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Wilhelm's wait could be worth it
By: JAY PARIS - Staff Writer
SAN DIEGO ---- Matt Wilhelm has gone from being a Buckeye to wearing a bull's eye.
Wilhelm, the Chargers' linebacker and former Ohio State standout, hasn't had a quiet camp.
With the Chargers making noise about peddling Donnie Edwards ---- and Edwards being hurt ---- Wilhelm is forced into the thick of a dynamite front seven.
But Wilhelm has been down this sideline before.
Last summer brought extended practice time while Edwards nursed a sprained ankle. Two summers back, Edwards was out with a lacerated calf, which plopped Wilhelm into action.
But this summer is different, and we're not talking about the recent humidity.
"It may be my time and it may not,'' said Wilhelm, who had 16 tackles and an interception last year. "But I know I can play this game, I know I can play it at a high level. It's up to me every Friday, Saturday or whenever we play to show them I can do this.''
Wilhelm will find the field Friday night in Chicago, hoping to keep the Bears' running game in hibernation.
But Wilhelm is asked to do more than play seek-and-destroy with the ball carrier. He's in the middle of the defense, barking orders and getting teammates lined up correctly.
Heady stuff for a 25-year-old to tell veterans such as Steve Foley, Randall Godfrey and Jamal Williams where to go.
"If his number is going to be called for the season, he is getting the things done to be part of something special,'' Foley said. "He'll be that guy that is kind of the leader in the huddle, as far as getting the calls out and getting us where we need to be. You have to have respect for the guy.''
Wilhelm appreciates all that goes with being a starter on a team expected to play deep into the postseason. It was Wilhelm's 10 tackles against Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl which helped Ohio State to a national championship.
So when the bright lights flicker, Wilhelm won't blink.
Instead, it was the Packers' Brett Favre rubbing his eyes when drawing a rushing Wilhelm on Saturday. Wilhelm brought Favre down for a sack, providing a snack of what's possibly to come.
"Personally, if given the opportunity, it may be my time to shine,'' Wilhelm said.
For three years, Wilhelm's chances came via special teams. He tied for third among Chargers with 15 tackles last year, as each year his numbers spiked.
But he hasn't started and is yet to have a significant impact on a game. Instead, he's been told to wait, but that's a weight on his shoulder he would prefer to shed.
"It's been tough,'' admitted the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Wilhelm, who led Ohio State with 121 tackles his senior season. "At every level, most guys here have been 'The Man.' It has been a humbling experience, but a very, very productive learning experience for me to sit back and watch Donnie post 180 tackles every year, watch Shawne Merriman be a rookie of the year, and watch Foley with his work-ethic on and off the field.''
Schottenheimer isn't off-kilter when mentioning Wilhelm's smarts. Although Wilhelm did something borderline dumb at Ohio State, with a superstition requiring him to wear the same game shoes his final three seasons.
If Wilhelm laces it up as Edwards' replacement? Schottenheimer doubts he'll play like a heel.
"He's done a nice job for us,'' Schottenheimer said. "One of his strengths is he is very, very knowledgeable. He is bright.''
Keen enough to know the Chargers are eager to trade Edwards, who is in the last year of his contract. Savvy enough to realize if not this year, certainly next year he'll be "The Man."
"More than anything, I'm building confidence in myself,'' he said. "And building confidence from my teammates in my abilities. This is a process.''
One Wilhelm would like to fast-forward.
