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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Athlete's Good Grades Pay Off
August 23, 2005 | Football
Aug. 23, 2005
By Tim Keenan/Special to the Detroit News -
Read the story on the Detroit News site
HARPER WOODS, Mich. -- Calvin Wiley Jr. learned how to prioritize scholarship and athletics at the knee of Calvin Wiley Sr. As a result, he spent four years on the Notre Dame High School honor roll and won a scholarship to play football at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
"Academics are really important in my house," said Wiley, 18. "If I didn't get good grades, my father probably wouldn't let me play football, so I didn't take any chances."
He did take some chances quarterbacking the Irish on the football field, but those chances usually worked out well for the Irish, according to Coach George Sahadi.
"I tried to give him some leeway (in calling audibles), but he didn't take advantage of it," Sahadi said. "He did call audibles, but to himself. But he always did the right thing."
Wiley said of his improvisations, "Sometimes you just have to take the ball and make it work."
Sahadi said Wiley "put on a show" at quarterback, especially toward the end of the season.
He was one of those quarterbacks who could run and throw," Sahadi said. "He did a lot of great running for us from the quarterback spot. He has good speed and could break away on you. He's hard to chase down. He's a lot like (Michael) Vick in Atlanta."
Highlights from Wiley's senior season included scoring on a quarterback sneak in a 20-12 overtime loss to Detroit Crockett in the season opener at the Pontiac Silverdome, throwing a touchdown pass and running for 84 yards in a 30-15 win over Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and running for two scores -- including a 50-yard scamper -- in a 24-16 win over Dearborn Divine Child in the Catholic League playoffs. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder also completed 12 of 26 passes for 170 yards in the 35-21 Catholic League championship game loss to Orchard Lake St. Mary at Ford Field.
Despite his personal success on the high school gridiron, Wiley said his biggest thrill in football is "just being on the field, finding a way to do different things to make other people better."
It's that team spirit that impressed Sahadi in his first and only season as the Notre Dame coach. Although officials are fighting the decision by Archdiocese of Detroit, the school is unlikely to be open for class when the new school year begins.
"He was always up front for any conditioning that we did," the hall of fame Catholic League coach said. "By doing that, you become a leader. He would push himself harder than anybody. He's a great kid and never complained."
Although he made All Catholic and was an honorable mention All-Metro selection at quarterback for the Irish, he is likely to play defensive back or receiver at Bowling Green, which plays in the Mid-American Conference.
In addition to being captain of the Notre Dame football team, Wiley also was captain of the Irish track squad.
He won 100-meter in a dual meet victory over Notre Dame Prep and finished fifth at the regional meet. His best time in that event was 11.1.
Tim Keenan is a Metro Detroit freelance writer.
