Wendell Tyler

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Wendell Tyler
Date of birth May 20, 1955
Place of birth Flag of United States Shreveport, Louisiana
Height ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg)
Position(s) Running Back
College UCLA
NFL Draft 1977 / Round 3 / Pick 79
Pro Bowls 1
Stats
Statistics
Team(s)
1977-1982
1983-1986
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers

Wendell Avery Tyler (born May 20, 1955 in Shreveport, Louisiana), was a former professional football player who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 3rd round of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 5'10", 205 lbs. running back from UCLA, Tyler played in 10 NFL seasons from 1977-1986 for the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. In 1979, he helped lead the Rams to Super Bowl XIV where they were defeated 31-19 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1984, he was a Pro Bowl selection and played in Super Bowl XIX as the 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins 38-16. Tyler was the first player ever to lead two different teams in rushing in two different Super Bowls.

[edit] College career

Tyler played running back at UCLA from 1973-1976 and is fifth in career rushing yards for the Bruins, with 3,240 yards. He was on the 1975 UCLA team that won the Pac 8 conference and defeated number one ranked Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

[edit] Personal

Tyler's son, Marc Tyler is rated as the top high school running back in the United States graduating in 2007 on the ESPN 150 top high school players. Marc plays at football powerhouse Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California and has committed to play for the USC Trojans even though USC is a rival of his father's alma mater UCLA. Unfortunately, Marc suffered a compound fracture of his leg while being tackled on November 17, 2006, and will miss the remainder of the season.