Tyrone Wheatley Jr. facts for kids

Tyrone Wheatley Jr. was born on February 4, 1997. He is an American professional football player. He plays as an offensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, Wheatley played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and the Stony Brook Seawolves.

Early Life and High School Football

Tyrone Wheatley Jr. grew up in Buffalo, New York. He went to Canisius High School. There, he was a talented player in both tight end and defensive end positions.

He was even named the player of the year by The Buffalo News. Experts like Rivals.com and ESPN thought he was one of the best young players in the country. Many top colleges wanted him to play for them. These included Alabama, Florida, UCLA, and USC.

On February 4, 2015, Tyrone decided to go to the University of Michigan. This was a special choice because his father, Tyrone Wheatley Sr., also played football there.

College Football Journey

Playing for Michigan

When Tyrone first joined the Michigan Wolverines, he played as a tight end. He had a foot injury that made him miss his first year. In 2016, he scored his first touchdown against Illinois. He played in 12 games that season.

In 2017, Tyrone started his first college game against Florida. He started three games that year. In March 2018, he broke a bone in his foot again. This injury kept him from playing in spring training. Soon after, in August 2018, he decided to leave the Michigan team.

Transferring to Stony Brook

After leaving Michigan, Tyrone transferred to Stony Brook University on August 5, 2018. He was able to play right away. He made his first start for Stony Brook as a tight end in September. He started eight games for the Seawolves that season.

After his time at Stony Brook, he transferred to Morgan State. His father was the head coach there. However, Tyrone Jr. did not play in any games due to another injury.

Professional Football Career

Starting in The Spring League

In 2021, Tyrone Wheatley Jr. played for the Blues team in The Spring League. This was a big change for him. He switched from playing tight end to playing offensive tackle.

Time with NFL Teams

Tyrone signed with the Chicago Bears in June 2021. He was later moved to their practice squad. In 2022, he signed a contract to stay with the Bears, but was waived in May.

He then signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in May 2022. However, he was waived by the Raiders in August of the same year.

In September 2022, Tyrone joined the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns. He signed a new contract with them in January 2023.

In August 2023, Tyrone was traded to the New England Patriots. He played in two games for them on special teams. He was placed on injured reserve in October 2023 because of a knee injury. He was waived by the Patriots in August 2024.

Joining the Atlanta Falcons

On October 21, 2024, Tyrone Wheatley Jr. was signed to the practice squad of the Atlanta Falcons. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Falcons in January 2025.

Personal Life

Tyrone Wheatley Jr. comes from a family of football players. His father, Tyrone Wheatley, was a famous running back for Michigan. He was also a first-round pick in the NFL draft. Tyrone Sr. is currently a head coach at Wayne State.