Time Machine: Tyrone Wheatley

Tyrone Anthony Wheatley (born January 19, 1972) is the running backs 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 from high school as one of Michigan's best 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 1993 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 six Big Ten championships (two team awards for football, one team award for indoor track, one award for 110 meter hurdles, and two awards for individual football statistical performances).
Following his graduation from the University of Michigan, Wheatley was selected by the New York Giants of the National Football League 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 touchdowns. 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 Ohio Northern University in 2008, and in 2009 he became an assistant coach for Eastern Michigan University. He has been hired as the running backs coach for Syracuse University for 2010.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Michigan Football
• Tyrone Wheatley