:Ernie Wheeler

{{Short description|American football player (1915–1982)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Ernie Wheeler

| number = 15, 41, 31

| position = Defensive back
Tailback

| birth_date = {{birth date|1915|01|28}}

| birth_place = Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1982|06|18|1915|01|28}}

| death_place = Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lb = 190

| high_school = Central (Fargo, North Dakota)

| college = North Dakota St.

| draftyear = 1939

| draftround = 5

| draftpick = 32

| pastteams =

• Pittsburgh Pirates ({{NFL Year|1939}})
• Chicago Cardinals (1939)
• Boston Bears ({{NFL Year|1939}})
• Chicago Cardinals ({{NFL Year|1942}})

| statlabel1 = Passing yards

| statvalue1 = 94

| statlabel2 = TD-INT

| statvalue2 = 1-7

| statlabel3 = Passer rating

| statvalue3 = 30.1

| pfr = WheeEr20

}}

Ernest Martin Wheeler (January 28, 1915 – June 18, 1982){{cite book|title=The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia Second Edition|publisher=Sterling Publishing|year=2007|location=New York City|page=733|isbn=978-1-4027-5250-6}} was an American football defensive back and tailback who played in the National Football League (NFL) in 1939 and 1942.

Wheeler played college football at North Dakota State University from 1936 to 1938, and was named to the All-North Central Conference team each year as a running back. In college, he also played basketball and participated in track events.{{cite web|title=Ernie Wheeler|publisher=North Dakota State University|date=November 5, 2004|url=http://www.gobison.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=2400&ATCLID=87050|accessdate=November 7, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406110622/http://www.gobison.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=2400&ATCLID=87050|archivedate=April 6, 2012|url-status=dead}} In the 1939 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates chose Wheeler with the 32nd overall pick, during round five.{{Cite web |title=1939 NFL Draft |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1939/draft.htm |access-date=March 27, 2023 |publisher=Pro Football Reference |language=en}} Wheeler played in five games for the Pirates, posting 8 rushing yards in 15 attempts. He also delivered a punt of 75 yards, the second-longest in the NFL that year. Later in 1939, Wheeler played in two games for the Chicago Cardinals, rushing the ball twice for a net loss of eight yards. He did not play again in the NFL until 1942, when he played in three games for the Cardinals.{{cite web|title=Ernie Wheeler|publisher=Pro Football Reference|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WheeEr20.htm|accessdate=October 7, 2011}} Wheeler was part of the inaugural class inducted into North Dakota State's Bison Athletic Hall of Fame in 1972.{{cite web |title=Bison Athletic Hall of Fame |publisher=North Dakota State University |url=http://www.gobison.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=2400&ATCLID=69807 |accessdate=September 23, 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928054030/http://www.gobison.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=2400&ATCLID=69807 |archivedate=September 28, 2011 }}