Wheatley Chosen for Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
9/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 24, 2015
PASADENA, Calif. -- The Tournament of Roses announced today (Thursday, Sept. 24) that former University of Michigan running back and current running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley (1991-94) will be one of four individuals inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame presented by Northwestern Mutual. Wheatley is the 10th former U-M player or coach to be inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.
Former Brown University running back Fritz Pollard, University of Washington quarterback Mark Brunell and longtime Rose Bowl game media director Jim Muldoon will also be inducted as part of the Class of 2015. The ceremony will take place at noon PST on Dec. 30 at the Pasadena Convention Center, two days before the kickoff of the 102nd Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual.
"We are thrilled to announce the inductees for this year's Hall of Fame Class," said Tournament of Roses director Bill Flinn. "These four individuals represent the wide range of talent we've associated with our game through the years and we're honored to add them to our distinguished list of Hall of Fame inductees."
A native of Inkster, Michigan, Wheatley finished his illustrious Wolverine career as the program's second-leading rusher (now fifth). He was the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year in 1992, capping his sophomore season with a 235-yard, three-touchdown game in the 1993 Rose Bowl to earn the game's MVP award, and was all-conference three straight years from 1992-94. His 88-yard touchdown run remains the longest play in Rose Bowl Game history for the Maize and Blue.
Wheatley was also a standout on the Wolverine Track and Field team, lettering from 1993-95 and earning All-America honors in the 110-meter hurdles in 1995 with an eighth-place finish to go along with the Big Ten's Outdoor title that he won in 1994.
After finishing his Michigan career with 4,187 rushing yards, 510 receiving yards and 53 total touchdowns, Wheatley enjoyed a 10-year career in the NFL before starting his coaching career in 2007 at his high school alma mater, Dearborn Heights Robichaud in Michigan.
He was drafted 17th overall by the New York Giants in the 1995 draft and remained in New York through the 1998 season, when he joined the Oakland Raiders. Wheatley played in Oakland from 1999-2004, appearing in the 2003 Super Bowl.
Wheatley joined the U-M staff this past year under J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Coach Jim Harbaugh to serve as the team's running backs coach. Prior to his return to Ann Arbor, he coached the backfield of the NFL's Buffalo Bills (2013-14) and had previous collegiate stops as running backs coach at Syracuse University (2010-12), Eastern Michigan University (2009) and Ohio Northern University (2008). He was also the Eagles' recruiting coordinator for his lone season at EMU. Wheatley began his venture into coaching by leading his high school alma mater to a 9-2 record and a state playoff run in 2007, just one year after the program went 0-9.
Wheatley returned to school to complete his Kinesiology degree from Michigan in 2008. Four years later, he was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
The Rose Bowl Hall of Fame was established in 1989 to pay tribute to members of the Rose Bowl Game who have contributed to the history and excitement of the game, and those who embody the highest level of passion, strength, tradition and honor associated with "The Granddaddy of Them All®."
With the addition of this year's class, a total of 117 inductees have been added to the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame over its 26-year history. Inductees are honored with a permanent plaque that includes their name and year of induction at The Court of Champions at the Rose Bowl Stadium and are recognized on the field during the Rose Bowl Game. The inductees will also be featured during the Rose Parade® presented by Honda®.
U-M's first inductee to the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame was Bump Elliot, inducted in 1989. Wheatley becomes the 10th Wolverine to join Elliot, along with Neil Snow (Class of 1990), Bob Chappuis (1992), Coach Bo Schembechler (1993), Butch Woolfolk (1998), Mel Anthony (2002), Chuck Ortmann (2008), Brian Griese (2012) and Lloyd Carr (2013).
• Add Another Milestone to Wheatley's Brilliant Career (Kornacki Feature)
Communications Contact: Dave Ablauf, Chad Shepard
