Leonard Wheeler was born on January 15, 1969 in Toccoa,
 Georgia. After going to high school at Stevens County (Toccoa, GA), Wheeler attended Lees-McRae College, Northwest Mississippi Community College, Troy State University and the University of Mississippi. Wheeler made his professional debut in the NFL in 1992 with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings over the course of his 6 year career.