Rashidi Wheeler was given an offer he couldn’t refuse, Dr. Fred Harris told about 700 mourners at Alice Millar Chapel Tuesday afternoon during a memorial service for the 22-year-old football player who died last Friday.
One of several speakers to try and reconcile Wheeler’s death with extended metaphors about winning, overtime and the practice field, Harris put Wheeler’s death in football terms.
“He was approached by a member of the HFL – Heaven’s Football League,” Harris said. In Wheeler’s new home, there are no losses and enough championship hardware to outfit every ring finger in the league. The team owner is God, the coach is Jesus, and – most importantly – the trainer is the Holy Spirit.
Harris’ speech struck a chord with the family, friends and fans who came seeking closure for Wheeler’s death even as an investigation into its cause looms on the horizon. After the service The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. told reporters he would become a spokesman for the family as the university begins reviewing the team’s procedures for dealing with medical emergencies. He added that Wheeler’s family is growing increasingly concerned with the details of the last hour of Wheeler’s life.
Wheeler, the starting strong safety for last year’s Big Ten champion team, collapsed during a running drill with the football team last Friday evening. Trainers attended to the asthmatic while paramedics were summoned, but they were unable to revive Wheeler. He died of complications from bronchial asthma around 6 p.m. at Evanston Hospital.
Wheeler’s soft-spoken uncle, Dr. Anthony Will, led the testimonials by envisioning a conversation with his nephew, in which Wheeler referred to his own death as an “injustice.” Will responded by saying that he would do everything he could to ensure that none of Wheeler’s teammates ever suffered the same fate.
Several of Wheeler’s teammates and close friends expressed frustration as they took turns relating memories at a podium next to the open casket.
“He was my right-hand man,” said Chasda Martin, a cornerback on the football team. “Now I feel like I’m handicapped.”
Wheeler’s teammates, along with head coach Randy Walker and defensive coordinator Jerry Brown, also spoke of Wheeler’s love for his teammates, the game of football and Northwestern.
But Harris’ vision drew spontaneous applause from the crowd, setting the stage for Jackson. The last to speak before the final prayer and hymn, Jackson tried to convert the chapel into the student section at Ryan Field.
“Show your love for a champion, a fighter, a friend,” Jackson said, as he led the audience into a two-minute standing ovation for Wheeler.
Jackson’s speech became more serious as he then challenged Wheeler’s teammates to recognize the uncertainty of death, even at the age of 22. His following message of hope was as much about enduring the death of a friend as continuing life on the football field without Wheeler at strong safety.
“It’s sudden death, and the greatest games are won in overtime,” he said. “You can’t give up now saying, ‘We don’t have 11 players on the field.’ In overtime, great players play with pain.”
Kevin Bentley, one of Wheeler’s teammates, expressed concern after the service about preventing similar casualties on the football field.
“I don’t want to see another of my brothers, my teammates die,” said Bentley, who will wear Wheeler’s No. 30 this season in honor of his teammate. During the service, Bentley reflected on Wheeler’s creative tendencies, going so far as to imitate a dance of Wheeler’s to laughs from the crowd. “He brought a lot of joy and love to people’s lives. I enjoyed the service. We had a chance to put closure to his life.”
