Damen Wheeler, #2

Bio

PROFILE:  Damen Wheeler, who is one of the top defensive specialists in the Arena Football League, returns for his fourth season with the Avengers.  He signed a three-year contract extension on Feb. 2, 2004, that will keep him with the club through the current campaign.  Last season, Wheeler started 12 games and finished with 54.5 tackles, 11 pass breakups, four interceptions and one forced fumble.  He picked off two passes versus the Chicago Rush on April 23, 2005, returning one of them for a touchdown.  In 2004, Wheeler played in only eight games, while battling a series of nagging injuries.  However, he did finish tied for the team lead in interceptions with four and returned one of them for a 38-yard touchdown.  Wheeler also came up with 27.5 tackles, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble for the Avengers in 2004.  He was an AFL All-Rookie performer in 2003, playing in 15 regular-season games.  Wheeler led the Avengers with five interceptions and 15 pass breakups in 2003.  He was also second on the team in tackles with 62, including two for losses.

NFL:  While with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2001 season, Wheeler was used extensively as a nickel back and on special teams.  He recorded a total of 12 tackles (11 unassisted).  Wheeler was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, but was among the final cuts prior to the regular season.  In the spring of 2001, he started 10 games for the New York/New Jersey Hitmen of the XFL, recording 42 tackles and three interceptions, and made the All-XFL first team.  Before joining the Jaguars later in 2001, Wheeler participated in training camp with the St. Louis Rams, but was once again among the final cuts.

COLLEGE:  A four-year letterman (1996-99) at the University of Colorado (Boulder, Colo.), Wheeler played in 40 games for the Buffaloes, starting in 31 of them.  In his collegiate career, he compiled 137 tackles, eight interceptions, two sacks and forced three fumbles.  Wheeler earned All-Big 12 Conference honors three times and also holds the Buffalo career record for passes broken up with 39. 

HIGH SCHOOL:  Wheeler attended Valley High School (Sacramento, Calif.), where he played tailback and set school records with 193 carries for 2,284 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior in 1995, to earn honorable mention All-USA honors from USA Today.  He played in the same offensive backfield as Las Vegas Gladiator (and former Avenger) defensive specialist Antuan Simmons, who was the Vikings' star quarterback.  Wheeler also lettered in basketball and track & field for Valley.

PERSONAL:  Born in Sacramento, Calif. . resides in Marina del Rey, Calif., with his wife, Shannon, and their three sons, Damen, Jaiden and Camden, and daughter, Lauren . majored in ethnic studies at Colorado . is an accomplished singer with a CD in the works . coached the Burbank Vikings Pop Warner team this past fall, along with Avenger teammate Ryan Van Dyke.