He’s sitting here, less than 10 miles from Michigan Stadium but miles away from his past. Gone from the present is the maize and blue Tyrone Wheatley wore for years.

Replacing it is a new role - assistant coach of the running backs - new colors - green and white - and a new team a few miles away, Eastern Michigan.

When former Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English was hired as Eastern’s head coach, he vetted every candidate thoroughly - except for Wheatley. He spoke to a few people about the former Wolverines star, but even said this week he should have spoken to more people.
Not that it would have changed English’s mind.

“I got lucky. I got lucky,” English said. “A good friend of mine knew Tyrone and watched him worked and said you should really strongly consider hiring him. And I didn’t know him, just in passing.”

Wheatley, though, always figured he’d coach. Where was the question. When he was at Michigan and in during his 10 years in the NFL, his goal was to return to coach at his high school, Robichaud in Dearborn Heights.

He retired from the NFL in 2004.

By 2006, he was the head coach at Robichaud, the place where he became one of the most prolific players in Michigan High School football history. He stayed for two seasons, interned at Division III Ohio Northern for a year and then English called with an offer.

“I didn’t know that he would be as good of a coach as he is right now,” English said. “He would be a great coach if he chooses to stay in this profession.”

While English had doubts, Wheatley didn’t.

He may not have gone the normal route, but that shouldn’t surprise either. After all, when a reporter brought up his unconventional path to Eastern Michigan, Wheatley laughed and asked when he’s ever done things conventionally.

“Conventional wisdom has its place,” Wheatley said. “Coaches have always said that you must take a certain path in order to be a great coach. Now it’s true that all players don’t make great coaches.

“…But I know ball. I know athletics. I’m not arrogant. I’m not cocky. I’m just very in tune with myself and know what I know. Like I said, I know athletics. I can coach anything with a ball. Except golf.”

Wheatley has drawn on his experiences in the NFL and Michigan and high school, remembering what he liked as a player, what he didn’t. He’s written everything in a book, calling himself a “thief,” taking ideas from every level, from every coach from Jon Gruden to Fred Jackson.  

Recognizing that just because he was able to do something with a blend of size and speed rarely seen in high school or college doesn’t mean other players can do that.

So instead, he asks players what they see instead of wondering why they didn’t hit a hole.
That’s one thing he took.

Recruiting is one thing he’s learning, although being an NFL player has a certain cachet.
With the fathers of the recruits.

“If you’re no longer on a video game, they don’t know who you are,” Wheatley said. “That’s the day and age we’re in now. If you’re not on a video game, they don’t know.”

There’s still a learning curve for Wheatley, but as he progresses, he has a new stated goal - become a Division I head coach.

That day hasn’t arrived yet, so instead Saturday becomes this:

Wheatley will gingerly walk down the steep ramp leading to the tunnel at Michigan Stadium, he won’t wear a jersey. He won’t be tapping the Go Blue banner. And he won’t run across the field, instead stopping short of stepping on it.

It doesn’t mean his Michigan ties have gone away. It’s just that his loyalties are combined for now between his past and his present.

“For me to be on the visitors side, I’m coaching,” Wheatley said. “I’m an Eastern Michigan Eagle now. But that part of me is still there. That will never, ever be taken away.

“Everybody asks me and I say you know what, I played at Dearborn Heights Robichaud so my heart pumps red, black and white. I bleed maize and blue but I cry tears of victory green and white. So no matter how you strike it up, that’s a part of me.”

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.