| Penn State Nittany Lions–No. 6 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Safety |
| Class |  Junior |
| Major | Business |
| Personal information | |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| Bowl games | |
| High school | Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Maryland) |
Zakee Kai Wheatley is an American college football safety for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Wheatly attended Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, Maryland. Playing both wide receiver and safety, he recorded five interceptions, seven pass breakups and 30 tackles on defense, while hauling in 56 receptions for 810 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior. [2] A four-star recruit, Wheatly committed to play college football at Pennsylvania State University, over offers from Boston College, Michigan State, and Virginia. [3] [4]
In 2021, Wheatly played sparingly in four games, earning a redshirt. [5] [6] Against Auburn the following season, he recorded his first career interception. [7] In 2022, his production increased, as he totaled 27 tackles, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. [8] In 2024, Wheatly's role increased after an injury to Kevin Winston Jr.. [9] At the conclusion of the regular season, he announced that he would return the following season, rather than enter the 2025 NFL draft, after totaling 77 total tackles, four pass breakups, 1.5 tackles for loss and one interception through 14 games. [10] In the 2024 Fiesta Bowl, Wheatly was named the game's defensive MVP after recording an interception and a fumble recovery, helping lead Penn State to a 31–14 victory. [11]
Brandon Darrell Short is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning consensus All-American honors in 1999. He played professionally for the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers of the NFL, and was a member the Giants' team that played in Super Bowl XXXV. He is currently Director of Mergers and Acquisitions at Round Hill Capital in London and a member of the Pennsylvania State University's board of trustees.
The 2006 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.
The 2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.
The 1987 Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game that served as the final game of the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. Part of the 1986–87 bowl game season, the 1987 Fiesta Bowl also served as the National Championship Game, between the No. 1 ranked Miami Hurricanes, and the No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions. It was the bowl's 16th edition, played annually since 1971 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
The 2005 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.
Sean Patrick Lee is an American former professional football linebacker. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. He made two Pro Bowls and the 2016 All-Pro Team.
The 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.
Mark Harrison Rubin is a former American football safety. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Penn State.
The 2009 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2009 college football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Penn State had the highest graduation rate among all of the teams on the Associated Press Top 25 poll with 89% of its 2002 enrollees graduating. Miami and Alabama tied for second place with a graduation rate of 75%. The Nittany Lions finished the season with an 11–2 record and won the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy award to the best team in the ECAC for the 28th time and the second consecutive year.
The 2011 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno for the first nine games until he was fired in the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal, with defensive coordinator Tom Bradley taking over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The team played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, US. They were members of the Big Ten Conference in the newly formed Leaders Division. They finished the season 9–4, 6–2 in the Leaders Division to be co–division champions with Wisconsin. Due to their head-to-head loss to Wisconsin, they did not represent the division in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game. They were invited to the TicketCity Bowl where they lost to Houston 14–30.
Michael D. Mauti is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL draft. He also played for the New Orleans Saints.
Gerald Davon Hodges Jr. is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Penn State. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round, 120th overall, of the 2013 NFL draft.
The 2014 Pinstripe Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on December 27, 2014 at Yankee Stadium in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The fifth annual Pinstripe Bowl, it was one of the 2014–15 bowl games that concluded the 2014 FBS football season. The game featured the Boston College Eagles, representing the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Penn State Nittany Lions, representing the Big Ten Conference and playing their first bowl game since 2011 as a result of sanctions imposed in the wake of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal. The game was sponsored by the New Era Cap Company and was officially known as the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
The 1982 Fiesta Bowl was the eleventh edition of the college football bowl game, played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on Friday, January 1. Part of the 1981–82 bowl game season, it matched the seventh-ranked independent Penn State Nittany Lions and the #8 USC Trojans of the Pacific-10 Conference. A slight underdog, Penn State won, 26–10.
The 1970 Orange Bowl was the 36th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Thursday, January 1. The final game of the 1969–70 bowl game season, it matched the independent and second-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions and the #6 Missouri Tigers of the Big Eight Conference.
Troy Steven Apke is an American former professional football safety and cornerback. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft. He is the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers player Steve Apke.
Jaquan Monte Brisker is an American professional football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Lackawanna College and Penn State prior to being selected by the Bears 48th overall in the 2022 NFL draft.
Tyler William Warren is an American football tight end for the Penn State Nittany Lions. In 2024 he won the John Mackey Award as the top tight end in college football.
Kevin Dwayne Winston Jr. is an American football safety for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
The 2024 Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game that was played on December 31, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The 54th annual Fiesta Bowl was one of the College Football Playoff (CFP) quarterfinal games and featured Boise State and Penn State. The game began at approximately 5:30 p.m. MST and aired on ESPN. The Fiesta Bowl was one of the 2024–25 bowl games concluding the 2024 FBS football season. Sponsored by online vacation rental marketplace Vrbo, the game was officially known as the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.