#57 Matt Wilhelm | LB
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Position: LB College: Ohio State Height: 6-4 Weight: 245 Age: 27 Experience: 6th NFL Season Acquired: Draft 4 - 2003 (112) Hometown: Elyria, Ohio |
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Career StatsChargers linebacker Matt Wilhelm patiently waited five years for his opportunity to start in the National Football League, and when the time finally came last fall, Wilhelm made the most of it. He started 14 games in 2007 and finished second on the squad with 144 tackles. He also recorded three interceptions, a sack and four tackles for loss.
Wilhelm was a key cog in the Bolts’ defense. A calf injury caused him to miss two starts and most of a third game in September and the Chargers dropped all three of those decisions. Wilhelm serves as the signal caller for the Chargers’ defense and plays a key role in getting the group lined up.
Prior to his ascension into a starting role, the Chargers saw enough promise in Wilhelm that they inked the former OhioState Buckeye to a five-year contract extension in December 2006. The Chargers have him locked up through the 2011 season.
An exciting ’07 season that concluded with the extension gave way to an even more thrilling spring for Wilhelm. In March, Matt’s wife, Vanessa, gave birth to the couple’s first child, a son named Mason.
Away from the field, Matt enjoys playing golf and basketball, spending time with his teammates and his family. The Wilhelms were married in April 2007 and vacationed shortly thereafter in the Bahamas. Last summer, they took a more formal honeymoon, traveling to Paris, Monte Carlo and St. Tropez. The Wilhelm’s pet is a Miniature Pinscher named Diesel.
In college, Matt had a couple of interesting superstitions. He wore the same game shoes for his final three seasons and on the night before each game, he would sleep in the bed closest to the window.
TRANSACTION HISTORY: Fourth-round choice (112) by San Diego, April 27, 2003…signed with Chargers, July 19, 2003…re-signed one-year contract, April 19, 2006.
2007: Starting first career game in season opener vs. Chicago, racked up 10 tackles, second-most on team…also made heads up special teams play late in third quarter to recover punt after it hit Bears player in shoulder…four plays later, Chargers scored TD on 17-yard pass to Antonio Gates for 7-3 lead…inactive Week 3 while nursing calf injury and replaced in starting lineup by Carlos Polk…part of three-way tie for team lead with 12 stops vs. Houston Oct. 28…racked up career-high 18 tackles, including one for loss, Week 8 at Minnesota…collected interception off Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning on opening series of second half in Nov. 11 NBC Sunday Night Football game vs. Colts…finished night with 14 tackles, second-most on team…injured ankle on opening series of third quarter of Nov. 4 game at Minnesota and had surgery following day…was inactive Week 9 vs. Indianapolis…led squad with 14 tackles, including one for loss Nov. 18 at Jacksonville…tackle for loss (-1 yards) took place late in fourth quarter and helped force punt to give Bolts one last drive to attempt to tie game…credited with sack for no yards Dec. 9 at Kansas City…led team with 15 total tackles and had huge interception and pass breakup in Dec. 9 overtime win at Tennessee…intercepted pass off Vince Young on third-and-two play on opening drive of third quarter…Bolts then kicked field goal following interception for first points of game…then in fourth quarter of 17-10 game, broke up huge third-down pass to force punt and set up San Diego’s game-tying TD drive…interception and seven-yard return on first play of second quarter Dec. 16 vs. Detroit led to field goal and 20-0 lead for Bolts…was second pick in as many games and third of season…led team with 12 tackles against Denver on Dec. 24 ESPN Monday Night Football and helped end fourth-quarter drive on downs with one-yard tackle for loss after Broncos had driven to San Diego’s two-yard line.
2006: Played Weeks 1-16 & divisional playoff game on defense and special teams...tied for team high with two special teams tackles Sept. 17 against Tennessee...second on squad with two special teams tackles against Pittsburgh Oct. 8 and he and Clinton Hart combined to tackle Bryant McFadden for two-yard loss on fake punt attempt in first quarter...had big hand in Bolts’ 21-14 win over Oakland Nov. 26 by tipping pass at line of scrimmage that was intercepted by Drayton Florence on first play after two-minute warning in fourth quarter...interception came on fourth-and-13 play and Chargers ran out clock for win...also tied for team high with two special teams stops against Raiders...collected pair of special teams tackles in Dec. 24 game at Seattle.
2005: Tied for third on team with 15 special teams tackles…credited with two special teams tackles at New England Oct. 2…second on squad with two special teams stops at Oakland Oct. 16…tallied three tackles as reserve linebacker against Kansas City Oct. 30…led team with three special teams tackles at New York Jets Nov. 6…intercepted pass off JP Losman in third quarter of 48-10 win over Buffalo Nov. 20…his pick ended team’s streak of 10 consecutive quarters without interception…Bolts kicked field goal after interception to take 41-10 lead…outstanding all-around effort in ESPN Sunday Night Football game against Oakland Dec. 4 with sack, three tackles on defense and team-high three tackles on special teams…seven-yard sack came on third-and-eight play late in fourth quarter to force Raiders punt…in 26-17 win at Indianapolis Dec. 18, collected two special teams tackles and forced fumble on kickoff following field goal that gave Bolts 19-17 lead in fourth quarter.
2004: Inactive Weeks 1-9…played in first game of season Week 10 at Oakland and had one tackle on special teams…tied for team-high with two special teams stops against Tampa Bay Dec. 12…led squad with two tackles on special teams at Indianapolis Dec. 26…first-career interception along with five tackles and two passes defensed against Kansas City Jan. 2…saw action on special teams during Wild Card Playoff game vs. New York Jan. 8.
2003: Lone two tackles on special teams against Minnesota Nov. 9…played in first-career game on special teams against Baltimore Sept. 21…inactive Weeks 1-2, 4-8 and 10-16.
COLLEGE: First-team All-Big Ten Conference selection as senior…recipient of Randy Gradishar Award as team’s top linebacker as junior…led team with career-high 121 tackles senior season…led team with 10 tackles in 2003 Fiesta Bowl victory against Miami for National Championship…finished career with 266 tackles, eight sacks, 44 stops for loss, three interceptions and four forced fumbles…ranked sixth on the school’s career-record list for tackles for loss…played at Ohio State from 1999-2002…majored in communications.
PERSONAL: Born Feb. 2, 1981 in Oberlin, Ohio…first team all-state selection at
