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NFL veteran set to help Illinois football in a big way

Bret Bielema is rounding out the Illinois football coaching staff, and we landed a big-time former NFL running back to lead the running back room.
ByRees Woodcock|
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Jan 21, 2018; Foxborough, MA, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley during the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jan 21, 2018; Foxborough, MA, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley during the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Illinois football program is used to sending players to the NFL, and now NFL players are helping the Orange and Blue.

On Monday, the Illini announced on social media that we have hired former NFL running back Tyrone Wheatley to be the running backs coach.

Wheatley was a star running back at Michigan in the early 1990s. He amassed 3,671 yards and 40 touchdowns. His talent got him drafted No. 17 overall in the 1995 NFL Draft.

In 10 seasons in the NFL, Wheatley had 1,270 carries and finished with 4,962 yards. He also totaled 40 touchdowns in his career.

Coaching was an avenue Wheatley would eventually head down. He started in the high school ranks in 2007. He then transitioned into a running backs coach with five different programs from 2008 through 2016. Wheatley then headed to the NFL as a running backs coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After two seasons in Jacksonville, Wheatley headed back to the college ranks as Morgan State’s head coach for three seasons. He was the Denver Broncos running backs coach in 2022 before becoming the head coach at Wayne State from 2023-25.

Illinois football is enabling the running backs on the roster to get a ton of knowledge from talented ball-carriers

I absolutely love what Bret Bielema is doing with the Illinois running back room on and off the field.

Bielema is bringing in talented running backs to build depth at this position. But he isn’t just leaving the running backs to rely on their great talent. Bielema is putting talented coaches in play to help develop the running backs on the roster.

Last season, former Wisconsin and New England Patriots running back James White was hired as an assistant running backs coach. Illinois is now bringing in another NFL-experienced running back to lead the coaching department in Wheatley.

If you want to learn from NFL running backs, come to Illinois. It is pretty simple. This was a great hire by Bielema.

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