Leonard Wheeler

Accomplished personal/executive coach and highly sought after speaker Leonard Wheeler is a southern boy with roots in Toccoa, Georgia. But, his competitive spirit, power to persuade and infectious personality has taken him all over the country. From playing football in the NFL, addressing high-power corporations and serving as a personal coach for top executives to supporting survivors of the Columbine tragedy and starring in local and national commercials, TV shows (One Tree Hill on the WB), and movies (Radio, starring Cuba Gooding jr. and Ed Harris), Leonard’s success is well documented.

He attended Troy University in Alabama on a full football scholarship and received his BS in Business Administration after being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 3rd round of the 1992 draft. Leonard also posses a degree in Communications. He also spent time with the Minnesota Vikings before he retired with the Carolina Panthers in 2001.  Along the way, Leonard discovered his gift for speaking and began to perfect his craft, which led to a smooth transition from sports to his second career. He entered the speaking circuit in 1992, initially focusing on motivational speaking to sports groups. But his fervor caught fire and before long, Leonard was working with small businesses, large companies, universities, youth groups and nonprofits as well. Leonard Wheeler is a natural in front of a room and remains confident that he can positively affect, inspire, and promote change for any group of people.Cherishing his long-standing relationship with the NFL, Leonard remains involved as a retired player. He is the former President of the Charlotte Retired Players Chapter for the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA).  He also serves as the only retired player on the NFLPA Financial Committee that regulates over 520 financial advisors for all current and former NFL players.  Recently, in 2008, Leonard was honored to accept an elected position as a member of the National Steering Committee for the NFLPA, which is the governing body for all retired NFL players. He prides himself on being committed to helping others reach their potential before and after football, so the NFLPA called on him to create and facilitate workshops for its constituency.

Despite his many accomplishments, Leonard remains grounded by his relationship with God.  He continues to serve and support churches and various ministries, such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Christian Athletes United for Spiritual Empowerment, and the Word Network. Also, Leonard’s remarkable reputation led him to be a guest speaker at the inaugural gospel concert sanctioned by the NFL and featured on BET.

Often referred to as “dynamic,” Leonard Wheeler strives to stay busy, maintaining relationships with various organizations. He is a columnist for Savior Faire magazine that goes out to over 40,000 readers and serves on the board of directors for the “Youth Commission International” that touches 132 cities in 32 states to better educate our youth www.youthcommission.us. He also serves on the board for www.LetmeRun.org “connecting boys sole to soul.” Leonard is also the founder of www.athletesinstitute.com, which reaches out to athletes of all ages about cognitive development.

In the spirit of entrepreneurship, Leonard started Wheeler Enterprises, Inc. in 2001.  Through his business, he teaches individuals and companies how to be a catalyst for change in order to reach their goals and achieve perpetual success. He utilizes Axiology, which is the study of quality and value to give fresh perspective for his clients who desire to go to another level in their personal or professional lives (Click here to view his certification credentials). Whether in workshops, individual coaching sessions or teleconferences, Leonard is passionate about creating clarity for his clients and the developing leaders of tomorrow. Some of WE clients are Capital One, Vanguard, MIT, Bojangles, BDO Seidman,  Ford, NGroup, National Gypsum, Abbott Laboratories, AAA, NFLPA, and the NFL.