Kenny Wheaton : Football : 1994-1996 : Defensive Back
To any Duck fan, Kenny Wheaton needs no introduction. He only made the most famous play in the history of Duck football. He was 2nd team all Pac-10 as a sophomore, and first team as a junior. He interceped ten passes in his three seasons as a Duck, including the aforementioned Pick. The 97 yards on the pick is the second longest interception return in Duck history. He broke up 28 passes in his career, good for 4th all time, and had 173 tackles in three years. He left UO as a junior to enter the NFL draft, becoming the first Duck to ever leave early. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round (pick 94) of the 1997 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately for Wheaton, his time in Dallas did not go well. In 1997, he separated his shoulder in the preseason, and played in only two games on special teams late in the season. He had a relatively successful second season in the NFL as a nickel back and special teams player. He had 36 tackles, including 7 tackles and a pick against the Giants on Monday Night Football. However, injuries limited him to five games in 1999, and he was cut by the Cowboys.
The next three years in Wheaton's life are whereabouts unknown. It appears that he was out of football because neither his Wikipedia page nor his Argonauts bio has any mention regarding this time. However, we do know that he was signed by the Detroit Fury in 2002, where he finished second on the team in tackles in nine games. He was then traded to the Colorado Crush, where he was cut in training camp. So he went up north to Canada, signing with the Toronto Argonauts.
He has enjoyed much greater success in Canada than he did in the United States. He quickly became a starting quarterbackcornerback for the Argonauts. His team won the Grey Cup in 2004, and he was a first time CFL all-star in 2005. In 2004, reminiscent of the pick, he returned an interception 116 yards (Canadian fields are a bit longer) for a touchdown in the playoffs. He resides with his wife and daughter in his native Texas in the offseason.