Meet the NFL's newest renaissance man
As a college walk-on, an aspiring doctor and an undrafted free agent, Ian Wheeler is used to the pressure.
Ian Wheeler wants to be a psychiatrist. He also wants to play football.
Wheeler joined the Howard football team five years ago as a walk-on. Last year, he deferred his medical school admissions to pursue professional football.
Now, Wheeler is on an NFL roster — one of two active players in the league from Howard and just the 23rd player ever from the school.
On May 9, Wheeler signed a three-year, $2.8 million deal with the Bears as an undrafted free agent to become one of nine UDFA additions to Ryan Poles’ five-man draft class.
“Honestly, I almost cried when I signed my contract,” Wheeler said at the Bears’ rookie minicamp on Saturday. “I’ve been working towards this since I was 7 years old… it’s just been a long way to get to this spot,” he said.
It wasn’t football that compelled Houston native Wheeler to move to the nation’s capital for college. Wheeler first became enthralled with Howard when he saw black squirrels running around campus on a visit with his mom.
“I’m just like, this is one of the coolest places I’ve ever seen,” Wheeler said on the “2nd City Gridiron” podcast.
Wheeler walked on at Howard because he struggled to stand out to colleges in the Texas talent pool. When the special teams coordinator noticed his speed, Wheeler became a kick returner for the Bison, which he believes gave him a skill set he can translate to the NFL.
“I can run the ball, I can pass-protect and I can catch the ball in the backfield,” Wheeler said. “Returning kicks, going down and tackling somebody… I’m comfortable with all those things.”
Wheeler racked up 2,710 all-purpose yards for Howard, with 1,322 coming from kick returns. His 2023 season saw him average 29.1 yards per return and 7.3 rushing yards per carry.
Even as he adjusts to the speed of the NFL, he’ll still be on common ground with the rest of the league as they learn the new kickoff rules for the 2024 season. The guidelines will forbid fair catches and prevent the kicking team from moving until the ball hits the ground or player.
“Everybody’s adjusting,” Wheeler said of the new rules. “Things are a little bit slower. There’s not much of a chance for someone to get laid out…for someone to take your head off.”
As for medical school, Wheeler has to retake the MCAT and reapply when the time comes. But for now, he says he’s focused on the task at hand.
“Everyone’s trying to make a roster – it doesn’t matter if you’re drafted, undrafted or a tryout guy – everyone here has to work for everything they have. I’m just used to that.”