Ernie Wheelwright facts for kids
Wheelwright in 2009
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
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| Born: | July 10, 1984 Columbus, Ohio |
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| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Walnut Ridge (Columbus, Ohio) | ||||||
| College: | Minnesota | ||||||
| Undrafted: | 2008 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| CFL status: | International | ||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Ernest Lamont Wheelwright, IV (born July 10, 1984) is a former American gridiron football player who was a star wide receiver. A wide receiver is a player on the offense whose main job is to catch passes from the quarterback.
Wheelwright played college football for the University of Minnesota. He later played professionally for the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League (NFL) and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
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College Football Career
From 2004 to 2007, Ernie Wheelwright became one of the best wide receivers in the history of the University of Minnesota. He was a key player for the team, known as the Golden Gophers. He started in 44 of the 49 games he played during his college career.
What Made Him a Gophers Legend?
Wheelwright set impressive records at Minnesota. In 2006 and 2007, he tied a school record by scoring a touchdown in seven games in a row. This showed how consistently he could make big plays for his team.
By the time he finished college, he was third on the Gophers' all-time list for both catches and receiving yards. Here are some of his amazing college stats:
- Receptions: 159 catches
- Receiving Yards: 2,434 yards
- Touchdowns: 26 touchdowns (second-most in school history)
- 100-Yard Games: Six games with over 100 receiving yards
Because of these achievements, many fans and experts consider him one of the top wide receivers to ever play for the University of Minnesota.
Professional Football Journey
After his successful college career, Wheelwright became a professional football player. In 2008, he was signed by the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL as an undrafted free agent. This means he wasn't chosen in the main NFL draft but was good enough for a team to sign him afterward.
Later, he played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 2011 to 2012.
A Family of Athletes
Athletic talent runs in the Wheelwright family. Ernie's grandfather, also named Ernie Wheelwright, was an actor and a former running back for the New Orleans Saints.
His younger brother, Robert Wheelwright, also played football as a wide receiver for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
