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

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

and served in the

101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division (military), division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault military operation, operations. The 101st is designed to plan, coordinat ...

(a.k.a. the Screaming Eagles). Wheelwright had several careers but is chiefly remembered as an

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

player who played as a running back for the

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

(1964–65),

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

(1966–67) and the

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

(1967–70). Following the end of his football career, Wheelwright appeared as an actor in films including '' The Longest Yard ''(1974), ''Trackdown'' (1976), '' The Greatest'' (1977) & ''

Wildcats The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while th ...

'' (1986). Wheelwright was also owner of one of Atlanta's premier nightclubs in the 1960s, the Pink Pussycat Club. 'Wheels' hosted many visiting black artists and had the opportunity to cut a record 'Beggin You Back' for the local Gaye label owned by Johnny Brooks.J T. Brooks who was also an engineer and record producer had opened his own facility in Atlanta in 1964. Wheelwright's disc was one of at least eight on Gaye. In addition Brooks was owner of the gospel label Sounds of Atlanta whose roster included Little Jimmy Dempsey, Big Chief Weatherington, the Soul Searchers and The Blackwood Singers. In 1970 the NFL asked Wheelwright, then with the New Orleans Saints, to sell his interest on the grounds that continuing ownership would bring the NFL into disrepute.''Sports Illustrated'', "This Saint has been called a sinner", June 1, 1970 Ernie Wheelwright died of cancer in Las Vegas on May 1, 2001, aged 61.

Filmography

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References

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