Tyrone Wheatley, We Meet Again
by Sean Keeley on Feb 9, 2010 7:30 PM EST
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And just like that, Tyrone Wheatley came back into my life.
As a Giants fan who's formative years were in the early-to-mid 90's, I know Tyrone Wheatley very well. I was a huge Rodney Hampton fan. HA-YUGE. Rodney Hampton is the perfect example to me of a guy who would never be considered Hall-of-Fame worthy but would be ideal for a Ring of Fame-type deal, if the Giants had such a thing. Whereas the regular NFL fan doesn't even remember who Rodney Hampton was, every Giants fans from the 90's remembers Rodney as he was, the heart and soul of those early 90's teams. Granted, most of those teams sucked, but Rodney was a beacon of light high atop a trench of suckitude.
So towards the end of the decade when it became clear that we would have to replace Rodney, it was critical that we get it right. Who would be good enough to replace the then-all-time leading rusher in team history? With their first pick in the '95 draft, it was clear the Giants intended Tyrone Wheatley to be that guy. Four seasons later, Wheatley was traded to the Dolphins for a 7th-round pick, never having lived up to the hype. He was passed over in the starting line-up for some guy named Tiki Barber and the rest is history.
Wheatley landed in Oakland where he carved out a couple good seasons, went to a Super Bowl and left as the seventh leading rusher in Oakland Raider history with 3,682 yards. Good for him. Whether he was a victim of hype in New York or not, Wheatley will be remembered for what he did in Oakland far more than New York.
He was still a thousand times better than Ron Dayne. That much I do know.
Anyway that was an extremely long-winded introduction to Syracuse's new Running Backs Coach Tyrone Wheatley. With Roger Harriott announcing his departure yesterday, Wheatley was apparently hanging out in the hallway the whole time because he swooped in on this one.
Wheatley brings five years of coaching experience to the Orange, including four in football and one in track & field. The 17th overall pick in the 1995 NFL draft by the New York Giants, Wheatley played for Giants (1995-98) and the Oakland Raiders (1999-2004).
At Eastern Michigan, Wheatley mentored the running backs, served as the recruiting coordinator and was responsible for EMU’s high school football camps. Wheatley began his football collegiate coaching career as at Ohio Northern University in a coaching internship sponsored by the NFL in 2008. He was also the head football and boys track coach at Dearborn Heights Robichaud H.S. in 2006 and 2007. He began his coaching career the sprints and hurdles for the Michigan track & field program in 2005-06.
Good for whoever controls Wheatley's Wikipedia page, they've already updated it.
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Dave Meggett for special teams coach?
by Doc Gross's Phones on Feb 9, 2010 8:01 PM EST reply actions
Jeff Hostetler for mustache coordinator
by Rocket Ship Science on Feb 9, 2010 8:11 PM EST up reply actions
Ray Handley for offensive coordinator!
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
O.J. Anderson for ass-kicking coordinator
Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician - The Syracuse blog that cares.
by Sean Keeley on Feb 10, 2010 12:48 AM EST up reply actions
OJ SImpson for ex-wife ass-kicking coordinator
Sorry… that was in bad taste. And messed up the Giants thing.
This is not Deadspin… this is not Deadspin…
How do I get
One of those NFL coaching internships he got?
by ryanwk628 on Feb 9, 2010 8:17 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Amazing post
I am also a huge Rodney Hampton fan, those long sad seasons in the ’90’s when he carried an offense that featured such notable QB’s as Dave Brown, Kent Graham, Danny Kanell, and Tommy Maddox were very troubling during my formative high school years. But Rodney would always come out and drag the team on his back, usually to a loss against the crack smoking, gun toting, ho banging Cowboys. His jersey is the only one that hangs on my wall, and one of my proudest days as a fan was taking it down (still being able to fit into it) and wear it to Ralph Wilson stadium for the game when they clinched the playoffs in the blizzard two years ago.
Wheatley on the other hand got a concussion from an illegal spear tackle in an exhibition game against the Jets. Never was the same afterwards, at least in the blue unis. Huge bust for what he was supposed to be, but God yes he was still better than Dayne.
Homer: Aw, twenty dollars! I wanted a peanut!
Homer's Brain: Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts!
Homer: Explain how!
Homer's Brain: Money can be exchanged for goods and services!
Homer: Woo-hoo!
by bigbluethruandthru on Feb 9, 2010 9:59 PM EST reply actions
Screw Ty W
He was such a lazy sack of shit when he played for the Giants.
The only nice thing I can say about him is that Ron Dayne made Tyrone look like Rudy F*ing Ruettiger in comparison.
And while I’m at it, EFF YOU DAN REEVES AND EFF YOU JIM FASSEL.
Phew! I feel much better now.
Spaz Sports
Gotta give some big credit to Spaz Sports, which had this last night. Heck of a job there.
http://twitter.com/SpazSports/status/8838733719
http://www.idiotsonsports.com/2010/02/roger-exits-stage-left.html
Ah angry Giants fans
You guys amuse me – as a 33 year old Jets fan who’s watched the Giants win three world championships in his lifetime, I can say that I feel absolutely no sympathy for the “sucky” Giants years. As a fan of Gang Green, I’ll go toe to toe with you fine gentlemen, should you ever wish to compare five year windows of suckage. That’s one area where the Jets have dominated the NYC football scene for years! Look at my handle – I know what I’m talking about!
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
Oh I complain while being well aware
that it could be much much worse…I could be a Jets fan
Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician - The Syracuse blog that cares.
(hangs head)
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
by kotite4ever on Feb 10, 2010 10:19 AM EST up reply actions
So now would be a bad time
to think about what Paul Hackett’s son will do to our quarterbacks?
by Doc Gross's Phones on Feb 10, 2010 12:47 AM EST up reply actions
As an Eagles fan
I approve of any Giants failure.
It’s the only thing that comforts me for the fact that the Eagles’ last NFL championship came well before I was born, while the other NFC East teams have won multiple titles in my lifetime. :(
Great hire, Love for Hampton
I’m an SU student, hardly old enough to remember the good ol Rodney Hampton days. But, I was old enough for him and Kent Graham (ugh) to be my first 2 Giants memories. I wasn’t old enough for me to remember specific events. But I remember loving every second of watching him rush as I did love every second of him speak to the media as I did hate every second of losing every single game. I grew up going to Giants Stadium with my grandparents on their season tickets (RIP, god damn PSL’s). I loved him so much I still hold onto his Rookie card. It brings back fond memories. Whenever anyone mentions his name it brings a smile to my face.
That being said, I did also enjoy Wheatley almost as much, for some strange reason. And I love this hire. Brings college credibility and success and with that automatically comes respect, no matter what happened in the NFL.
At least you guys didn't have...
“Jersey” Joe Pisarcik, Norm Snead, & Jerry Golsteyn quarterbacking when you were growing up.
I really hope Tyrone is a better coach then he was RB for the Giants.
by moosedontbounce on Feb 10, 2010 9:22 AM EST reply actions
Hey
I lived through the Rob Johnson era. Nothing better than taking a 9 yard sack instead of an incompletion because it would hurt your stats.
Without Gerry McNamara we wouldn't have won 10 f-- games, not 10
Tyrone!!!!
Ha, I always place these 4 rb’s together just because they have sweet names and I loved watching them play:
Tyrone Wheatley
Rodney Hampton
Marion Butts
Natrone Means
Memories, memories…
Trying to hit off me is like trying to eat soup with chopsticks.
-Ryohei Tanaka, with AA Bowie
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