Doug Whaley

Last updated

Doug Whaley
Born: (1972-12-16) December 16, 1972 (age 51)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Career information
College University of Pittsburgh
High school Upper St. Clair
(Upper St. Clair Township, Pennsylvania)

Douglass G. Whaley (born December 16, 1972) [1] is an American professional football executive and former collegiate player. He is the current senior vice president of player personnel for the XFL and from 2013 to 2017 was the general manager of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL).

Contents

Early life

Whaley was born in Pittsburgh, where he played high school football and went on to play at the collegiate level. [2] He played college football at Pitt as a defensive back, collecting 4 interceptions during his tenure. [3]

Career

Pittsburgh Steelers

Whaley worked for the Steelers as a pro personnel coordinator. He worked there for 10 years before accepting the Buffalo Bills job. Whaley worked directly under Kevin Colbert the Director of Football Operations. [4] In his time with the Steelers, Whaley helped scout and draft defensive players such as Lamarr Woodley, Troy Polamalu and Lawrence Timmons.

Buffalo Bills

Whaley was named assistant general manager and Director of Pro Personnel of the Buffalo Bills on February 10, 2010. Whaley oversaw the team's Pro Personnel department and assisted General Manager Buddy Nix in all football-related administrative duties and in the college talent evaluation process until Nix stepped down from the general manager position on May 13, 2013. Whaley became Buffalo's GM three days later. [5] His most notable moves with Buffalo included trading up to draft receiver Sammy Watkins and trading linebacker Kiko Alonso for All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy. The move to draft Watkins has been questioned, as wide receivers Mike Evans, Odell Beckham Jr., and Brandon Cooks were picked later in the first round.

Whaley was, in conjunction with owners Terry and Kim Pegula and President Russ Brandon, responsible for the hiring of head coach Rex Ryan. After Ryan was relieved of his duties, the team announced that Whaley would lead the search for Ryan's successor, Sean McDermott.

On January 10, 2016, Whaley agreed to a contract extension offered to him by the Bills.

Whaley, alongside his staff, was "relieved of his duties" by the Bills on April 30, 2017, following the 2017 NFL draft. [6] He spent the 2018 season as a recruiter for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

XFL

On November 8, 2018, Whaley was hired as the senior vice president of football operations for the revival of the XFL. On April 10, 2020, Whaley was laid off, along with almost every staff member after the league suspended operations due to COVID-19. [7] On November 8, 2021, Whaley was re-hired as the vice president of player personnel of the XFL [8]

Controversies

E-mail gaffe

Whaley gained unwanted notoriety in 2007, when an inappropriate e-mail that he had sent to Steelers assistant coach Larry Zierlein was inadvertently forwarded by Zierlein to a large number of high-level NFL employees, including commissioner Roger Goodell. Zierlein apologized for the gaffe, and it is believed that neither he nor Whaley were disciplined by the team or the league. [9]

Radio remark

In a May 2016 radio interview, Whaley said of football: "It's a violent game that I personally don't think humans are supposed to play." [10]

Release of Fred Jackson

Whaley was criticized by fans and players alike for his decision to cut longtime Bills running back and fan favorite Fred Jackson as a "business decision" prior to the 2015 NFL season, especially after allegedly telling Jackson his roster spot was safe. Jackson later reflected on the move prior to retiring with the Bills after Whaley's dismissal, stating that the manner in which he was cut left a "bad taste in his mouth" and that he was dumbfounded by it. [11]

Tyrod Taylor benching

In December 2016, Whaley refused to explain his decision to bench the Bills' starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, prior to the last regular season game. Instead, interim head coach Anthony Lynn was forced to address questions from the media, and in an unscripted response, advised Taylor's benching was a 'business decision'. Whaley did not publicly comment on the decision. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Maddox</span> American football player (born 1971)

Thomas Alfred Maddox is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL), most notably with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played one season each for the New Jersey Red Dogs of the Arena Football League (AFL) and the Los Angeles Xtreme of the XFL. In the XFL's only season, Maddox was the league's most valuable player (MVP) while leading the Xtreme to victory in the league's championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Haslett</span> American football player and coach (born 1955)

James Donald Haslett is an American football coach and former linebacker who was most recently the head coach of the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He played college football for the IUP Crimson Hawks before being drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1979 NFL draft; he went on to be named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Lewis</span> American football player and coach (born 1961)

Tim Lewis is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive coordinator for the Boston College Eagles. He played college football as a cornerback for the Pittsburgh Panthers and was selected by the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft. Following a neck injury that cut his playing career short after four seasons, Lewis began serving as a coach in the collegiate and professional levels and obtained his first head coaching position with the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) in 2019. He also served as the defensive backs coach for the St. Louis BattleHawks and co-defensive coordinator for the Arlington Renegades of the XFL.

Tom Donahoe is an American former football executive in the National Football League (NFL). He served as the general manager of the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers and the senior advisor and director of player personnel for the Philadelphia Eagles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Polian</span> American football executive (born 1942)

William Patrick Polian Jr. is an American former professional football executive. He rose to league prominence as the general manager of the Buffalo Bills, building a team that participated in four straight Super Bowls—the most consecutive appearances by any team—but lost each time. Following his stint in Buffalo, Polian went on to become the general manager of the expansion Carolina Panthers. He then served as general manager and team president of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) from 1998 to 2011, where they reached two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XLI. He subsequently served as an NFL analyst for ESPN. Polian was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Polian co-founded the now-defunct Alliance of American Football in 2018.

Randy Mueller is an American football executive who is a senior personnel advisor for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the general manager for the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and Saints, along with the Alliance of American Football's Salt Lake Stallions. He has over two decades of NFL front office experience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Mayhew</span> American football player and executive (born 1965)

Martin Mayhew is an American professional football executive and former cornerback who is a senior personnel executive for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles prior to being selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 10th round of the 1988 NFL draft. Mayhew sat out his rookie season due to a wrist injury and joined the Washington Redskins a year later, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVI with, and later played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before retiring following the 1996 season.

Charles Kenneth "Buddy" Nix is a former American football coach and executive. He was the general manager of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL) from 2009 to 2013. Nix was a scout for the Bills from 1993 to 2000. He joined John Butler and A. J. Smith with the San Diego Chargers from 2001 to 2008 and returned to the Bills in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrod Taylor</span> American football player (born 1989)

Tyrod Diallo Taylor is an American professional football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Marrone</span> American football player and coach (born 1964)

Douglas Charles Marrone is an American football coach and former offensive tackle. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints. He came to prominence as the head coach at Syracuse from 2009 to 2012, where he previously played college football. He also served as the head coach of the NFL's Buffalo Bills from 2013 to 2014 and the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2016 to 2020.

Larry Zierlein is a long-time American football coach at high school, college, and the National Football League (NFL).

Ron Hughes was the college scouting coordinator of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.

Louis Angelo Riddick is an American football broadcaster and former safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1991 to 1998. His brother, Robb Riddick, was a running back with the Buffalo Bills for eight seasons. His cousins, Will Lewis and Tim Lewis, also played in the NFL and held management positions for professional football teams. He is a color analyst for ESPN on their college football coverage alongside Bob Wischusen and Kris Budden, and on the #2 team for their NFL coverage alongside Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, and Laura Rutledge. He was previously part of the lead broadcast team, working alongside Steve Levy, Brian Griese, and Lisa Salters.

A general manager (GM) in American football is a team executive who is typically the head of football operations, which includes leading the scouting department and being responsible for handling free agent transactions and contract negotiations with players and coaches. Under such a model, the GM reports directly to the owner or team president. However, some team owners serve as their own GM or employ one who acts in a supporting role to the head coach. Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders was an example of an owner who also served as GM, while Bill Belichick is an example of a head coach having de facto GM responsibilities during his tenure with the New England Patriots.

The 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 78th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League (NFL), the eleventh season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert, and the fourth under head coach Mike Tomlin.

Willie L. Lewis is an American football executive and former professional player who is the general manager for the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League (UFL). He was most recently the Director of Player Personnel for the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL and Assistant Director of Pro Personnel for the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL. He was the general manager for the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). He previously served as an executive in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 years, including tenures with the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs. Most notably, he was the Seahawks vice president of football operations from 2010 to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Kugler</span> Former American football player and coach (born 1966)

Sean Patrick Kugler is an American football coach and current offensive line coach for the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL). He previously served as the head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) from 2013 to 2017. Kugler was an assistant coach in the NFL for the Detroit Lions (2001–2005), Buffalo Bills (2007–2009), Pittsburgh Steelers (2010–2012), and Denver Broncos (2018).

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

Myles David Jack is an American professional football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was named the top freshman player in the Pac-12, receiving honors both on defense as well as on offense for his work as a running back and was named an All-Pac-12 linebacker twice. In 2015, Jack dropped out of UCLA and declared for the draft after suffering a season-ending knee injury. Jack was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. Along with his mother LaSonjia Jack, he is the current owner of the ECHL Allen Americans.

Brandon Beane is an American professional football executive who is the general manager for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL), a position he has held since 2017. Prior to joining the Bills, Beane served in the personnel department of the Carolina Panthers organization from 1998 to 2016.

In gridiron football and its variants, American football and Canadian football, the quarterback position is often considered the most important on the team. While there have been a growing number of players of African or minority descent throughout the history of collegiate and professional football, black players have historically faced difficulty in landing and retaining quarterback roles due to a number of factors. In addition, some black quarterbacks claim to have experienced bias towards or against them due to their race. Black players as a whole are disproportionately over represented in the NFL, being only ~13% of the U.S. population yet 67% of NFL players are black, with 17% of quarterbacks being black.

References

  1. ↑ "Bills: Who is Doug Whaley and is he next in line?". Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  2. ↑ Thorman, Joel (December 22, 2008). "Getting to Know a GM: Doug Whaley" . Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Doug Whaley". Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Whaley brings Steelers ways to Buffalo, banks on top pick Manuel" . Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Bills name Doug Whaley GM". ESPN. Associated Press. May 16, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Buffalo Bills fire general manager Doug Whaley". NFL.com. April 30, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  7. ↑ Seifert, Kevin. "XFL suspends operations, lays off employees and has no plans for 2021 season". ESPN . Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Former Bills GM Whaley hired as XFL senior VP". WIVB-TV. Nexstar Media Group. November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  9. ↑ Bouchette, Ed (May 23, 2007). "Blogger says Steelers' Zierlein inadvertently forwarded porn to NFL officials". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  10. ↑ Tyler Dunne (May 24, 2016). "Bills GM Doug Whaley: Humans are not supposed to play football". The Buffalo News. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  11. ↑ Wojton, Nick (April 19, 2018). "Fred Jackson was told his roster spot was 'fine' before being cut by Bills, Doug Whaley". Bills Wire. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  12. ↑ Michael David Smith (December 28, 2016). "Anthony Lynn: Benching Tyrod Taylor wasn't my decision". ProFootballTalk. NBC Sports.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Buffalo Bills General Manager
2013–April 30, 2017		Succeeded by
Preceded by Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Scouting Coordinator
1999–2009 		Succeeded by
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.