Chad Wheeler

Last updated

Chad Wheeler
Chad Wheeler.JPG
Wheeler with the New York Giants in 2017
No. 63, 75
Position: Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1994-01-19) January 19, 1994 (age 30)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight:318 lb (144 kg)
Career information
High school: Santa Monica
(Santa Monica, California)
College: USC
Undrafted: 2017
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:32
Games started:19
Player stats at PFR

Chad Wheeler (born January 19, 1994) is a former American football offensive tackle. He played college football for the USC Trojans football team from 2012 to 2016. At the end of the 2016 season, he was selected as a first-team All-Pac-12 player. [1] He was also chosen by Campus Insiders. [2] In college, he suffered multiple concussions, a torn ACL, and a bout of plantar fasciitis. He was not drafted out of college due to injuries and off-the-field issues, was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent, and made his NFL debut in 2017. He played for the Seattle Seahawks from 2019 to 2020. He was waived from the team after being charged with three counts of felony domestic violence. [3]

Contents

Early years

Wheeler attended Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California. He played offensive tackle and defensive end. Wheeler was rated by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit and was ranked as the 114th offensive tackle in his class. [4] He had a shoulder surgery in 2011, during his senior year. [5]

College career

Wheeler committed to the University of Southern California (USC) to play college football. [6] He suffered multiple concussions throughout his college career and also had a torn right ACL in 2014 that ended his season, and a bout of plantar fasciitis in 2016 that caused him to miss two games. [7] [5]

Professional career

Pre-draft

Coming out of USC, Wheeler received mixed draft projections from NFL draft experts and scouts. Some analysts projected him to be a fourth or seventh round pick, while others projected him to go undrafted and be signed immediately as a priority undrafted free agent. Wheeler received an invitation to the NFL combine and completed all of the required positional and combine drills. On March 22, 2017, he opted to participate at USC's Pro Day along with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Zach Banner, Justin Davis, Taylor McNamara, Stevie Tu'ikolovatu, Adoree Jackson, Leon McQuay III, Damien Mama, and six other prospects. [8] Team representatives and scouts from all 32 NFL teams attended as Wheeler opted to run all of his combine drills again. He was able to produce a better vertical jump (24"), 40-yard dash (5.28), and 20-yard dash (3.05). Wheeler was ranked the 12th best offensive tackle prospect in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com. [9] Wheeler was regarded as a top prospect based solely on talent, but received mid to late round draft grades due to his history of multiple injuries and off-field incidents.

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 7 in
(2.01 m)		306 lb
(139 kg)		33+1⁄8 in
(0.84 m)		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		5.42 s1.89 s3.14 s5.01 s7.95 s24 in
(0.61 m)		8 ft 9 in
(2.67 m)		15 reps
All values from NFL Combine/USC's Pro Day [10]

New York Giants

Wheeler was not drafted out of college due to injuries and off-the-field issues. [5] On April 30, 2017, the New York Giants signed Wheeler as an undrafted free agent. He received a three-year, $1.68 million contract that includes $30,000 guaranteed and a signing bonus of $20,000. [11] [12] As one of the top undrafted free agents, Wheeler received multiple offers and opted to sign with New York, who gave him one of the largest contracts among undrafted free agents. [13]

He competed with Adam Bisnowaty and Michael Bowie throughout training camp for the job as the backup offensive tackle. [14] Head coach Ben McAdoo named Wheeler the backup left tackle, behind Ereck Flowers, to begin the regular season. [15]

On October 1, 2017, Wheeler made his regular season debut in the Giants' 25–23 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He earned his first career start against the Kansas City Chiefs in relief of injured Justin Pugh, and backup Bobby Hart. [16]

Wheeler entered the 2018 season as a backup tackle behind left tackle Nate Solder and right tackle Ereck Flowers. In Week 3, Wheeler was named the starting right tackle after struggles from Ereck Flowers, and remained there the rest of the season. [17]

Wheeler was waived/injured by the Giants during final roster cuts on August 31, 2019, [18] and reverted to the team's injured reserve list the next day. He was waived from injured reserve with an injury settlement on September 9. [19]

Seattle Seahawks

On October 15, 2019, Wheeler was signed to the practice squad of the Seattle Seahawks. [20] He was promoted to the active roster on January 8, 2020. [21]

On September 5, 2020, Wheeler was waived by the Seahawks and signed to the practice squad the next day. [22] [23] He was elevated to the active roster on September 12 and December 5 for the team's weeks 1 and 13 games against the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants, and reverted to the practice squad after each game. [24] [25] He was promoted to the active roster on December 12. [26] He was waived on January 27, 2021, after a domestic violence arrest. [27]

Personal life

On December 19, 2015, Wheeler was involved in an incident on the USC campus. Los Angeles Police responded to a call at 8:45 AM at an apartment in South Los Angeles near the USC campus. The police arrived and a suspect, who was identified as Wheeler, was confronted by police who were concerned he might grab a weapon and got into an altercation with them that led the police to shoot him with multiple bean bag rounds, a type of non-lethal force. [28] Wheeler was detained by the police but not arrested, and was instead transported to a local hospital to be held under protective custody for a psychiatric evaluation. [29] As a result of the incident, Wheeler missed the Holiday Bowl. [5] Wheeler later apologized for the incident. [30]

On January 23, 2021, Wheeler was arrested in Kent, Washington, on domestic violence charges. He was charged with three counts of felony domestic violence and later released on $400,000 bail. [3] [31] Wheeler said he would temporarily retire to "get his life together" after the incident. [32] He pleaded not guilty to the charges on February 1, 2021. [33]

On November 9, 2023, Wheeler was found guilty of a domestic violence assault against his then-girlfriend by a jury in King County, Washington. He was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison. [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Peters</span> American football player (born 1982)

Jason Raynard Peters is an American football offensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and was signed as a tight end by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent after the 2004 NFL draft. He was later traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 and spent the next twelve seasons playing for them, before joining the Chicago Bears in 2021, the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, and the Seattle Seahawks in 2023. He is currently the oldest active NFL player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell Okung</span> American football player (born 1988)

Russell Okung is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and was twice recognized as an All-American, including a unanimous selection in 2009. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the sixth overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, and also played for the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, and Carolina Panthers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. J. Fluker</span> American football player (born 1991)

Danny Lee Jesus "D. J." Fluker is an American football offensive tackle who is a free agent. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alabama, where he was recognized as an All-American.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damon Harrison</span> American football player (born 1988)

Damon Paul Harrison is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football at William Penn University and was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He was also a member of the New York Giants, Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers. According to Pro Football Focus, he led the league in run-stop percentage between 2013 and 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmett Cleary</span> American football player (born 1990)

Emmett Joseph Cleary is a former American football offensive tackle of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boston College, and signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He has also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Detroit Lions. Cleary retired from football in 2018 to pursue medicine at USC Keck. He graduated in 2022 and is currently training in Orthopedic Surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cedric Ogbuehi</span> American football player (born 1992)

Cedric Ogbuehi is an American football offensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at Texas A&M, and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He has played in the NFL for the Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, and New York Jets.

Andrew Alexander McDonald is a former American football offensive tackle. He began his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins after being undrafted out of Indiana University in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Germain Ifedi</span> American football player (born 1994)

Germain Ifedi is an American football offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garry Gilliam</span> American football player (born 1990)

Garry Montzell Gilliam Jr. is a former American football offensive tackle. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Seattle Seahawks after the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ereck Flowers</span> American football player (born 1994)

Ereck Flowers is an American former professional football player who was a offensive guard in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected ninth overall by the New York Giants in the 2015 NFL draft. He has also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Redskins / Football Team, and Miami Dolphins. Flowers played offensive tackle at the University of Miami and in the early part of his NFL career prior to switching to guard in 2019.

The 2017 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as members of the South Division of the Pac-12 Conference. They were led by second-year head coach Clay Helton. They finished the season 11–3, 8–1 in Pac-12 play to be champions of the South Division. They represented the South Division in the Pac-12 Championship Game where they defeated Stanford to become Pac-12 Champions. They were invited to play in the Cotton Bowl where they were soundly defeated at the hands of Ohio State, 24–7.

Damien Mama is an American football guard. He played college football at USC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Smith (offensive lineman)</span> American football player (born 1995)

Eric Maurice Smith Jr. is an American football offensive tackle for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Virginia.

Jesse Davis is an American football offensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan Mone</span> American football player (born 1995)

Bryan Mone is an American football nose tackle who is a free agent. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines.

Dakoda Shepley is a Canadian football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). Shepley played university football at British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Jackson (American football)</span> American football player (born 1999)

Austin Jackson is an American football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC and was drafted by the Dolphins in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Jake Curhan is an American football offensive tackle for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at California, and was a two-time Pac-12 honorable mention. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent following the 2021 NFL Draft, debuted in the NFL that season, and started five games at right tackle while also playing in 10 other games as a rookie.

Devery Bernard Hamilton Jr. is a German-born American football offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford and Duke and was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2021.

Jarron Jones is an American football offensive lineman for the Memphis Showboats of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for Notre Dame with his brother Jamir Jones.

References

  1. ↑ "Pac-12 Football Awards And All-Conference Team Announced". Pac-12 Conference. November 29, 2016. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  2. ↑ De Artola, Alicia (December 16, 2016). "USC Left Tackle Chad Wheeler Named First-team All-American". Fox Sports. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Condotta, Bob (January 27, 2021). "Seahawks waive Chad Wheeler as he is charged with three counts in felony domestic violence case". Seattle times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Chad Wheeler, New York Giants, Offensive Tackle". Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Nawrocki, Nolan (April 2017). NFL Draft 2017 – Nolan Nawrocki – Google Books. ACTA Publications. ISBN   9780879466503. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  6. ↑ McKinney, Erik (September 17, 2011). "Offensive lineman Chad Wheeler commits to USC". ESPN. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  7. ↑ Richard Mejia (April 29, 2017). "2017 NFL Draft: Chad Wheeler gets snagged by the New York Giants". ninersnation.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  8. ↑ "All 32 NFL teams represented at USC Pro Day". March 23, 2017. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Chad Wheeler, DS #12 OT, Southern California". nfldraftscout.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  10. ↑ "NFL Draft Profile: Chad Wheeler". NFL.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Chad Wheeler contract". spotrac.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  12. ↑ Salomone, Dan (May 11, 2017). "Complete guide to Giants' 2017 undrafted free agents". Giants.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  13. ↑ Dan Schneider (May 9, 2017). "Chad Wheeler gets 1st-round grade from The Huddle Report". 247sports.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Ourlads.com: New York Giants' depth chart: 08/01/2017". ourlads.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  15. ↑ "New York Giants: Depth chart". foxsports.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  16. ↑ "NFL Player Profile: Chad Wheeler". NFL.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  17. ↑ Knoblauch, Austin (September 23, 2018). "Giants benching Ereck Flowers for Chad Wheeler". NFL.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  18. ↑ Eisen, Michael (August 31, 2019). "New York Giants announce 53-man roster". Giants.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  19. ↑ Ulrich, Logan (September 9, 2019). "Giants cut three from IR with settlements". NFL Trade Rumors. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  20. ↑ Boyle, John (October 15, 2019). "Seahawks Make Practice Squad Moves, Including Addition Of TE Tyrone Swoopes & S Adrian Colbert". Seahawks.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  21. ↑ Boyle, John (January 8, 2020). "Seahawks Promote OT Chad Wheeler From Practice Squad; Place Mychal Kendricks On Injured Reserve". Seahawks.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  22. ↑ Boyle, John (September 5, 2020). "Seahawks Make Roster Moves To Establish Initial 53-Man Roster". Seahawks.com. Archived from the original on September 6, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  23. ↑ Boyle, John (September 6, 2020). "Seahawks Sign 14 Players to Practice Squad, Including LB Shaquem Griffin". Seahawks.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  24. ↑ Williams, Charean (September 12, 2020). "Seahawks elevate Chad Wheeler from practice squad". NBCSports.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  25. ↑ Boyle, John (December 5, 2020). "Seahawks CB Tre Flowers Placed On IR; OT Chad Wheeler Elevated From Practice Squad". Seahawks.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  26. ↑ Mathews, Liz (December 12, 2020). "Seahawks sign Chad Wheeler off practice squad, elevate Ray-Ray Armstrong". USAToday.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  27. ↑ Smith, Michael David (January 27, 2021). "Seahawks cut Chad Wheeler". NBCSports.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Report: USC OT in protective custody for psychiatric evaluation after police altercation". December 19, 2015. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  29. ↑ Emert, Jacob (December 19, 2015). "Southern Cal offensive lineman Chad Wheeler detained by police, under psychiatric evaluation". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  30. ↑ Andrew Blankstein (December 19, 2015). "USC Football Player Chad Wheeler Gets Into Scuffle With Police". nbcnews.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  31. ↑ "OT Wheeler held on suspicion of domestic violence". ESPN.com. January 26, 2021. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  32. ↑ "OT Wheeler charged in domestic violence case". ESPN.com. January 27, 2021. Archived from the original on January 31, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  33. ↑ Henderson, Brady (February 1, 2021). "Former Seattle Seahawks OT Chad Wheeler enters not guilty plea in domestic violence case". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Former NFL OL Chad Wheeler found guilty of domestic violence assault". NBC Sports. November 10, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.