raiders went 12–4 and reached the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
championship game of the 2000–01 NFL playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2000-01
The NFL playoffs following the 2000 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXV.This would be the last time that playoff games would be played at the accustomed times of 12:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST...
. 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
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. 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
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
, with the arrival of Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
and Charlie Garner
Charlie Garner
Charlie Garner III 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...
, 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 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
NFL playoffs, 2001-02
The NFL playoffs following the 2001 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXVI.For the first time, the NFL scheduled prime time playoff games for the first two rounds in an attempt to attract more television viewers. Saturday wild card and divisional playoff games were moved from 12:30 p.m. and 4:00...
, 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
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
game, Wheatley posted his second highest playoff total of 37 yards. In Wheatley's first and only career road
Road (sports)
Road game , more commonly known as an away game, is a reference to all cities and stadia/arenas/fields/venues where an athletic team plays games for which it is not the host. Most professional teams represent cities or towns and amateur sports teams often represent academic institutions...
playoff game, he only posted five yards rushing on four carries.
Bill Callahan era (2002–2003)
Under new coach Bill Callahan, the 20022002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
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
NFL playoffs, 2002-03
The 2002-03 NFL playoffs followed the 2002 NFL season and concluded with Super Bowl XXXVII.Prior to the 2002-03 season, the league realigned its teams into eight divisions . Thus, the 12-team playoff format was modified...
including the 2003 Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
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
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, 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
Clem Daniels
Clemon C. Daniels Jr. is an American former Professional Football star in the American Football League who also played in the NFL.-College career:...
, Marv Hubbard
Marv Hubbard
Marvin "Marv" Hubbard was an American college and professional American football player. Originally from Randolph, New York, Hubbard attended Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. He played for the Hartford Knights of the Atlantic Coast Football League...
, Mark van Eeghen
Mark van Eeghen
Mark van Eeghen ,is an American football player, who played ten years in the National Football League, including making two Super Bowl appearances. He was a member of the Oakland Raiders and for two seasons, the New England Patriots...
, Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
, Napoleon Kaufman
Napoleon Kaufman
Napoleon "Nip" Kaufman is a former American football player and currently an ordained minister. He is a former NFL running back, playing for the Oakland Raiders for the entirety of his professional football career....
). 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
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
Wheatley's name and those of several of his teammates were found on the list of clients of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative
Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative
The Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative was an American company led by founder and owner Victor Conte, a former bass player for the soul band Tower of Power. In 2003, journalists Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada investigated the company's role in a drug sports scandal later referred to as the...
(BALCO) that had given performance-enhancing drugs to Marion Jones
Marion Jones
Marion Lois Jones , also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a former world champion track and field athlete, and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA...
and others. As a result he, and teammates Chris Hetherington
Chris Hetherington
Chris Ray Hetherington 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 1996. He then played for the Indianapolis Colts from 1996 to 1998...
, Dana Stubblefield
Dana Stubblefield
Dana William Stubblefield is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League. After graduating from Taylor High School in North Bend, Ohio, Stubblefield attended the University of Kansas....
, and Chris Cooper were called to testify before a 2003 federal grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
investigating a laboratory that produces nutritional supplements
Dietary supplement
A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantities in a person's diet...
. Johnnie Morton
Johnnie Morton
Johnnie James "Big Play" Morton, Jr. is a former NFL wide receiver. Originally drafted by the Lions in the 1st round in the 1994 NFL Draft, he played in Detroit until 2002. He subsequently signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played for three seasons. In 2005, he signed with the San...
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 photographer who attempted to take Wheatley's photo outside the Philip Burton Federal Building just after Wheatley had informed the KNTV
KNTV
KNTV, channel 11, is the NBC owned-and-operated television station in the Bay Area market. It is licensed to San Jose, with its transmitter located on San Bruno Mountain, just south of San Francisco. It shares facilities in San Jose with NBC Universal sister station KSTS and CNBC's Silicon...
cameraman 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 season2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
with the new coach Norv Turner
Norv Turner
Norval Eugene Turner is the head coach for the National Football League's San Diego Chargers. He also has served as head coach of the Washington Redskins and the Oakland Raiders, and as offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers...
. The 2004 Raiders used a platoon of five runners (Wheatley, Crockett, Justin Fargas
Justin Fargas
Justin Fargas is an American football running back who is a Free Agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, J. R. Redmond and Amos Zereoue
Amos Zereoue
Amos Zereoué is an African-born former American football player in the National Football League, who last played for the New England Patriots...
) who all rushed for between 100 and 500 yards and caught between 10 and 40 passes
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
. Wheatley compiled his final 100-yard rushing game on September 26 in week 3 of the season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
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
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
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, MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
. At the University of Michigan, in 2005, he volunteered as a track coach while finishing his Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in sport management
Sport management
Sport management is a field of education and vocation concerning the business aspect of sport. Some examples of sport managers include the front office system in professional sports, college sports managers, recreational sport managers, sports marketing, event management, facility management,...
. In November 2006, Wheatley was hired at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Robichaud High School, 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 a 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. 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
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
Class B playoffs, one year after going 0–9. The team won its first round playoff match against Dearborn Heights Annapolis High School
Annapolis High School (Michigan)
Annapolis High School is a high school located in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, United States. Annapolis High School is one of three high schools located in Dearborn Heights, the others being Crestwood High School and Robichaud 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 for Team Michigan in the All American Football League
All American Football League
The All American Football League was a proposed professional American football league. The league, which was to combine a professional pay structure with the requirement that all players be college graduates, had originally been scheduled to start in the spring of 2007, but later postponed its...
. 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
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
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 University is a private, United Methodist Church-affiliated university located in the United States in Ada, Ohio, founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871. ONU is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. ONU is a sister...
, with responsibility for the team's running backs. After end of Wheatley's coaching internship at the conclusion of the season, he was hired by Ron English
Ron English (American football)
-External links:**...
as a running backs coach at Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
for the 2009 season. In February 2010, he was hired to replace Roger Harriott on Doug Marrone
Doug Marrone
Douglas Charles Marrone is an American football coach. He currently serves as head coach of the Syracuse University Orange, replacing Greg Robinson...
's staff at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
.
He is currently the Running Back's Coach at Syracuse University.
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.College
| Year | TM | G | Att | Yards | Y/A | TD | Rec | Yards | Y/R | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Michigan University of Michigan The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan... |
10 | 86 | 548 | 6.4 | 9 | 10 | 90 | 9 | 0 |
| 1992 | Michigan | 11 | 185 | 1,357 | 7.3 | 13 | 13 | 145 | 11.2 | 3 |
| 1993 | Michigan | 10 | 207 | 1,129 | 5.5 | 13 | 14 | 152 | 10.9 | 1 |
| 1994 | Michigan | 10 | 210 | 1,144 | 5.4 | 12 | 14 | 123 | 8.8 | 2 |
| Total | 41 | 688 | 4,187 | 6.1 | 47 | 51 | 510 | 10 | 6 |
As of January 2008, Wheatley ranked fourth in career rushing at Michigan:
| Rank | Name | Attempts | Net Yds | Yds/Att | Touchdowns | Long | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Hart Mike Hart (football player) Leon Michael "Mike" Hart is a former American football running back and current offensive quality control coach for Eastern Michigan University. Hart played college football as a running back at the University of Michigan from 2004 to 2007 and holds the Michigan Wolverines career rushing record... |
1015 | 5040 | 5.0 | 41 | 64 | 2004 | 2007 |
| 2 | Anthony Thomas Anthony Thomas (American football) Anthony Jermaine Thomas is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the running backs coach at at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Thomas was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft... |
924 | 4472 | 4.8 | 55 | 80 | 1997 | 2000 |
| 3 | Jamie Morris Jamie Morris James Walter "Jamie" Morris is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and a record-setting running back in college for the University of Michigan Wolverines... |
806 | 4392 | 5.5 | 25 | 68 | 1984 | 1987 |
| 4 | Tyrone Wheatley | 688 | 4178 | 6.1 | 47 | 88 | 1991 | 1994 |
| 5 | Butch Woolfolk Butch Woolfolk Harold E. "Butch" Woolfolk is a former American football running back and kick returner who played in college for the University of Michigan and in the National Football League for the New York Giants , Houston Oilers and Detroit Lions . Woolfolk attended Westfield Senior High School in... |
717 | 3850 | 5.4 | 29 | 92 | 1978 | 1981 |
Professional
| Year | TM | G | Att | Yards | Y/A | TD | Rec | Yards | Y/R | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
13 | 78 | 245 | 3.1 | 3 | 5 | 27 | 5.4 | 0 |
| 1996 | Giants | 14 | 112 | 400 | 3.6 | 1 | 12 | 51 | 4.2 | 2 |
| 1997 | Giants | 14 | 152 | 583 | 3.8 | 4 | 16 | 140 | 8.8 | 0 |
| 1998 | Giants | 4 | 14 | 52 | 3.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
16 | 242 | 936 | 3.9 | 8 | 21 | 196 | 9.3 | 3 |
| 2000 | Raiders | 14 | 232 | 1,046 | 4.5 | 9 | 20 | 156 | 7.8 | 1 |
| 2001 | Raiders | 12 | 88 | 276 | 3.1 | 5 | 12 | 61 | 5.1 | 1 |
| 2002 | Raiders | 14 | 108 | 429 | 3.9 | 2 | 12 | 71 | 5.9 | 0 |
| 2003 | Raiders | 15 | 159 | 678 | 4.3 | 4 | 12 | 120 | 10 | 0 |
| 2004 | Raiders | 8 | 85 | 327 | 3.8 | 4 | 15 | 78 | 5.2 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 124 | 1270 | 4,962 | 3.9 | 40 | 125 | 900 | 7.2 | 7 |
100-Yard Games
| Week | Day | Date | Result | Team | Opponent | Score | rushes Rush (American football) Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass... |
Yards | TDs Touchdown A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:... |
Avg. |
| 7 | Sun | 1997-10-12 | W | NYG | ARI Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
27–13 | 22 | 103 | 1 | 4.7 |
| 4 | Sun | 1999-10-03 | L | OAK | SEA Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team... |
21–22 | 20 | 100 | 1 | 5 |
| 15 | Sun | 1999-12-19 | W | OAK | TAM Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
45–0 | 19 | 111 | 2 | 5.8 |
| 8 | Sun | 2000-10-22 | W | OAK | SEA | 31–3 | 15 | 156 | 1 | 10.4 |
| 10 | Sun | 2000-11-05 | W | OAK | KAN Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... |
49–31 | 20 | 112 | 1 | 5.6 |
| 16 | Sat | 2000-12-16 | L | OAK | SEA | 24–27 | 26 | 146 | 0 | 5.6 |
| 11 | Sun | 2003-11-16 | W | OAK | MIN Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
28–18 | 32 | 109 | 1 | 3.4 |
| 3 | Sun | 2004-09-26 | W | OAK | TAM | 30–20 | 18 | 102 | 1 | 5.7 |
N.B.: Home team is in bold.
External links
- Syracuse profile
- Eastern Michigan profile
- Wheatley archive at Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....