Dozens came out to the Bay Area Panthers tryout at Live Oak High School

 

Photo by Marty Cheek
Bay Area Panthers head coach Darren Arbet talks to those who showed up at the Feb. 25 open tryout at Live Oak High School.

By Marty Cheek

For athletes willing to get off the sideline and pursue a dream playing on a professional football team, the Bay Area Panthers hosted open player tryouts Feb. 25 for a chance to make it onto this year’s roster.

A kicker shows his skills at the February 25 Bay Area Panthers tryouts at Live Oak High School.
Photo by Marty Cheek

Terrell Wheeler stood among 40 young men who spent much of that chilly Saturday morning at the Live Oak High School football field showing head coach Darren Arbet and other Panthers their athletic skills. The 24-year-old had taken a cross-country flight from his home city of Alexandria, Virginia, to follow his dream of gridiron glory.

With the others, Wheeler went through drills similar to the NFL scouting combine: 40-yard dash, broad jump, three-cone drill and maximum repetitions of a 225 pound bench press.

Those fortunate to make the cut of 40 players in the next round will attend a training camp starting March 9 at Morgan Hill’s Outdoor Sports Center.  The players will compete for coveted spots on the Indoor Football League team’s final roster trimmed to 25 athletes March 19. Officially Panthers, they will train as a team before the regular season opener against the Arizona Rattlers at the SAP Center in downtown San Jose March 26.

“I feel like I did pretty well,” Wheeler said in a humble voice about his tryout efforts. “I always feel like I can do better, but I did what I came to do.”

He was motivated by the opportunity of joining a professional football team, a long-held ambition. Born in Missouri, he moved with his family at an early age to live in Austin Texas. Inspired by his father who played football at Southwest Baptist University in Missouri, Wheeler got into the game and rose in the ranks as an athlete.

“Being in Texas, how can you not be all about football, right?” he said with a grin.

Football players at February 25 Bay Area Panthers tryouts at Live Oak High School.
Photo by Marty Cheek

After 15 years in the Lone Star State, the family moved to Alexandria and he started playing football at Hayfield Secondary School in his sophomore year. He played defensive back and a little bit of safety and corner. He graduated in 2016 and went on to play the game for the team at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia.

Unfortunately, the pandemic was in full swing when he graduated from college in 2020. No football teams were holding tryouts or pro days because of the COVID-19 health risks. Driven to continue being part of the game he loved, he found himself helping the next generation of athletes as a coach for his high school’s football team at Hayfield.

Looking for opportunities to get on a pro team, he tried out for the XFL Combine League and tore his hamstring, putting him out of the tryouts until he recuperated. Earlier this year, he heard from a coach that the Panthers were seeking players and he came to California for the weekend.

“I always dreamed of playing professional football and playing at a high level,” Wheeler said. “So when I came in (for the Panthers tryouts), my main thing was don’t be nervous because at the end of the day I don’t have anything to lose but everything to gain. So I just laid it all on the line. Whatever happens, happens.”

For Wheeler, football is just as much about the mental discipline as the physical ability of the players. He guarded his psychological state against being intimidated by the other players trying out to get on the Panthers’ roster.

“I always try not to look at how everybody else is built and how everybody else is because at the end of the day, we’re all in the same place trying to do the same thing,” he said. “We’re all just looking for an opportunity. Nobody is above anybody else.”

Football players at February 25 Bay Area Panthers tryouts at Live Oak High School.
Photo by Marty Cheek

After a morning of walking around the field with an eye for exceptional players, Arbet was impressed by the quality of the candidates.

“I thought it went very well. There was some good talent out there and they were very professional,” he said. “The guys were in pretty decent shape, and they did a tremendous job working out that day.”

He’s especially looking for a receiver who might have a nice burst or catches the ball well or runs good routes, he said. He was impressed by several offensive linemen with great size as well as defensive linemen with great size and movement and hands.

“We have some great competition. Our quarterback room is really good,” Arbet said. “We’re going to bring three to camp and see who can win those spots. There’s going to be some great competition, it really is.”

Arbet was impressed by the passion for the game players displayed as they went through the drills. Several came from out of state, including one from New York.

“When you’re trying to hook up, you’re going to go wherever you can go to get that opportunity,” Arbet said. “That Saturday, the Bay Area Panthers were giving an opportunity to make the team — and those guys came out and showed what they had. There were a couple of them that we’re pretty excited about. We’re making an offer to them right now.”

Football players at the February 25 Bay Area Panthers tryouts at Live Oak High School.
Photo by Marty Cheek

The Panthers invite residents of South Valley to attend the training camp and practice sessions at the Outdoor Sports Center. Times when the public can watch will be announced later.

“It’s going to be great to have the support and people there cheering guys on and being able to see who the guys are,” Arbet said. “And we invite people to come to the games and watch them play and have success hopefully — all that’s good for everyone, for Morgan Hill and for us. I think it’s awesome.”

After the morning tryouts, Wheeler spent the rest of the day exploring Morgan Hill. Although he has visited Southern California, this was his first time in the Bay Area. He was especially impressed by the small-town friendliness of the people and awed by the mountains that surrounded the city, their ridges white-capped with snow.

“Morgan Hill is a beautiful place. I see how the sun hits the mountains and I go, ‘Wow, this is really nice and subtle,’” he said. “You get a very different feel here compared to being in the city, being in L.A. . . If I do have the chance to  play (here), I’ll be blessed. But if not, I’ll thank the coaches for presenting this opportunity. Not everyone has the chance to be able to try out for a professional team.”