Matt Wilhelm

Last updated
Matt Wilhelm
Matt Wilhelm at 49ers training camp 2010-08-11 2.JPG
Wilhelm at 49ers training camp in August 2010
No. 56, 57, 50
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1981-02-02) February 2, 1981 (age 43)
Oberlin, Ohio, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school: Elyria (OH) Catholic
College: Ohio State
NFL draft: 2003  / Round: 4 / Pick: 112
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:243
Sacks:2.0
Forced fumbles:1
Fumble recoveries:1
Interceptions:6
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Matthew Wilhelm (born February 2, 1981) is a former American college and professional football player and a current radio/TV football analyst.

Contents

He was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the early 2000s. He played college football for Ohio State University, and earned All-American honors. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft, also played for the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers of the NFL, and was a member of the Packers' Super Bowl XLV championship team that beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is currently a football analyst/show host for WKNR AM 850 and WEWS-TV 5 in Cleveland.

Early years

Wilhelm was born in Oberlin, Ohio, and grew up in Lorain, Ohio. He attended Elyria Catholic High School in Elyria, Ohio. He amassed 100 tackles, 26 for loss, and 11 sacks as a senior, and was named a first-team All-Ohio selection. He also played tight end and running back. [1] In 2002, his high school retired his No. 34 jersey.

College career

Wilhelm attended Ohio State University, and played for coach John Cooper and coach Jim Tressel's Ohio State Buckeyes football teams from 1999 to 2002. Wilhelm was moved to middle linebacker before his sophomore season and started every game. In his first game as a starter against Fresno State, Wilhelm intercepted a David Carr pass and ran it 25 yards for a touchdown. [2] The following year, he earned the Randy Gradishar Award as the team's top linebacker and made all of the defensive calls. As a senior in 2002, Wilhelm was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American, [3] and helped his team win a BCS National Championship with a team-leading 11 tackles in a 31–24 Fiesta Bowl victory over the Miami Hurricanes. Wilhelm ended the year with a career-high 121 tackles and ended his career with the 6th most career tackles for loss for Ohio State all-time. [4]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash Vertical jump Broad jump Wonderlic
6 ft 4 in
(1.93 m)		245 lb
(111 kg)		33 in
(0.84 m)		10+1⁄4 in
(0.26 m)		4.79 s35 in
(0.89 m)		9 ft 5 in
(2.87 m)		27
Wonderlic and arm and hand spans were taken at the NFL Scouting Combine; all other measurables were taken at Pro Day. [5]

San Diego Chargers

Wilhelm was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. [6] He spent the first four years of his career mostly on special teams and as a backup. In 2007, he became a full-time starter after Donnie Edwards signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was released by the Chargers on July 24, 2009.

Philadelphia Eagles

Wilhelm was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles on August 4, 2009, after starting middle linebacker Stewart Bradley suffered a season-ending knee injury. He was waived on September 5, 2009.

San Francisco 49ers

Wilhelm was signed by the San Francisco 49ers on October 19, 2009, after reserve linebacker Jeff Ulbrich was placed on injured reserve. He was re-signed to a one-year contract on March 4, 2010. He was cut on September 3, 2010.

Green Bay Packers

Wilhelm was signed by the Green Bay Packers on October 26, 2010.

NFL career statistics

Legend
BoldCareer high

Regular season

YearTeamGamesTacklesInterceptionsFumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckTFLIntYdsTDLngPDFFFRYdsTD
2003 SDG 202200.00000000000
2004 SDG 70131030.00100020000
2005 SDG 160312561.0111001011000
2006 SDG 160261970.00000030000
2007 SDG 14149774231.043110740100
2008 SDG 1675141100.01180820000
2009 SFO 111181260.01000000000
2010 GNB 705410.00000000000
8922243187562.07629010121100

Playoffs

YearTeamGamesTacklesInterceptionsFumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckTFLIntYdsTDLngPDFFFRYdsTD
2004 SDG 106510.00000020000
2006 SDG 101100.00000000000
2007 SDG 328530.00000000000
2008 SDG 207430.01000000000
2010 GNB 403210.00000000000
112251780.01000020000

Retirement

After winning Super Bowl XLV as a member of the Packers, Wilhelm decided to retire from the NFL. In 2013, he was hired by Cleveland radio station WKNR AM 850 to be a football analyst, co-host of Cleveland Browns Daily, and serve as a co-host for the station's Ohio State Buckeyes pregame show. He also appears on Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS-TV 5 as a Buckeyes and Browns analyst. [7] [8]

In 2016, Wilhelm's hometown paper, The Morning Journal, changed the name of its annual high school football Player of the Year award to The Matt Wilhelm Award in recognition of Wilhelm's lifetime of football achievements. [9]

In 2017, Wilhelm was announced as a member of the 2017 Lorain Sports Hall of Fame class. [10]

Awards and honors

High school

College

NFL

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References

  1. ↑ CSTV.com: #1 in College Sports Archived 2007-02-17 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ NCAA Football - Fresno State vs. Ohio State
  3. ↑ 2011 NCAA Football Records Book, Award Winners, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, p. 11 (2011). Retrieved June 23, 2012.
  4. ↑ Chargers.com - Team » Roster » #57 Matt Wilhelm | LB Archived 2007-06-08 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ "Matt Wilhelm prospect profile". NFL. Archived from the original on June 18, 2003.
  6. ↑ "2003 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  7. ↑ Wilhelm's post playing career - Lake County News Herald
  8. ↑ Wilhelm on WEWS - Twitter.com
  9. ↑ Behm, Jon. "High school football: Introducing the Matt Wilhelm award" . Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  10. ↑ "Lorain Sports Hall of Fame announces 2017 class" . Retrieved 3 May 2017.
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