Tyler "Tank" Whaley (official thread)

[Oneshot]

Tyler is the best fullback we have.

And that's not an insult to DJ or TR.

Tyler is a monster.

[Taosman]

If he is our best, then why doesn't he play more?

[jwinslow]

Tyler played plenty until he got his bell rung against Minny... not sure how often he was in the last two games (harder to see from endzone).

[Taosman]

Concussion? That would explain a lot. I thought he looked better than Johnson in there. Hope he comes back soon.

[OregonBuckeye]

On Beanie's first td run, Whaley absolutely trucked someone, opening up a massive hole. Our running game is so much better with him in the game.

[BB73]

official.site

Tyler Whaley, senior fullback

On going into the BCS Championship game with one loss
"This year there is not one team at the top. Besides Hawaii, there are no undefeated teams. This shows we are not invincible. We came together after the loss. I have no regrets about it."

On Glenn Dorsey (LSU defensive lineman)

"He is fast, physical and a great defenseman. We have to prepare hard. Dorsey is the leader up front. He is tough to deal with, but we will do our best."

On representing the Big Ten

"Coming from the Big Ten Conference we hold responsibility to show what the Big Ten is all about. We just have to bring home the win."

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Iron-willed
OSU fullback Tyler Whaley used his Ironton toughness to fulfill a dream
Tuesday, December 25, 2007 3:14 AM
By Ken Gordon


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
DorAl Chenoweth III | Dispatch
During a Christmas-break visit to his hometown, Tyler Whaley, second from right, shares a life with, clockwise from lower right, stepfather Dave Vogelsong, mother Tammy Vogelsong, aunt Kim Tipton, aunt Missy Leonard and fiancee Brittany Benjamin.

DorAl Chenoweth III | Dispatch
An ornament of Tyler Whaley and his fiancee, Brittany Benjamin, hangs on a Christmas tree in the Ironton home of his mother and stepfather, Tammy and Dave Vogelsong.

DorAl Chenoweth III | Dispatch
On his holiday visit to Ironton, Tyler Whaley, left, ran into Jeff Linn, a coach who encouraged Whaley to walk on at OSU.



IRONTON, Ohio -- Surrounded by food and family in his grandparents' kitchen, Tyler Whaley is telling stories, and the laughter comes easily.
The jovial Ohio State fullback re-creates the song he sang at the 1980s-themed party where he met his fianc?e, Brittany Benjamin. He mimics the hysterical outburst of his mother, Tammy Vogelsong, after he hit a home run as a youngster.
He is the life of the party, literally in this case, as they celebrate Brittany's 22nd birthday with steaks and a cake. The mood is relaxed and warm.

Continued....

[hollandkat3]

The Lawrence Herald

Despite Ohio State?s 38-24 loss to LSU in Monday?s national championship game, the team?s second consecutive title-game defeat, I still want to be a Buckeye. Specifically, I want to be fullback Tyler ?Tank? Whaley.

As the 23 year-old senior from Ironton, I want to say that this loss really hurts. We worked our tails off the past several weeks to get ready for this game. Nobody on our team believed LSU was any better than we were?.and they weren?t. We just made some mistakes in the game we couldn?t overcome.

I don?t want to take anything away from the Tigers; they are an excellent football team. They earned and deserve this win. But, I want to remind everybody that our team was extremely young this year. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for us. Remember? We lost Teddy Ginn, Troy Smith, Antonio Pittman and Anthony Gonzales to the NFL after last season. Nobody gave us much of a chance to even win our own conference when this season started, much less play for it all.

But we went through the regular season 11-1, and there we were in New Orleans playing for the national championship?.again! We scored the first ten points of the game. It was an overwhelming rush. But, then things kind of fell apart. Like you, I was on that roller-coaster ride of emotions, from high to low. I?m as much a fan of my team as I am a player. These guys are my buddies. I wanted this win for all of us.

Sometimes, though, life doesn?t script itself the way we want it to play out. That?s hard for me to accept, because a national championship ring is the only goal I set at Ohio State that eluded me.

I walked onto this team after high school because it was my lifelong dream to wear the scarlet and gray. I pushed myself harder than most people can imagine just to become a part of this historic program. I went from an undersized walk-on lineman to a scholarship fullback because I refused to give up on my dream. And, although we didn?t win the big game, I wouldn?t change anything for the world.

For the rest of my life, I?ll be able to say that I knocked heads with the best football players in the country. I?ll use my experience as an example for those who say, ?I can?t.?
That?s when I can say, ?Let me tell you a story about when I was a young man.?

I am a living, breathing example that anybody, no matter what their age, can achieve anything if only they believe in themselves. I still have the best years of my life ahead of me and I will always chase my dreams. You can take that to the bank.




I am, and always will be, an Ohio State Buckeye!

Tyler Whaley is much too humble to talk so openly about his personal accomplishments. Knowing what I know about this young man, he would deflect all praise aimed in his direction to others. That?s just how he is. I greatly admire him for that.

Kids and adults across Lawrence County, and throughout Ohio, have been inspired by Tyler and his flat-out refusal to allow anything to keep him from his dream. For five seasons on the OSU campus, he was David among many Goliaths. There is no way to measure the seeds of hope and desire he has planted in the hearts of others simply by believing in himself. What a great example he is for our children!

The lives of Tammy and Dave Vogelsong and Rich Whaley, along with the entire Whaley and Tipton families, have been greatly blessed by this young man. I know how proud they all are of Tyler. It?s a special pride that can never be taken away.

Tyler has played his last game as an Ohio State Buckeye, but his determination will play on for many years to come. Stories like his are passed down for generations.

I?m only one man, but I know I speak for many when I say, ?Congratulations, Tank, on a truly spectacular career as a Buckeye. Thank you for the inspiration you have given to us all. You make us very proud!?

[hollandkat3]

Sorry about all of the ? where " or ' should be. I don't know why that happens.

[sandgk]

Originally Posted by hollandkat3

Sorry about all of the ? where " or ' should be. I don't know why that happens.

lack of HTML recognition - turned off by Clarity to preserve the server's sanity.

(Long time ago - someone was hacking in using HTML hooks).

Oh - and great copy by the way.

Here is the Link to the original article - "What Would Tyler Whaley Think?"

[Buckskin86]

What would Tyler Whaley think?
Jan 09, 2008 @ 11:59 PM
The Herald-Dispatch
Despite Ohio State's 38-24 loss to LSU in Monday's national championship game, the team's second consecutive title-game defeat, I still want to be a Buckeye. Specifically, I want to be fullback Tyler "Tank" Whaley.

So here goes:

As the 23-year-old senior from Ironton, I want to say that this loss really hurts. We worked our tails off the past several weeks to get ready for this game. Nobody on our team believed LSU was any better than we were -- and they weren't. We just made some mistakes in the game we couldn't overcome.

I don't want to take anything away from the Tigers; they are an excellent football team. They earned and deserve this win. But, I want to remind everybody that our team was extremely young this year. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for us. Remember? We lost Teddy Ginn, Troy Smith, Antonio Pittman and Anthony Gonzales to the NFL after last season. Nobody gave us much of a chance to even win our own conference when this season started, much less play for it all.

What would Tyler Whaley think? - Huntington, WV -- The Herald-Dispatch

[BB73]

official.site

National Football Foundation Honors Former Buckeyes

Courtesy: OhioStateBuckeyes.com
http://www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com
Tyler Whaley poses with head coach Jim Tressel at the National Football Foundation banquet Monday. Photo Credit: Steve Helwagen

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? The Columbus Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame held its 2008 Scholar-Athlete Banquet Monday at the Buckeye Hall of Fame Caf?. The foundation honored collegiate and high school scholar-athletes from central Ohio, including Tyler Whaley from the 2007 Ohio State football team.

A native of Ironton, Ohio, Whaley was one of seven collegiate players recognized Monday. The fifth-year lineman-turned-fullback was the 2007 Bo Rein Award winner as Ohio State?s most inspirational player. Whaley is scheduled to graduate in March with a degree in health sciences. He currently owns a 3.16 grade-point average.

[buckeyes_rock]

"Whaley is scheduled to graduate in March with a degree in health sciences. He currently owns a 3.16 grade-point average."

Great job Tank! This is the stuff I like to read!

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State?s Whaley earns scholar-athlete award
By Jim Walker/Tribune Sports Editor

Friday, February 15, 2008
Tyler Whaley?s Ohio State career has ended, but not the accolades.

The former All-Ohio lineman from Ironton who earned a scholarship with the Buckeyes as a walk-on, was honored as a collegiate and high school scholar-athlete from central Ohio by the Columbus Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

Whaley was one of seven collegiate players honored on Monday for his excellence on the field and in the classroom.

With a 3.16 grade point average, Whaley is scheduled to graduate in March with a degree in health sciences.

During Ohio State team football banquet, Whaley was voted the Bo Rein Award winner as the Buckeyes? most inspirational player.

The Ironton Tribune > Sports > Ohio State’s Whaley earns scholar-athlete award

[Buckskin86]

Tyler Whaley aims for NFL at Pro Day
Mar 06, 2008 @ 12:00 AM
By BILLY BRUCE
The Lawrence Herald

COLUMBUS -- Tyler Whaley doesn't sleepwalk. He chases his dreams wide awake.

Friday, at the Ohio State Pro Day in Columbus, the former Buckeyes walk-on and Ironton grad will showcase his skills to representatives of the NFL in hopes of landing a full-time gig in a professional backfield.

"This is an annual thing," Whaley said of the OSU orchestrated scouting combine, adding that Vernon Gholston, Trevor Robinson, Larry Grant, Kirk Barton, Jackson Haas, Dre' Riddick and Dionte Johnson will also be participating. "They let all of the outgoing seniors have a chance to be recognized by professional teams," he said.

"Tank," as Whaley has been known since his days as an Ironton Fighting Tiger, noted that the open try outs have proven beneficial to other fellow Buckeyes in the past. "This was great for (wide receiver) Roy Hall," Whaley said, mentioning that his former teammate's NFL stock was assisted immensely by the try out. "He was in a similar position as me. He went from not having too much draft stock to a fifth-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts."

Tyler Whaley aims for NFL at Pro Day - Huntington, WV -- The Herald-Dispatch