Where are they now?

Matt Wheeler

Matt Wheeler starred at quarterback for Wartburg College from 1996 to 1999. He was a starter for two-and-a-half seasons. He still holds several school records including: most touchdown passes in a season with 28, most touchdowns in a game being five and most touchdowns in a career at 59. His senior year in 1999, Matt guided the Knights to an undefeated regular season, the Iowa Conference championship and a berth into the NCAA Division-Three playoffs. He was a two-time All Iowa Conference selection.

Matt, a West Branch native, looked at other Iowa Conference schools his senior year of high school but decided on Wartburg. He chose Wartburg as it allowed him to play not only football but basketball as well. He also liked the campus and the football coaches. His favorite memory at Wartburg was when the Knights beat Central his senior year. Both teams were undefeated going into the game which was the second to last game of the season. Matt remembers the huge crowd and the environment in Waverly for the big showdown. The Knights won the game on their way to an unbeaten regular season.

Matt graduated with a Fitness Management major at Wartburg. After briefly playing football in Germany he returned to Wartburg where he was a student coach for the football team for one year. Matt coached at St. Cloud State in St. Cloud, Minnesota for three-years before taking his current job as the Offensive Coordinator at North Carolina Wesleyan in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Matt’s wife Emily, formerly Emily Bailey, also attended Wartburg and was a four-year starter on the women’s basketball team. Matt and Emily have a nine-month old son, Elijah.

Matt feels that playing football at Wartburg helped him in several areas of his life. He said it helped in time management, work ethic and provided perspective to make him a well rounded person. He still follows the Knights closely and three of his former teammates, Tim Morrison, Jeff Beck and Reed Hoskins are coaches on the current Knights team.