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Tyrone Anthony Wheatley Sr. (born January 19, 1972) is an American
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
coach and former professional player who is the head football coach for
Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 375 programs. It is Michigan's third-l ...
, a position he has held since 2023. Previously, he served as the running backs coach of the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played as a
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
for 10 seasons in the NFL. In high school, Wheatley was named
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
's athlete of the year in both football and track and field. He attended the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
and earned first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors on Big Ten Champion football and track teams. He ranks among the Wolverines' all-time rushing leaders in numerous categories, and his name appears in several places in the Big Ten football record book. He was named to All-Big Ten teams in football and track and field a total of four times, and he earned portions of seven Big Ten championships (two team awards for football, one team award for indoor track, one award for 110 meter hurdles, and three awards for individual football statistical performances). Following his graduation from the University of Michigan, Wheatley was selected by the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
of the NFL in the first round of the
1995 NFL draft The 1995 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount ...
. He was traded to the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
, but cut before the 1999 season began. He signed with the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
and led the team in rushing three times, and twice finishing among the NFL's top ten players in rushing
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s. During his NFL career (
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
), he totaled over 6,500 all-purpose yards as a running back and
kickoff returner A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another position ...
. After retiring from the NFL, Wheatley returned to his hometown to coach his high school alma mater, Hamilton J. Robichaud High School. He has served as the running backs coach for the Ohio Northern Polar Bears, the
Eastern Michigan Eagles The Eastern Michigan Eagles, formerly known as the Normalites and the Hurons, are the athletic teams for Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. The Eagles compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ...
, the
Syracuse Orange The Syracuse Orange are the college athletics in the United States, athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East ...
and the
Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except wo ...
on college; and for the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
and the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
of the NFL.


Early life

Wheatley was born in Inkster, Michigan. Wheatley's father (also named Tyrone) suffered a mortal
gunshot A gunshot is a single discharge of a gun, typically a man-portable firearm, producing a visible flash, a powerful and loud shockwave and often chemical gunshot residue. The term can also refer to a ballistic wound caused by such a discharge ...
wound to the head in 1974 when Wheatley was two years old. Wheatley's
stepfather A stepfather or stepdad is a biologically unrelated male parent married to one's preexisting parent. A stepfather-in-law is a stepfather of one's spouse. Children from his spouse's previous unions are known as his stepchildren. In fiction Thou ...
died of a heart attack when he was 13, leaving behind Wheatley, his sister, and half-brother, two-year-old Leslie Mongo. Shortly afterward, Wheatley's mother, Patricia, was
laid off A layoff or downsizing is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or, more commonly, a group of employees (collective layoff) for business reasons, such as personnel management or downsizing an organization ...
and became an
alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...
. With the effective loss of his two parents, Wheatley and his sister were forced to move in with an aunt, where he lived through the rest of his childhood. Due to family difficulties, Wheatley acted as the guardian of two cousins and his half brother. Mongo was ten years younger than Wheatley, and graduated from high school in New Jersey in 2004—thirteen years after Wheatley had graduated from high school. Wheatley was involved in competitive athletics from an early age: In his youth, he ran competitively with the Penn Park track team, where, as an eight-year-old, he stood out for his discipline and promptness. Because of his family trouble, he assumed a family leadership role at a relatively young age. Wheatley made it clear to his brothers and sisters that when chaos came to their lives, they should to turn to him because he would be there and he would never fall. When he was in high school, he would take his younger siblings to basketball games, mapping out emergency plans for shooting outbreaks or brawls. Wheatley's guardianship continued throughout his career at the University of Michigan and while he was a professional athlete. While playing in the NFL, he realized that leaving Mongo—the youngest of his siblings—in Inkster and merely providing financial support was not a solution because Mongo was still exposed to
gang A gang is a social group, group or secret society, society of associates, friends, or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over Wiktionary:territory#Noun, territory in a ...
shootings. As Mongo's guardian, Wheatley moved Mongo to
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
for school. Mongo later earned outstanding freshman athlete honors during the
Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.letter of intent A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement, term she ...
with Utah State as a
defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
.


School career


High school

Wheatley attended Hamilton J. Robichaud High School in
Dearborn Heights, Michigan Dearborn Heights is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Dearborn Heights is located about west of downtown Detroit. The city shares a small border with Detroit, and is considered a bedroom c ...
, a neighboring municipality of Inkster. During his time at Robichaud High School, he became a nine-time MHSAA state champion (seven-time individual in track and field, one-time team each in track and field and football). He is among the highest-scoring football players in Michigan high school history, and he led his high school to the state football championships while playing eight different positions and being named the Michigan Football Player of the year. In the 1990 MHSAA Championship game against
upper peninsula The Upper Peninsula of Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula b ...
powerhouse Kingsford High School at the
Pontiac Silverdome The Pontiac Silverdome (also known as the Silverdome) was a stadium in Pontiac, Michigan. It opened in 1975 and sat on 199 acres (51 ha) of land. When the stadium opened, it featured a fiberglass fabric roof held up by air pressure, the fi ...
, Wheatley ran for 165 yards and a touchdown in a 21–7 victory. That season, he led the Bulldogs to a 12–1 record, and to their only state football championship. He has been described as the greatest football player in Michigan High School history. In track and field, he won the Michigan High School Track and Cross Country Athlete of the Year award in 1991. However, at one point Wheatley had quit the track team because the coach refused to let him run four individual events as a sprinter, jumper and
hurdler Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today ...
. The coach relented, and Wheatley became a seven-time MHSAA Class B individual state champion by winning the
long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
,
100 meters The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...
, 110-meter hurdles both his junior and senior seasons and winning the
200 meters The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400-metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slight ...
as junior. In his junior year, he led his school to the state Class B track championships, and he became the first individual four-time track and field state champion in the same year in MHSAA history. Through the 2007 MHSAA season he was the MHSAA All class long jump record holder with a 1991 leap of , his high school 100 meters time (10.59 seconds, 1990) continues to rank third in MHSAA history, and his 110-meter hurdles time (13.87 sec., 1991) ranked seventh in MHSAA history. In addition, through the 2007 track season his hurdle time continued to be a MHSAA
lower peninsula The Lower Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Lower Michigan – is the larger, southern and less elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; the other being the Upper Peninsula, which is separated by the S ...
Class B state record. His long jump record has been retired. Wheatley became a high school
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
n in track, and he was also a member of successful relay teams in high school. He had made a name for himself as a nine-time
Michigan High School Athletic Association The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan, East Lansing. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Assoc ...
(MHSAA) state champion athlete. His athleticism and jumping abilities were further exhibited in basketball; Wheatley played for his high school basketball team and was able to
slam dunk A slam dunk, also simply known as a dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with on ...
. He claims that against his high school rival,
Inkster High School Inkster High School was a high school in Inkster, Michigan in Metro Detroit. It was a part of Inkster Public Schools. History Inkster High School on Middlebelt was built in 1952. In 2013 the school had 940 students.Higgins, Lori.Inkster district ...
, he performed a dunk from the foul line, which is a difficult dunk made famous in slam dunk competitions by
Julius Erving Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
(Dr. J.) and later revived by
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...
. Yet, despite his versatility and promise, Wheatley considered turning down athletic scholarships in hopes of obtaining an academic scholarship.


College

Wheatley chose to remain in metropolitan Detroit and attend the University of Michigan on an athletic scholarship. He played running back for the football team for four years and ran on the track team for three years. As both a football player and track athlete he was highly decorated; he earned first-team All-Big Ten honors on teams that won Big Ten Championships in both sports and All-American Honors in track. In football, he set and retains numerous school records and in track he achieved some of the fastest times in school history.
Offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator (OC) is a Coach (sport), coach responsible for a gridiron football team's offense (American football), offense. Generally, the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second ...
Fred Jackson recalled that Wheatley was always prompt, never overweight, played while injured, and even babysat for Jackson's children. Wheatley was described in the press as a football player who put his team ahead of himself. Wheatley wore #6 for the
Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the List of NCAA football teams by wins, most all-time wins in college football ...
program from
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
to
1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
. At the end of the 2007 season, he ranked third in Michigan football history in career points and second in career
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
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 The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1 ...
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 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
, he was the Big Ten rushing and scoring champion in an offense where
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Elvis Grbac was also a statistical Big Ten champion. He earned the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Award that season and capped the season off by earning the
MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...
of the 1993 Rose Bowl on a 235-yard, 15-carry performance against
Washington Huskies The Washington Huskies are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Washington, located in Seattle. The school competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) N ...
, which included touchdown runs of 88, 56 and 24 yards. Through the 2012 season, he ranked fifth on the Michigan career rushing yards list (behind Mike Hart, Denard Robinson, Anthony Thomas, and
Jamie Morris James Walter Morris (born June 6, 1965) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played in the NFL for the Washington Redskins and New ...
) with 4,178 yards. His 1992
sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of Post-secondary school, post-secondary educatio ...
season 7.3 yards per carry is a Michigan single-season record (minimum 75 attempts), and his
freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or colloquially frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational in ...
yards per carry average ranks fourth at Michigan since 1949 (and it is a Michigan Freshman record). He has both the best and second-best single-game (minimum 15 carries) yards per carry performances in Michigan history. He was a three-time All Big Ten selection. As a freshman for the 1991 Wolverines, Wheatley set the Michigan freshman yards per attempt record with 555 yards on 86 carries for a 6.4 yards per attempt. In his sophomore year, he broke through with his first of three consecutive first team All-Big Ten selections. He rushed for 1,357 yards and 13 Rushing touchdowns in addition to 3 Receiving touchdowns and recording a kickoff return touchdown while subbing for the injured
Ricky Powers Richard Powers (born November 30, 1970) is a former running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and a former University of Michigan Wolverines football co-captain. In the NFL, he had a brief career with the Bro ...
. Wheatley had amassed the most touchdowns by a running back in Michigan history by the end of his junior year and was a professional prospect. In
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
at the end of his junior season 1993 Wolverines, he earned the MVP award of the 1994
Hall of Fame Bowl The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Tampa, Florida. The event was known as the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to 2022. It was held at Tampa Stadium from 1986 until 1999, when it ...
. Wheatley had finished 8th in the 1993 
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
race. Before LeShon Johnson's 306 yard effort in November of that season against
Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
team that Wheatley had rushed for 113 yards against, Wheatley had been mentioned as the best running back in the nation, but Johnson's effort and
Bam Morris Byron ''Bam'' Morris (born January 13, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL ...
' final three games of 223, 222 and 223 yards led to Bam Morris winning the
Doak Walker Award The Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. Established in 1990, it is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Foot ...
. 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 Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is an American former professional American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons and is the current running backs coach at the Colorado ...
), 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 A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its recipient was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met. A person who ...
s in 1993–1995. In 1994, he was the Big Ten outdoor
110 metre hurdles The 110 metres hurdles, or 110-metre hurdles, is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is included in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metres hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten ...
champion, was selected first team All-Big Ten, and was a member of the men's indoor track and field team that won the indoor Big Ten team championship. He placed eighth at the 1995 NCAA outdoor championships in the 110 meter hurdles, which earned him All-American honors. At the end of his Michigan track career, he owned the third fastest indoor 60m time in Michigan history at 6.80 seconds as well as the second fastest outdoor 110 metre hurdles time at 13.77 seconds and third fastest outdoor 100 meters at 10.46 seconds. Gradually, succeeding athletes have surpassed his times, and after the 2007 season the 110 meter hurdle time ranked fourth best and the 100 meter dash time was fifth.


College statistics


Professional career


New York Giants


Dan Reeves era (1995–1996)

Wheatley was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the
1995 NFL draft The 1995 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount ...
with the seventeenth overall selection. He held out for 17 days before signing a five-year contract with the team. The terms included a $2.3 million
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
and escalating base salaries totaling over $2.9 million. The negotiations were prolonged in part because of extensive family involvement. Wheatley set no goals for himself and lived by his grandmother's motto on preparing oneself: "You can set your sails, but you can't set the wind". The Giants viewed Wheatley as their running back of the future, since Rodney Hampton was in the final year of his contract. Despite the original visions, Wheatley was used sparingly and started only eight games over the course of four seasons with the Giants. Off the field, Wheatley moved his half-brother with him to New Jersey to keep him out of the tumultuous environment and to provide him a strong learning environment. In 1995 and 1996, under
Dan Reeves Daniel Edward Reeves (January 19, 1944 – January 1, 2022) was an American professional football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third ...
the Giants had losing seasons and relied heavily on Rodney Hampton who received the bulk of the carries on rushing plays. In
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
, running back
Herschel Walker Herschel Junior Walker (born March 3, 1962) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He was also the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election ...
received more passing downs and in
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
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 Return yards is a gridiron football statistical measure that takes several forms. In American and Canadian football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the opposing team's Goal line (American football), goal line. Progress ca ...
and 51 yards receiving gave him the team
all-purpose yards All-purpose yards or all-purpose yardage is a gridiron football statistical measure. It is virtually the same as the statistic that some football leagues refer to as combined net yards. In the game of football, progress is measured by advancing ...
leadership. However, Wheatley had 6 
fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...
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 James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...
and Rashaan Salaam were chosen with the eighteenth, nineteenth and twenty-first selections, respectively. Reeves made it no secret that he would have selected Salaam over Wheatley in the
draft Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...
. Wheatley's introduction to the Giants was a contract squabble that kept him from getting to
training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...
on time. Then, in rookie season training camp, he had the misfortune of pulling a
hamstring A hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in human anatomy between the hip and the knee: from medial to lateral, the semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris. Etymology The word " ham" is derived from the Old ...
while running sprints on the first day. Speculation had been that the injury had occurred in a stumble in a June track meet. Reeves held the prompt injury against the running back he never wanted. Wheatley later fell asleep in a meeting which drew a fine from Reeves. Although he only actually fell asleep in one meeting, he also had mental concentration issues in practice. He was not known for living erratically so his falling asleep and loss of concentration was enough of a problem that the Giants had Wheatley evaluated. On top of this, Wheatley was fined several times for tardiness to team meetings.


Jim Fassel era (1997–1998)

In
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
, by the end of training camp, Rodney Hampton's knees had given out, and although Wheatley had a great camp,
Tiki Barber Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber Sr. (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 10-year career as a running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college fo ...
was named the starting tailback. That season,
Jim Fassel James Edward Fassel (August 31, 1949 – June 7, 2021) was an American college and professional football player and coach. He was the head coach of the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) from 1997 to 2003. He was offensive coo ...
's first, the Giants went to the
playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
with a 10–5–1 record. Wheatley led the team in carries that season despite missing two games and shared the ballcarrying responsibilities with Way and Barber. On October 12, Wheatley had his first 100-yard game with 102 yards on 22 carries against the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
in a 27–13 victory on the road. While Wheatley and Way divided the rushing load, Barber and Way divided most of the responsibility for the running backs' role in the passing attack, while Wheatley had less than half as many receptions and reception yards as either of them. An ankle injury caused Wheatley to miss the final two regular season games and the wild card
playoff The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
game. By
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, Wheatley was the only four-year veteran in the Giants backfield and although he developed another good relationship with an offensive coordinator, he was becoming accustomed to being described as an enigma. The Giants fell to 8–8 while relying on Barber, Way and Gary Brown. During the season, Wheatley often performed
scout team The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football Canadian football, or simply football, is a Sports in Canada, sport in Canada in which two teams of ...
duties and was inactive for some games. Fassel was not sympathetic to Wheatley's desire for playing time and thought that Wheatley was overweight. Over the course of the season, there was controversy about a season long weight limit of that had been placed on Wheatley. Wheatley's playing weight limit had been set at in
training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...
and had been raised to 235 on Wheatley's request. He had played at in the final game of his college career. By week 11, Wheatley had only dressed in five games and played in four and was relegated to a role as an alternate when he played. Wheatley thought he was treated unfairly in New York although two different coaching staffs had issues with him. He points out
double standard A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for situations that are, in principle, the same. It is often used to describe treatment whereby one group is given more latitude than another. A double standard arises when two ...
s that gave him bad feelings in retrospect. In situations where he was not the only Giant who was overweight or stuck in traffic, he was punished while others were not and those with worse problems such as showing up at practice drunk or being cited for D.U.I. were not vilified. Wheatley had the responsibility of driving his brother, Leslie Mongo, to his school that opened at 8:15 and thought he was the victim of New Jersey traffic in relation to occasionally being late for 9:00 a.m. team meetings. Charles Way, by contrast, Wheatley's closest friend on the team and
roommate A roommate is a person with whom one shares a living facility such as a room or dormitory ''except'' when being family or romantically involved. Similar terms include dorm-mate, suite-mate, housemate, or flatmate ("flat": the usual term in Brit ...
on the road, was nicknamed "Teacher's Pet." According to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', 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 had enormous talent, but as a package he was an enigma. According to
Michael Strahan Michael Anthony Strahan ( ; born November 21, 1971) is an American television host, journalist, and former professional American football, football player. He played his entire 15-year professional career as a defensive end for the New York Gian ...
, Wheatley "...could outrun the
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
s, outlift the
linemen Lineman or linesman may refer to: In personal roles: *Lineworker, one who installs and maintains electrical power, telephone, or telegraph lines *Lineman (gridiron football), a position in American football *Head linesman, the American football of ...
and outdebate anyone." Thus, his off-season workout pattern of sloughing the weights for discussion of politics and current affairs was troubling, but not challenged because he could outlift most. However, in addition to the enigmatic issues, Wheatley had physical problems in New York. He was injured and unable to perform for parts of all four of the training camps. After the 1998 season Wheatley was traded to Jimmy Johnson's
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
. In the February trade, the Giants were satisfied receiving a seventh round draft pick in return.


Oakland Raiders

The Dolphins hoped that Wheatley would compete for the starting tailback position with Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar, 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 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 ...
, earned his
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
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 Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
, 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 The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30. The campaign kicked off with the defending Super Bowl XLI champion Indianapolis Colts defeati ...
, Wheatley was the seventh leading rusher in Oakland Raider history with 3,682 yards as a Raider. In his role as a Raider, Wheatley was able to contribute to some of the greatest memories in the history of the franchise. Seven of his eight career 100-yard rushing games came as a Raider. Five of these games were at the
Oakland Coliseum Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, often shortened to the Oakland Coliseum, is a multi-purpose stadium in Oakland, California, United States. It serves as part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, located next to Oakland Arena. In 2 ...
and two were on the
road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...
against the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
. None of these games came in the playoffs where his highest rushing total was 56 yards.


Jon Gruden era (1999–2001)

How well Wheatley complemented Napoleon Kaufman in Oakland was quickly evident to the New York media, and his newfound success was noticed when the Giants had an impotent running game in his absence. In his early years with the Raiders, Wheatley quickly made good on the promise of his potential with a combination of the power to run inside and the speed to run outside. Wheatley was quite popular in Oakland. The players liked him and his coach,
Jon Gruden Jon David Gruden (born August 17, 1963) is an American football coach and media personality currently employed by Barstool Sports. After beginning his coaching career in the college ranks and working as a position coach and as an offensive co ...
, even joked with him during his interviews. On the field, Wheatley became an important part of a surprisingly efficient
West Coast offense The West Coast offense is an offense in American football that places a greater emphasis on passing than on running. There are two similar but distinct National Football League (NFL) offensive strategic systems that are commonly referred to as ...
run by
Jon Gruden Jon David Gruden (born August 17, 1963) is an American football coach and media personality currently employed by Barstool Sports. After beginning his coaching career in the college ranks and working as a position coach and as an offensive co ...
. In 1999, Wheatley was the Raiders' leading rusher and their only running back to have more than one touchdown reception. For the first time, Wheatley had multiple 100-yard games in the same season: 100 yards on 20 rushes on October 3 against the Seattle Seahawks and 111 yards on 19 rushes on December 19 against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
. The players gelled as a unit and not only did Wheatley have his best seasons in Oakland, but also long time NFL veterans on the Raiders amassed their best season upon his arrival. For example,
Rich Gannon Richard Joseph Gannon (born December 20, 1965) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Subsequently, he was a sports commentator with CBS Sports for 16 years. Ga ...
, an NFL veteran
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
since
1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...
, made his first four
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
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 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
as the Raiders went 12–4 and reached the
American Football Conference The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the National Football Conference ...
championship game of the
2000–01 NFL playoffs The National Football League playoffs for the 2000 season began on December 30, 2000. The postseason tournament concluded with the Baltimore Ravens defeating the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, 34–7, on January 28, 2001, at Raymond James S ...
. Wheatley amassed 1,046 yards rushing and 9 touchdowns on 232 carries and added 20 receptions for 156 yards. Wheatley combined effectively with Kaufman to form an inside and outside attacking combination in these first two years. Wheatley's 4.5 yards per carry ranked ninth in the NFL. Not only did Wheatley amass a career-high three 100-yard rushing games that season, but he also had his three highest career single-game performances: 156 yards on only 15 carries on October 22 at home against the Seattle Seahawks, 146 yards on December 16 at Seattle and 112 yards on November 5 against the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
. The 100-yard performances against Seattle were his second and third in his first four games against them as a Raider. In the playoffs, Wheatley only posted a total of 63 yards rushing on 31 carries and one reception for four yards in two home playoff games. On January 6, 2001, Wheatley posted what would turn out to be his career (seven career games) playoff high 56 yards rushing and his only playoff touchdown. In the January 14 conference championship against the Baltimore Ravens he only rushed for 7 yards on 12 carries. In
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, with the arrival of
Jerry Rice Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He won three Super Bowl titles with the San Francisco 49ers before two shorter ...
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 The National Football League playoffs for the 2001 season began on January 12, 2002. The postseason tournament concluded with the New England Patriots defeating the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, 20–17, on February 3, at the Louisiana S ...
, but Wheatley only had 88 carries during the regular season despite tying Zack Crockett for the running back leadership with 6 touchdowns. In the first round wild card game, Wheatley posted his second highest playoff total of 37 yards. In Wheatley's first and only career
road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...
playoff game, he only posted five yards rushing on four carries.


Bill Callahan era (2002–2003)

Under new coach Bill Callahan, the
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
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 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
, Wheatley reclaimed his role as the Raiders' leading rusher although Garner, the second leading rusher, continued to be the target of more passes and Crockett made it to the end zone as a rusher as often as Wheatley and Garner combined. Wheatley became the sixth person to lead the Raiders franchise in rushing yards three times (
Clem Daniels Clemon Daniels Jr. (July 9, 1937 – March 23, 2019) was an American professional football halfback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). College career Daniels attended Doty High School, an ...
, Marv Hubbard, Mark van Eeghen,
Marcus Allen Marcus LeMarr Allen (born March 26, 1960) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the greatest goal li ...
, 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 The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. Wheatley's name and those of several of his teammates were found on the list of clients of the
Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative The Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) was an American company that operated from 1983 to 2003 led by founder and owner Victor Conte. In 2003, journalists Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada investigated the company's role in a drug s ...
(BALCO) that had given performance-enhancing drugs to
Marion Jones Marion Lois Jones (born October 12, 1975), also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is an American former world champion track-and-field athlete and former professional basketball player. She won three gold medals and two bronze medals at the 2000 ...
and others. As a result, he, and teammates Chris Hetherington, Dana Stubblefield, and
Chris Cooper Christopher Walton Cooper (born July 9, 1951) is an American actor. Having made his debut as a stage actor, he made his Breakthrough role, breakthrough on television as Sheriff July Johnson in the acclaimed Western television miniseries ''Loneso ...
were called to testify before a 2003 federal
grand jury A grand jury is a jury empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a person to testify. A grand ju ...
investigating a laboratory that produces
nutritional supplements A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement a person's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources, or that are synthetic ( ...
. 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 ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
photographer who attempted to take Wheatley's photo outside the Philip Burton Federal Building just after Wheatley had informed the
KNTV KNTV (channel 11), branded NBC Bay Area, is a television station licensed to San Jose, California, United States, serving the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned and operated by the NBC television network through its NBC Owned Television Sta ...
cameraman A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not necessarily imply that a male is performing the task. ...
that he would sue anyone who took his picture.


Norv Turner era (2004)

Although Wheatley's 2003 performance had been modest compared with the other seasons that he led the Raiders in rushing (1999, 2000), it was sufficient to convince the Raiders that they did not need to re-sign the pass catching running back Charlie Garner for the 2004 season with the new coach
Norv Turner Norval Eugene Turner (born May 17, 1952) is an American football coach who is a senior advisor for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). An offensive assistant for the majority of his coaching career, Turner was the Dallas ...
. The 2004 Raiders used a platoon of five runners (Wheatley, Crockett, Justin Fargas, J. R. Redmond and Amos Zereoué) who all rushed for between 100 and 500 yards and caught between 10 and 40  passes. Wheatley compiled his final 100-yard rushing game on September 26 in week 3 of the
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 102 yards on 18 carries. This was the earliest point in the season Wheatley had rushed for 100 yards in a game as a professional. Wheatley's career ended in week 12 of the season on November 28, 2004, in a 25–24 win over the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
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 career

Unable to adequately rehabilitate his hamstring, Wheatley retired from the NFL and returned to
Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...
. At the University of Michigan, in 2005, he volunteered as a track coach while finishing his
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
in
sport management Sport management is the field of business dealing with sports and recreation. Sports management involves any combination of skills that correspond with planning, organizing, directing, controlling, budgeting, leading, or evaluating of any organiz ...
. In November 2006, Wheatley was hired at his
alma mater Alma mater (; : almae matres) is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother". It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from. The term is related to ''alumnus'', literally meaning 'nursling', which describes a sc ...
, 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 an NFL Minority coaching fellow during the 2006 training camp. As football coach in 2007, Wheatley started with a 6–1 record before facing the team's rival, the undefeated
Inkster High School Inkster High School was a high school in Inkster, Michigan in Metro Detroit. It was a part of Inkster Public Schools. History Inkster High School on Middlebelt was built in 1952. In 2013 the school had 940 students.Higgins, Lori.Inkster district ...
. Despite losing on the field to Inkster, the team was credited with a forfeit victory and compiled an 8–1 regular season record. The team achieved its first berth in 13 years in the MHSAA Class B playoffs, one year after going 0–9. The team won its first round playoff match against Dearborn Heights Annapolis High School and lost its second to Milan High School to finish with a 9–2 record. The team last won the MHSAA title in 1990 during Wheatley's senior season with a 12–1 record. During Wheatley's absence the team was a state semifinalist in 1991 with a 10–2 record and made a playoff appearance in 1994. In addition to coaching, Wheatley has worked as an athletic trainer to about 30 clients. In 2008, he joined John Fontes coaching staff as an
assistant coach An athletic coach is a person coaching in sport, involved in the direction, instruction, and training of a sports team or athlete. History The original sense of the word ''Coach'' is that of a Coach (carriage), horse-drawn carriage, deriving ul ...
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 The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
during the summer of 2008 training camp. He also served at the Rising Stars Football Camp as an assistant instructor. In late August 2008, he became the assistant coach at
Ohio Northern University Ohio Northern University (Ohio Northern or ONU) is a private college in Ada, Ohio, United States. Founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871, ONU offers over 60 programs across five undergraduate and graduate colleges and is affiliated with the Unit ...
, with responsibility for the team's running backs. After the end of Wheatley's coaching internship at the conclusion of the season, he was hired by Ron English as a running backs coach at
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (EMU, EMich, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern) is a public university, public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Michigan State Normal School, it was the fourth normal ...
for the 2009 season. In February 2010, he was hired to replace Roger Harriott on Doug Marrone's staff at
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
. In 2013, he left Syracuse, along with Marrone, to join the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
, Wheatley's first NFL coaching position. In 2015, Tyrone decided to return to his alma mater and coach the running backs at the University of Michigan on the staff for the new Michigan head coach
Jim Harbaugh James Joseph Harbaugh ( ; born December 23, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach at ...
. In January 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars hired Wheatley as running backs coach to rejoin Marrone, who was hired as Jaguars' head coach. Wheatley along with several other assistant coaches and coordinators were fired by Marrone and the Jaguars after the 2018 season. On February 6, 2019, Wheatley was named head coach of
Morgan State Bears football The Morgan State Bears football team competes in American football on behalf of Morgan State University. The Bears compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, currently as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEA ...
. Following the 2021 season, Wheatley rejoined the NFL coaching ranks as the running backs coach for new
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
head coach, Nathaniel Hackett. Wheatley was named head football coach at
Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 375 programs. It is Michigan's third-l ...
in Detroit on January 26, 2023.


Personal life

In addition to his guardianships, Wheatley and Kimberly have three sons and two daughters as of February 2010. Wheatley and his wife Kimberly, had their first child, Tyrone Jr., in 1997, and their second in late 1998. In 2012, Wheatley was selected for induction into the
Michigan Sports Hall of Fame The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports athletes, coaches and contributors. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director, Biggie Munn, pres ...
. On February 4, 2015, Tyrone Jr. (known as TJ) signed the
National Letter of Intent The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manag ...
to play football for his father's alma mater, Michigan. Prior to Michigan's hiring of
Jim Harbaugh James Joseph Harbaugh ( ; born December 23, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach at ...
as coach and Wheatley on his staff, TJ had been deciding between UCLA, USC, Alabama, and Oregon. On December 11, 2016, Tyrone's son, Terius committed to play football for the
Virginia Tech Hokies The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams representing Virginia Tech in intercollegiate athletics. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 22 varsity sports. Virginia Tech's men's sports are football, b ...
, joining the 2017 signing class, after spending a year at
Fork Union Military Academy Fork Union Military Academy (abbreviated as FUMA) is a private school, private, all-male, college preparatory Christian school, Christian Military school, military boarding school located in Fork Union, Virginia. Founded in 1898, Fork Union is co ...
.


NFL career statistics


Head coaching record


College


See also

* Lists of Michigan Wolverines football rushing leaders


Notes and references


External links

*
Wayne State profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheatley, Tyrone 1972 births Living people American football running backs American male hurdlers Buffalo Bills coaches Denver Broncos coaches Eastern Michigan Eagles football coaches Michigan Wolverines football coaches Michigan Wolverines football players Michigan Wolverines men's track and field athletes Michigan Wolverines track and field coaches Morgan State Bears football coaches New York Giants players Miami Dolphins players Oakland Raiders players Ohio Northern Polar Bears football coaches Syracuse Orange football coaches Wayne State Warriors football coaches High school football coaches in Michigan People from Dearborn Heights, Michigan Players of American football from Wayne County, Michigan Sportspeople from Inkster, Michigan Coaches of American football from Michigan Players of American football from Detroit Track and field athletes from Michigan African-American coaches of American football African-American track and field athletes 20th-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen