31(62) - New England Patriots - Terrence Wheatley (CB, Colorado)
Overview
One of the more unheralded players in college football, Wheatley made professional scouts take notice of his ability as a shutdown cornerback. After sitting out the 2005 season following surgery to repair a broken wrist, Wheatley more than made up for lost time, establishing himself as the premier man-coverage cornerback in an extremely talented conference.
One of the fastest players in college football, Wheatley's sudden burst and running stride has also brought him success as a kickoff returner. His 937 yards on kickoff returns rank fifth on the school's all-time record list and his 506 yards on those returns in 2007 marked the eighth time in Colorado annals that a player amassed more than 500 yards on kickoff returns in a season, and he still has six games in his final campaign to improve those totals.
One defense, he ranks tied for sixth in Colorado history with eleven interceptions. He returned two of those pass thefts for touchdowns, one short of the school career-record of three by Victor Scott (1980-83). He has also batted away 27 other passes thrown in his area, giving him 38 passes defended over 37 games.
"When the pro scouts come by, I just jump on the table for Terrence Wheatley," said Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins. "I think he is a very solid individual, he is a hard worker, he is a smart guy, he is dependable, he is very, very consistent and he is a special talent. I could see that guy, if he continues, being an All-American type player. It is awesome to have him in the return game, too, because we know how fast he is and now that his wrist is healed up and it's not as big a problem as it was last year, he can do some great things there. But he is a great kid, he really is."
At Plano East High School, Wheatley earned All-State honorable mention, Dallas Morning News All-Area first-team honors as a cornerback and receiver and was named to the All-District 9-5A first-team. He was rated the 56th-best cornerback in the nation by Rivals.com and also garnered the Plano Star Collin County Most Valuable Player accolades as a senior. As a junior, he received All-District second-team recognition as a receiver and first-team accolades as a kickoff returner.
During his final campaign, Wheatley recorded 82 tackles (three for loss), along with five interceptions, nine pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. On offense, he caught 25 passes for 410 yards and three touchdowns; he averaged 35 yards per kickoff return and 15 yards per punt return. The team finished 8-4 that season, winning the district title, but lost in the second round of the playoffs.
As a junior, he totaled 70 tackles (four for loss), with six interceptions, 18 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and three recovered fumbles. He played running back sparingly, rushing 23 times for 200 yards, and added 11 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He also averaged 25 yards per kickoff return and eight yards on punt returns. That year, he guided the squad to an 8-3 record, winning the district championship before losing in the first round of the playoffs.
Wheatley added three letters in track, setting school records in the triple-jump (50-8), long jump (24-61/2) and 100 meters (10.15). He was the Texas Relay champion in the triple jump (48-5) his junior year, and he won district championships in the 100, long jump and triple-jump. He also was the district champion in the triple-jump as a sophomore.
Wheatley enrolled at Colorado in 2003, seeing action in 12 games on special teams and in six contests on defense. He started vs. Baylor and Kansas State at right cornerback, coming up with 30 tacklers (22 solo) and five pass deflections. He also gained 57 yards (29.5-yard average) on a pair of kickoff returns. His first start against Baylor was historical, as he joined Sammy Joseph at cornerback, marking the first time in CU history that a pair of freshmen started at the same position in the same game. On special teams, he ranked fifth on the squad with seven points.
He underwent right wrist surgery during the offseason and, even though he appeared in 13 2004 games, he did not win a starting job until the last five contests, taking over at right cornerback. Wheatley delivered 37 tackles (31 solo) with three pass deflections and four interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. He also gained 357 yards on 16 kickoff returns (22.3-yard average). On kick-coverage units, he was credited with six points.
Several additional surgeries on his right wrist forced the NCAA to grant Wheatley a medical hardship for the 2005 season. He returned to action in 2006, earning first-team All-Big Twelve Conference honors from the league's coaches. He started all 12 games at right cornerback, seeing more playing time (776 plays) than any other defender on the team. He produced 58 tackles (43 solo) with 1 1/2 sacks, 4 1/2 stops for losses and four pressures. He caused a fumble, recovered two others and led the team with 11 pass breakups. He also had five interceptions.
In 2007, Wheatley garnered preseason All-American second-team (Scout.com, The NFL Draft Report) honors. He was on the Jim Thorpe Award (nation's top defensive back) Watch List and also received All-Big Twelve first-team preseason accolades. He shifted to the demanding left cornerback position, making 17 tackles (14 solo) with eight pass deflections and two interceptions. He caused a fumble and gained 506 yards on 19 kickoff returns (26.6-yard average).
Through 37 games at Colorado, Wheatley started 25 contests. He participated in 1,933 defensive plays, recording 142 tackles (111 solo) with 1 1/2 sacks for minus-5 yards, 6 1/2 stops for losses for 13 yards and five quarterback pressures. He recovered two fumbles and caused three others. He also deflected 27 passes (tied for ninth in Colorado history). He ranks tied for sixth in school history with 11 interceptions for 124 yards in returns (11.3 avg) and his two touchdowns rank second on the Colorado all-time record list. He ranks fifth in school history with 937 yards on 38 kickoff returns (24.66 avg). He also added 18 hits on the special-teams coverage units.
Career Notes
Wheatley's 937 yards on kickoff returns rank fifth in school history behind Ben Kelly (1,798 yards, 1997-99), M.J. Nelson (1,198 yards, 1986-89), Walter Stanley (1,172 yards, 1980-81) and Bill Symons (1,051 yards, 1962-64)...His 506 yards on kickoff returns in 2007 marked the eighth time in school history that a player gained over 500 yards in that category in a season...His 11 interceptions tied Steve Rosga (1992-96) and Ben Kelly (1997-99) for sixth on Colorado's all-time list, topped only by John Stearns (16, 1970-72), Chris Hudson (15, 1991-94), Dick Anderson (14, 1965-67), Tim James (13, 1987-90) and Deon Figures (12, 1988-92)...Wheatley returned two of interceptions for touchdowns during his career, one shy of the school record of three scores by Victor Scott (1980-83)... His five interceptions in 2006 rank behind Dick Anderson (seven in 1967), Cullen Bryant (seven in 1972), Tim James (six in 1990) and Deon Figures (six in 1992) on the school's season-record list...Ranks ninth in Colorado annals with 27 pass deflections.
High School
Attended Plano (Tex.) East High School, playing football for head coach John Crawford...Earned All-State honorable mention, Dallas Morning News All-Area first-team honors as a cornerback and receiver and was named to the All-District 9-5A first-team...Rated the 56th-best cornerback in the nation by Rivals.com and also garnered the Plano Star Collin County Most Valuable Player accolades as a senior...As a junior, he received All-District second-team recognition as a receiver and first-team accolades as a kickoff returner...During his final campaign, Wheatley recorded 82 tackles (three for loss), along with five interceptions, nine pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery...On offense, he caught 25 passes for 410 yards and three touchdowns, as he averaged 35 yards per kick return and 15 yards per punt return on special teams...The team finished 8-4 that season, winning the district title, but they lost in the second round of the playoffs...As a junior, he totaled 70 tackles (four for loss), with six interceptions, 18 pass break-ups, three forced fumbles and three recovered fumbles...Played running back sparingly, rushing 23 times for 200 yards, and added 11 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns... Also averaged 25 yards per kickoff return and eight yards on punt returns...That year, he guided the squad to an 8-3 record, winning the district championship before losing in the first round of the playoffs...His top career games include a 24-21 win over Lake Highlands his junior year, when he rushed 13 times for 114 yards, and added four receptions for 70 yards, including the game winning touchdown. On defense, he had 10 tackles and one interception...In a 33-14 win over Plano his senior year, he had 65 yards receiving, nine tackles and one pass deflection, adding a 30-yard punt return average...That same year, in a 21-0 victory against Lewisville, he had 85 yards receiving, including a 79-yard touchdown reception, 10 tackles and two pass breakups in addition to a 35-yard kickoff-return average...Added three letters in track, setting school records in the triple-jump (50-8), long jump (24-61/2) and 100 meters (10.15)...Was the Texas Relay champion in the triple jump (48-5) his junior year, and he won district championships in the 100, long jump and triple-jump as a that campaign...District champion in the triple-jump as a sophomore...Was also an honor roll student.
