Former NFL offensive linemen Chad Wheeler became a household name for all the wrong reasons in 2021.
Back in November, Wheeler was found guilty of two domestic violence charges stemming from a horrifying attack on his ex-girlfriend in January 2021.
Wheeler, who played for the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants, was found guilty by a King County, Washington, jury of first- and second-degree domestic violence charges, according to FOX 13 Seattle. The jury found Wheeler not guilty of unlawful imprisonment.
The station noted that the first-degree conviction came with the determination that the former NFL player used force of means likely to result in death. He faced a minimum of five years in prison.
Alleah Taylor, Wheeler’s girlfriend at the time of the incident, said he assaulted her when she refused to bow to him. She told “CBS This Morning” in February 2021 things escalated from there.
He, he stood up. And he told me to bow down. And I asked him why. And he didn’t respond. He just told me to bow down again. And I told him no. And he immediately grabbed my neck. And that’s when things began,” she said, adding that Wheeler choked her and she blacked out twice.
I had touched my face. And I looked down, and there was, there’s blood on my hand…. I remember getting up and running to the bathroom. Chad was standing by the bed, by the doorway. And he was sipping his smoothie and was, like, “Wow, you’re, you’re still alive.’”
After the verdict was handed down, Taylor wrote on X, “I finally have justice.”
Former NFL Player Chad Wheeler Gets Stiff Sentence For Brutal Domestic Violence Attack
Wheeler was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison on Friday, just months after he had been found guilty of a vicious attack on his then-girlfriend in 2021.
Wheeler, who was waived by the Seattle Seahawks after being charged with two counts of domestic violence, was sentenced to 81 months in prison and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation, The Seattle Times reported.
He will also be placed under community supervision for three years after his sentence has been served.
Chad Wheeler, who also spent time with the Giants, had been found guilty in November of first- and second-degree assault/domestic violence. He was found not guilty on a third charge of false imprisonment.
According to ESPN, the woman was left bloodied from the attack in which Wheeler strangled her twice, causing her to lose consciousness on both occasions.
She suffered a fractured humerus and a dislocated elbow as a result of the attack, in what Wheeler claimed had been a “manic episode.”
The former NFL OL did not plead guilty to any of the charges.
An undrafted free agent out of USC. Wheeler played two seasons with the Giants before he was waived and signed by the Seahawks in 2020.
Chad Wheeler, who enrolled at USC in the spring of 2012 after graduating a semester early from high school, redshirted as a freshman offensive tackle in 2012. He missed most of 2013 spring practice with a knee injury.
He started all season at left offensive tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2013 and did an admirable job. He also was used on some special teams and blocked a field goal against Stanford. He made 2013 Athlon Freshman All-American third team and CollegeFootballNews.com Freshman All-American honorable mention. He was USC’s Co-Lifter of the Year.
Wheeler started USC’s first 8 games at left offensive tackle as a sophomore in 2014, but he tore ligaments in his right knee at Utah (although he played a full series with the injury) and missed the final 5 games. He won USC’s Bob Chandler Award (athletics/academics/character).
He made 2015 All-Pac-12 second team and Phil Steele All-Pac-12 third team. He sat out 2015 spring practice while recovering from that 2014 knee injury, but went all to thrive as the primary left tackle, starting in 12 games.
After starting for the Trojans in 2016, there were mixed reviews on whether Chad Wheeler would get selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. Wheeler was not drafted out of college due to injuries and off-the-field issues. On April 30, 2017, the New York Giants signed Wheeler as an undrafted free agent where he found the field with a few starts, but was eventually waived before getting picked up by the Seahawks.