Terrence Wheatley
Encyclopedia
Terrence Wheatley is an American football
cornerback
for the Buffalo Bills
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Colorado
.
He has also been a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars
.
in Plano, Texas
, where he holds track and field
records in the triple jump
, the long jump
, and the 100 meters. As a sophomore he was the district champion in the long jump.
During his junior season in football, Wheatley had 70 tackles, six interceptions, 18 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Although a cornerback
, Wheatley spent time at running back
, where he had 23 rushing attempts for 200 yards and 11 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 25 yards per kick return and eight per punt return.
During his senior season he had 82 tackles, five interceptions, nine pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Once again seeing time on offense, he had 25 catches, 410 yards and three touchdowns. He earned all-state honorable mention, all-district first team honors, and was named to the all-area first team of the Dallas Morning News as a cornerback and wide receiver
. Rivals.com
named him the 56th best cornerback prospect in high school football.
, Wheatley saw action in 12 games, starting twice on defense. He had 24 tackles and five pass deflections during 268 snaps on defense. When Wheatley and Samuel Joseph started against Baylor
, it marked the first time in Colorado history that two freshmen started at cornerback. Wheatley had eight tackles in the Baylor game, which was his season high.
As a sophomore, he played in all 13 games, starting the last five, including the Houston Bowl
. However during the season, he was held back by wrist
, groin
and hamstring
injuries. He had 33 tackles, three passes broken up and four interceptions, which ranked second on the team. His first collegiate interception was returned for a touchdown, making him the 12th player in Colorado history to accomplish that feat.
In 2005, his true junior year, he had wrist surgery in the spring but because the wrist continued to bother him, he missed the entire season. As a redshirt junior in 2006 he had 57 tackles, five interceptions, and 11 passes broken up. After the season, he was named first-team All-Big 12 and All-Colorado.
During his senior season in 2007, Wheatley had 42 tackles and five interceptions in the first 10 games, before suffering a hairline fracture and missing the rest of the regular season. He was able to return for the Independence Bowl
. He was named a third-team All-American and first-team All-Big 12 at cornerback, and received an honorable mention as a kick returner. Wheatley also appeared on the official watchlists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
and the Jim Thorpe Award
.
in the second round (62nd overall) in the 2008 NFL Draft
, and signed with them on July 22, 2008. As a rookie, Wheatley debuted in the first week of the season against Kansas City
, and played in six of the first seven games as a reserve. In his first career start against the Indianapolis Colts
on November 2 he suffered a wrist injury that forced him to be placed on injured reserve
on November 17, after being inactive for the team's following two games. He finished the season with two tackles and two passes defensed.
Wheatley was active for five games in 2009
, all as a reserve. He finished the season with two tackles.
After suffering a foot injury in the 2010
preseason, Wheatley did not practice or play for the first five weeks of the regular season; however, he remained inactive in Weeks 6 and 7 even after returning to practice in Week 6. He was active for the first time in 2010, but did not play in the Patriots' Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings
. He was waived the following Saturday, in advance of the team's Week 9 game against the Cleveland Browns
.
on November 8, 2010. He played in one game for the Jaguars before being placed on injured reserve on December 17, 2010. He was waived during final cuts in September 2011.
' practice squad on September 13, 2011. He was promoted to the active roster on September 27.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
.
He has also been a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Wheatley attended Plano East Senior High SchoolPlano East Senior High School
Plano East Senior High School is a secondary school in Plano, Texas serving high school juniors and seniors. It is part of the Plano Independent School District....
in Plano, Texas
Plano, Texas
Plano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
, where he holds track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
records in the triple jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
, the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
, and the 100 meters. As a sophomore he was the district champion in the long jump.
During his junior season in football, Wheatley had 70 tackles, six interceptions, 18 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Although a cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
, Wheatley spent time at running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, where he had 23 rushing attempts for 200 yards and 11 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 25 yards per kick return and eight per punt return.
During his senior season he had 82 tackles, five interceptions, nine pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Once again seeing time on offense, he had 25 catches, 410 yards and three touchdowns. He earned all-state honorable mention, all-district first team honors, and was named to the all-area first team of the Dallas Morning News as a cornerback and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
. Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
named him the 56th best cornerback prospect in high school football.
College career
As a freshman at the University of ColoradoUniversity of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, Wheatley saw action in 12 games, starting twice on defense. He had 24 tackles and five pass deflections during 268 snaps on defense. When Wheatley and Samuel Joseph started against Baylor
Baylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
, it marked the first time in Colorado history that two freshmen started at cornerback. Wheatley had eight tackles in the Baylor game, which was his season high.
As a sophomore, he played in all 13 games, starting the last five, including the Houston Bowl
Houston Bowl
The Houston Bowl is a now-defunct NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that was played annually in Houston, Texas from 2000 to 2005. The game was originally known as the galleryfurniture.com Bowl in 2000 and 2001...
. However during the season, he was held back by wrist
Wrist
In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as 1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand;...
, groin
Groin
In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles...
and hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injuries. He had 33 tackles, three passes broken up and four interceptions, which ranked second on the team. His first collegiate interception was returned for a touchdown, making him the 12th player in Colorado history to accomplish that feat.
In 2005, his true junior year, he had wrist surgery in the spring but because the wrist continued to bother him, he missed the entire season. As a redshirt junior in 2006 he had 57 tackles, five interceptions, and 11 passes broken up. After the season, he was named first-team All-Big 12 and All-Colorado.
During his senior season in 2007, Wheatley had 42 tackles and five interceptions in the first 10 games, before suffering a hairline fracture and missing the rest of the regular season. He was able to return for the Independence Bowl
Independence Bowl
The Independence Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976....
. He was named a third-team All-American and first-team All-Big 12 at cornerback, and received an honorable mention as a kick returner. Wheatley also appeared on the official watchlists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
and the Jim Thorpe Award
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
.
New England Patriots
Wheatley was drafted by the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in the second round (62nd overall) in the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
, and signed with them on July 22, 2008. As a rookie, Wheatley debuted in the first week of the season against Kansas City
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, and played in six of the first seven games as a reserve. In his first career start against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
on November 2 he suffered a wrist injury that forced him to be placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
on November 17, after being inactive for the team's following two games. He finished the season with two tackles and two passes defensed.
Wheatley was active for five games in 2009
2009 New England Patriots season
The 2009 New England Patriots season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and 50th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and a division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs....
, all as a reserve. He finished the season with two tackles.
After suffering a foot injury in the 2010
2010 New England Patriots season
The 2010 New England Patriots season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League and 51st season overall. The Patriots improved on their 10–6 record from 2009 by finishing with a league-best 14–2 record and clinching the top seed in the AFC, before losing to the New York Jets...
preseason, Wheatley did not practice or play for the first five weeks of the regular season; however, he remained inactive in Weeks 6 and 7 even after returning to practice in Week 6. He was active for the first time in 2010, but did not play in the Patriots' Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. He was waived the following Saturday, in advance of the team's Week 9 game against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Jacksonville Jaguars
After clearing waivers, Wheatley signed a two-year contract with the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on November 8, 2010. He played in one game for the Jaguars before being placed on injured reserve on December 17, 2010. He was waived during final cuts in September 2011.
Buffalo Bills
Wheatley was signed to the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' practice squad on September 13, 2011. He was promoted to the active roster on September 27.