Ian is a Junior psychology major, Chemistry minor from Houston,TX by way of New Orleans. Although he considers Houston his home, he still frequents Louisiana to see family. At an early age, Wheeler split his time between football and karate. He began his football career as an Offensive lineman before transitioning to safety. Eventually he played all positions, entering high school with hopes of starting on varsity. He quickly noticed peers begin to separate themselves due to physical growth and maturity and was certainly not left behind. After a decent campaign at Safety, he was told that he would be splitting carries at running back ahead of the season. Standing at around 5’ 7”, 170 lbs, he relied heavily on his speed and vision. Wheeler picked up pole vaulting in the springtime. He speaks at length about the dangers and anxieties associated with the sport, including an instance where his pole snapped in half. Regardless, he loved watching himself progress and work towards higher heights day in and day out. When undergoing his recruiting, the Howard Bison were between football coaches. Determined to maximize his athletic potential, he reached out to Track coach, Olympian and podcast guest Coach Oliver. Although his running times were around average, his 14 foot vault was enough to earn himself a spot. A few weeks later, he was offered a football preferred walk-on spot via Twitter dm. Wheeler entered college prepared for the tall task of two sports, but the realities quickly set in. Due to miscommunication and lack of confidence, he had a slow start on the field, only playing special teams. Not to mention, he was at the bottom of an incredibly competitive running back depth chart. After a season to forget, he traded in his cleats for spikes, or at least did so during the mornings. He traveled 30 minutes twice a week at 6 am to practice vaulting, while also not having a coach or the proper tools. At nights, he lifted with the football team. Although his track career lasted just 3 meets, he made his mark in each, ultimately placing 4th at the MEAC conference championships. Wheeler was primed to make the switch from vaulting to sprinting and long jumping when the pandemic cut his Freshman year short. He worked hard to overcome the difficulties of the pandemic both on and off the field. With a year under his belt playing mostly special teams, he was eager to play again. Due to Covid, the spring season was just 2 games, both against the same opponent. Wheeler scored his first collegiate touchdown in the second game, and was a bright spot during a hectic and brief season. Finally beginning to see the fruits of his labor at his position, Wheeler earned 10-12 touches per game and made great use of them. Despite suffering a partial tear in his MCL early in the year, he preserved to rumble to ~7 yards a carry. His ultimate goals are to become a professional football player and a doctor. We wish Ian the best of luck going forward! Recorded: 3.17.22
