Tyrone Wheatley on the Wolverines, Playing for Jon Gruden and Al Davis, and Inkster, Michigan

In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro

Tyrone Wheatley grew up in Inkster, Michigan in the 1970s playing outside in “Olympic Games” with family members. Looking for direction and discipline, Wheatley found football and coaches who helped change his life. He was the 1990 Michigan Football Player of the Year and also named 1991 Michigan High School Track Athlete of the Year (after a disappointing loss the year before). Wheatley grew up a huge Michigan State fan and targeted the Spartans for his football career. Even though he wasn’t a fan of Michigan, Wheatley says the Wolverines were ultimately the better fit for him. He had an outstanding career in Ann Arbor where he was named All-Big Ten three times in football and once in track (hurdles). He was the Rose Bowl MVP his sophomore season, but credits his teammates for helping set up his touchdown runs. The New York Giants drafted Wheatley 17th overall in 1995 and he spent, what he calls, 4 “tumultuous” years in NY. He would eventually sign with the Oakland Raiders in 1999 and recounts the meeting he had with coach Jon Gruden and owner Al Davis. Playing for the Raiders from 1999-2004, Wheatley helped lead them to the AFC Championship game in 2000 and Super Bowl XXXVII in 2002 where they lost to former coach Gruden and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After 10 years, Wheatley retired from the NFL and began his coaching career with a number of assistant coaching stops in both college and the NFL. In February, Wheatley started a new chapter as head coach of Wayne State back in his home state of Michigan. Wheatley shares his journey with us including the advice he received along the way to help him on his journey and help him with the players he now leads.