Wayne B. Wheeler Jr. (born March 28, 1950) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He also played for the Birmingham Vulcans of the World Football League (WFL).[1]
| No. 85 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | March 28, 1950 Orlando, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | William R. Boone (Orlando, Florida) | ||||||||||
| College: | Alabama | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1974 / round: 3 / pick: 54 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Early life and education
editHigh school
editWheeler attended and played high school football at William R. Boone High School.[2] He was a running back as a sophomore. Then, later on, got shifted to being a wide receiver.[3]
College
editWheeler attended and played college football at The University of Alabama from 1971–1973. When he was a junior, he broke David Bailey's 'wishbone receiving record'.[4] In his collegiate career, he had 55 receptions for 1246 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns.[5]
Professional career
editChicago Bears
editWheeler was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 3rd round of the 1974 NFL draft. In week 13 of his rookie season, he caught a 19-yard pass for a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers.[6] This was his first and only season in the NFL, playing 12 games and missing 2 games due to sickness and injuries, including a broken foot during the pre-season.[7]
Birmingham Vulcans
editAfter the 1974 NFL season, Wheeler moved on to the newly-formed World Football League, signing with the Vulcans for the 1975 season. He was cut from the team on October 8, 1975, after playing 3 games.[8] He still recorded 3 receptions for 57 yards with his longest reception being 24 yards.[9]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
editWheeler was invited to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp in the 1976 NFL off-season. He played a pre-season game against the Los Angeles Rams on July 31, 1976. However, he did not make the team. That marked the end of his career.[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Wayne Wheeler career statistics". nasljerseys.com. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "Wayne Wheeler NFL statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "Wayne Wheeler". Montgomery Advertiser. November 9, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wayne Wheeler Nearing Bama Receiving Record". Montgomery Advertiser. November 9, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wayne Wheeler college statistics". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "Chicago Bears at San Diego Chargers - December 8th, 1974". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "Wheeler Fit To Play In Orlando". The Tampa Tribune. July 14, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wheeler: Here Today... Gone Tomorrow". Orlando Sentinel. October 9, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wayne Wheeler WFL statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "Wheeler: Only Memories Remain". Orlando Sentinel. August 5, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
