Doug Whaley
| Born: | December 16, 1972 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| College | University of Pittsburgh |
| High school | Upper St. Clair (Upper St. Clair Township, Pennsylvania) |
Douglass G. Whaley (born December 16, 1972)
Early life
Whaley was born in Pittsburgh, where he played high school football and went on to play at the collegiate level.[2] He played college football at Pitt as a defensive back, collecting 4 interceptions during his tenure.[3]
Career
Pittsburgh Steelers
Whaley worked for the Steelers as a pro personnel coordinator. He worked there for 10 years before accepting the Buffalo Bills job. Whaley worked directly under
Buffalo Bills
Whaley was named assistant general manager and Director of Pro Personnel of the Buffalo Bills on February 10, 2010. Whaley oversaw the team's Pro Personnel department and assisted General Manager
Whaley was, in conjunction with owners Terry and Kim Pegula and President Russ Brandon, responsible for the hiring of head coach Rex Ryan. After Ryan was relieved of his duties, the team announced that Whaley would lead the search for Ryan's successor, Sean McDermott.
On January 10, 2016, Whaley agreed to a contract extension offered to him by the Bills.
Whaley, alongside his staff, was "relieved of his duties" by the Bills on April 30, 2017, following the
XFL
On November 8, 2018, Whaley was hired as the senior vice president of football operations for the
Controversies
E-mail gaffe
Whaley gained unwanted notoriety in 2007, when an inappropriate e-mail that he had sent to Steelers assistant coach
Radio remark
In a May 2016 radio interview, Whaley said of football: "It's a violent game that I personally don't think humans are supposed to play."[10]
Release of Fred Jackson
Whaley was criticized by fans and players alike for his decision to cut longtime Bills running back and fan favorite Fred Jackson as a "business decision" prior to the 2015 NFL season, especially after allegedly telling Jackson his roster spot was safe. Jackson later reflected on the move prior to retiring with the Bills after Whaley's dismissal, stating that the manner in which he was cut left a "bad taste in his mouth" and that he was dumbfounded by it.[11]
Tyrod Taylor benching
In December 2016, Whaley refused to explain his decision to bench the Bills' starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, prior to the last regular season game. Instead, interim head coach Anthony Lynn was forced to address questions from the media, and in an unscripted response, advised Taylor's benching was a 'business decision'. Whaley did not publicly comment on the decision.[12]
References
- ^ "Bills: Who is Doug Whaley and is he next in line?". Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
- ^ Thorman, Joel (December 22, 2008). "Getting to Know a GM: Doug Whaley". Retrieved August 19, 2016.
- ^ "Doug Whaley". Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
- ^ "Whaley brings Steelers ways to Buffalo, banks on top pick Manuel". Retrieved August 19, 2016.
- ^ "Bills name Doug Whaley GM". ESPN. Associated Press. May 16, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills fire general manager Doug Whaley". NFL.com. April 30, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
- ^ Seifert, Kevin. "XFL suspends operations, lays off employees and has no plans for 2021 season". ESPN. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
- ^ "Former Bills GM Whaley hired as XFL senior VP". WIVB-TV. Nexstar Media Group. November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ Bouchette, Ed (May 23, 2007). "Blogger says Steelers' Zierlein inadvertently forwarded porn to NFL officials". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
- ^ Tyler Dunne (May 24, 2016). "Bills GM Doug Whaley: Humans are not supposed to play football". The Buffalo News. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- ^ Wojton, Nick (April 19, 2018). "Fred Jackson was told his roster spot was 'fine' before being cut by Bills, Doug Whaley". Bills Wire. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
- ^ Michael David Smith (December 28, 2016). "Anthony Lynn: Benching Tyrod Taylor wasn't my decision". ProFootballTalk. NBC Sports.
External links
- [1] Archived December 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
 | This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. (August 2016) |
- Q&A with Doug Whaley, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, November 16, 2006
- Bouchette on the Steelers: Bill Cowher's brief flirtation with Browns a peek into future?, Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 4, 2009
- Getting to Know a GM: Doug Whaley, ArrowheadPride.com (KC Chiefs blog), December 22, 2008