Rashidi Wheeler / Northwestern University

Rashidi Wheeler

Rashidi Wheeler died on August 3, 2001, following a conditioning workout with the Northwestern University football team. His highly publicized death was far more than a personal tragedy for Rashidi and his family. It was a watershed event in sports safety because it was a tragedy that didn't need to happen.

Rashidi lettered in three sports at Damien High School in LaVerne, California- football, track, and basketball- and he played soccer. He was voted the most valuable offensive player in high school not just once, but twice. He won an All-Conference Scholar Athlete Award and he played in the San Gabriel All-Star Game. He was the captain of his football team during his senior year. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards, scored 13 touchdowns, caught three passes for touchdowns, and averaged 6.9 yards per carry.

A senior at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, Rashidi was the starting strong safety for the Wildcats. Standing 6-foot tall and weighing in at 212 pounds, Rashidi was in top shape and known as a player to contend with.

 

Coming into the 2001 season, Rashidi's football career was solid. In 2000 the team went 8-4 overall, was 6-2 in the Big Ten, and tied for the Big Ten Championship, a rare occurrence for Northwestern. Rashidi was the starting safety in all 12 games, including the exciting game against the Michigan Wolverines, when the Wildcats beat the perennial powerhouse 54-51. Rashidi finished third on the team that year with 88 tackles, 59 of them solo, a fumble recovery, and three pass breakups.

But Rashidi wasn't just about sports. He was intelligent and did well in school, majoring in communications at Northwestern. He painted abstracts, wrote poetry, and talked of opening an art gallery. He was well-rounded, well-liked and popular, yet remained humble. All in all, he was a good person, and one who would be greatly missed. To learn more about Rashidi Wheeler, click here to view, &Quot;Out of tragedy, NSSO is born," a feature story written by Debi Shoepe, NSSO's Senior Editor.