Wheeler played here in 1998, but a torn ACL the following year ended his NFL career after eight seasons. He also played for the Bengals and the Vikings, but has made Charlotte home, and is a regular presence at Legends events here, including last weekend when he gathered with nearly 100 other former players to watch the Panthers come back to beat the Dolphins.
This week, he’ll be back to hit the Keep Pounding drum heading into the fourth quarter, and tell his important story to anyone who will listen.
Panthers.com caught up with Wheeler this week to talk about his journey, and the importance of early detection.
Q: What does it mean to be back here at Bank of America Stadium this weekend to celebrate Crucial Catch weekend?
Wheeler: “It means a lot to be able to share the story. When you think about it, us having over 2,500 guys playing this game, they’re going to all be affected in some way with prostate cancer in their families, right? When you think about it, one out of eight men and one out of six men of color would be impacted by prostate cancer. So to be able to bring that awareness on such a Crucial Catch weekend is huge.
“It’s about staying alert, staying aware. My mantra now is “suit up, get checked.” When you think about us as former athletes or as athletes in general, we’ve been suiting up our whole life pretty much, right? And one of the things that we’re really good at as men is that we’re great at hiding. So it’s really creating that accountability around, I need for you to stop thinking that you’re OK, and I need for you to know that you are.”