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Beanie Wells

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This article is about the football player. For the ice hockey player, see Chris Wells (ice hockey).

Beanie Wells
refer to caption
Wells (center) with Ohio State in 2008
No. 26
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1988-08-07) August 7, 1988 (age 36)
Akron, Ohio, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:229 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school:Garfield (Akron)
College:Ohio State (2006–2008)
NFL draft:2009 / round: 1 / pick: 31
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts:625
Rushing yards:2,471
Receptions:28
Receiving yards:293
Total touchdowns:24
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Christopher Michael Wells (born August 7, 1988), known as Chris Wells or Beanie Wells, is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft with the 31st overall pick.

Early life

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Wells was a highly touted player out of high school, where he played football at Akron Garfield High School and ran track.[1] His high school running back coach, Ben Dunn, said that Beanie was one of the most explosive play-makers he had seen in his 28 years at the school. He was often considered the best recruit out of Ohio. Wells played at Akron Garfield High from 2002 to 2005, graduating early in December. In track, he was timed at 10.8 seconds in the 100 meters as a high school junior, and also recorded a 4.48 40-yard dash as a senior. He was listed as the top running back and All-American by Parade in 2006.[2]

Wells was offered to play at schools such as Michigan and USC, but he always knew he was going to play at Ohio State, saying "I think I came out of my mom's womb wanting to go to Ohio State."[3]

College career

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Beanie's number during his career at Ohio State was #28.[4]

Freshman season

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During Wells's freshman year, he shared carries with Antonio Pittman, had a solid freshman year, and was a big part of the 2006 Buckeyes.[5] In his collegiate debut, he had ten carries for 50 rushing yards and a touchdown against Northern Illinois.[6] The highlight of his freshman year came in the Ohio State–Michigan game where he broke a 52-yard run for a touchdown that put the Buckeyes ahead of the Wolverines for the rest of the game.[7]

Freshman statistics

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Stat Attempts Yards Average TD
Rushing 104 576 5.5 7
Receiving 2 16 8.0 0

Sophomore season

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With Antonio Pittman going into the NFL draft, Wells became the starting running back and started every game in his sophomore year for Ohio State. On October 20, Wells had 21 carries for 221 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in a victory over Michigan State.[8] On November 17, Wells rushed for 222 yards in the annual rivalry game against Michigan, the second most rushing yards by an Ohio State running back against Michigan.[9][10] He led the Big Ten Conference in rushing attempts with 274 in the 2007 season.[11]

Sophomore statistics

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Stat Number Yards Average TD
Rushing 274 1,609 5.9 15
Receiving 5 21 4.2 0

Junior season

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Wells rushed 13 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown in his first game against the Youngstown State Penguins on August 30, 2008.[12] He also suffered a foot injury.[13] After missing three games, he returned to the starting lineup September 27, 2008, against Minnesota, where he rushed for 106 yards on 14 carries.[14] He then followed that performance up with a 22 carry, 168 yard effort against Wisconsin, which included a 33-yard touchdown on the game's first possession and a 54-yard run to start the second half.[15] In the November 15 game against Illinois, Wells leaped over an Illini defender.[16][17]

Junior statistics

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Stat Number Yards Average TD
Rushing 207 1,197 5.8 8
Receiving 7 26 3.7 0

Awards and honors

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Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 1 in
(1.85 m) 		235 lb
(107 kg) 		33+5⁄8 in
(0.85 m) 		10 in
(0.25 m)		 4.38 s 1.50 s 2.51 s 33.5 in
(0.85 m)		 10 ft 8 in
(3.25 m)		 25 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[22][23]
Wells (left) and teammates during 2010 preseason camp.

Wells was selected in the first round (31st overall) by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2009 NFL draft.[24] He competed for the starting running back job with Tim Hightower.[25]

On August 1, 2009, Wells was signed to a five-year contract.[26] Later that day, he was carted off from practice with an ankle injury.[27]

In Week 1 of the 2009 season, Wells made his NFL debut with seven carries for 29 yards against the San Francisco 49ers in a 20–16 loss.[28] In Week 7, in the second quarter against the New York Giants, Wells ran 13 yards for his first NFL touchdown. In that game, Wells rushed for 67 yards on 14 attempts.[29] In Week 15, Wells had his first career 100-yard game, against the Detroit Lions, with 17 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown.[30] In the Divisional Round of the playoffs, Wells scored his first postseason touchdown, a four-yard rush against the New Orleans Saints.[31] He ended the season with 176 carries for 793 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns to go along with 12 receptions for 143 receiving yards.[32]

In the 2010 season, Wells appeared in 13 games and started two. He finished with 116 carries for 397 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.[33]

For the 2011 NFL season, the Cardinals and coach Ken Whisenhunt placed a heavy emphasis on the ground-attack led by Wells. The decision was mostly influenced by the departure of Tim Hightower to the Washington Redskins, in turn giving the starting back role to Wells.[34]

In Week 4 of the 2011 season, Wells rushed 27 times for 138 yards and three touchdowns in the 31–27 loss to the New York Giants.[35] On November 27, 2011, in Week 12, Wells set a Cardinals single-game and personal record by rushing for 228 yards against the St. Louis Rams.[36] Wells' performance eclipsed the team record previously held by LeShon Johnson, who rushed for 214 yards against the New Orleans Saints in 1996.[37] Wells finished the 2011 season with his first 1,000 yard season, ending with 1,047 yards on 245 carries (a 4.3 average) and 10 touchdowns.[38]

On September 26, 2012, Wells was placed on the injured reserve list due to a severe turf toe injury but received the new "designated to return" tag and was expected to return in practice on November 7.[39][40]

On Sunday, November 25, 2012, Wells made his first appearance back from Injured Reserve for Arizona's game against the St. Louis Rams, scoring his first two touchdowns of the season.[41] His relationship with management soured near the end of the season. After gaining three yards on four carries against the Chicago Bears in the penultimate game of the season,[42] Wells declared that he would be auditioning for the other 31 teams in his last appearance. Coach Whisenhunt held Wells out of the final game.[43] On March 11, 2013, Wells was released by the Arizona Cardinals.[44]

On October 9, 2013, Wells tore his Achilles tendon during a workout with the Baltimore Ravens.[45]

After the injury, Wells did not sign with another NFL team.

NFL career statistics

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Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2009 ARI 16 0 176 793 4.5 33 7 12 143 11.9 25 0 4 3
2010 ARI 13 2 116 397 3.4 24 2 5 74 14.8 43 0 1 0
2011 ARI 14 14 245 1,047 4.3 71 10 10 52 5.2 10 0 4 3
2012 ARI 8 7 88 234 2.7 31 5 1 24 24.0 24 0 1 1
Total 51 23 625 2,471 4.0 71 24 28 293 10.5 43 0 10 7

Personal life

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Wells is one of eleven children. His parents are James and Paulette Wells. The nickname Beanie was given to him by his family at a young age and he has said, "when I was young, my big brother said I was skinny like a bean pole."[46][47]

References

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  1. ^ Brown, Kyle (December 15, 2021). "Bennett Christian, 3-star tight end from Georgia, signs with Ohio State football". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  2. ^ Chris Wells Biography – The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site – OhioStateBuckeyes.com[dead link]
  3. ^ Chris Wells Interviews & Quotes Archived August 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Chrisbeaniewells.com. Retrieved on November 1, 2011.
  4. ^ Gutridge, Matt (August 4, 2018). "Digging Deeper: Players Who Wore No. 28". Eleven Warriors. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  5. ^ "2006 Ohio State Buckeyes Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  6. ^ "Northern Illinois at Ohio State Box Score, September 2, 2006". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  7. ^ Lloyd, Jason (November 22, 2008). "Beanie Wells' success began during The Game in 2006". News-Herald. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  8. ^ "Michigan State at Ohio State Box Score, October 20, 2007". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  9. ^ Davis, Dave (November 18, 2009). "OSU's Wells tears it up; Beanie leads emotional win in 2007: Countdown to Michigan". cleveland.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  10. ^ Helwagen, Steve (June 6, 2016). "Ohio State's 15-year domination of Michigan". 247Sports. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  11. ^ "2007 Big Ten Conference Leaders". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  12. ^ "Youngstown State at Ohio State Box Score, August 30, 2008". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  13. ^ "Wells carted off field with leg injury". ESPN.com. Associated Press. August 30, 2008. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  14. ^ "Minnesota at Ohio State Box Score, September 27, 2008". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  15. ^ "Ohio State at Wisconsin Box Score, October 4, 2008". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  16. ^ Brown, Larry (November 16, 2008). "Video: Chris Beanie Wells Hurdles Illinois Defender, He's Got Hops". Larry Brown Sports. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  17. ^ "In the spotlight: Chris "Beanie" Wells, Nick Sheridan". The Columbus Dispatch. November 21, 2008. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  18. ^ O'Shea, Michael. "All-America Teams". PARADE. Archived from the original on January 16, 2009.
  19. ^ "Football Bowl Games: U.S. Army All-American Bowl". Football-Bowl.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2008.
  20. ^ "Big Ten Announces 2007 Football All-Conference Teams and Individual Honors". BigTen.CSTV.com. November 19, 2007. Archived from the original on November 21, 2007.
  21. ^ Castel, Brandon (December 11, 2008). "Jenkins fulfills dream, wins Thorpe Award". DottingTheEyes. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  22. ^ "Chris Wells Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  23. ^ "2009 Draft Scout Beanie Wells, Ohio State NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  24. ^ "2009 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  25. ^ Eisenberg, Jamey (July 27, 2009). "2009 Draft Prep: Beanie? Yeah baby!". CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  26. ^ "Cardinals agree to five-year deal with top pick Wells". NFL.com. August 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  27. ^ "Beanie Wells dodges major injury". NBC Sports. August 2, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  28. ^ "San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals - September 13th, 2009". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  29. ^ "Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants - October 25th, 2009". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  30. ^ "Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions - December 20th, 2009". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  31. ^ "Divisional Round - Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints - January 16th, 2010". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  32. ^ "Beanie Wells 2009 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  33. ^ "Beanie Wells 2010 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  34. ^ "Arizona Cardinals Trade Tim Hightower To Redskins". ESPN.com. Associated Press. July 31, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  35. ^ "New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals - October 2nd, 2011". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  36. ^ "Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams - November 27th, 2011". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  37. ^ "Chris "Beanie" Wells rushes for franchise record". Pro Football Hall of Fame. November 28, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  38. ^ "Beanie Wells 2011 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  39. ^ "Cardinals place Beanie Wells on IR but can bring him back". USA TODAY. September 26, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  40. ^ Degroote, John (September 26, 2012). "Arizona Cardinals Place Beanie Wells on IR, Can Return Later in Season". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  41. ^ "St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals - November 25th, 2012". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  42. ^ "Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals - December 23rd, 2012". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  43. ^ "Beanie Wells 2012 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  44. ^ "Cardinals cut Beanie Wells". ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 11, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  45. ^ Urban, Darren (March 11, 2013). "Beanie Wells Released". AZCardinals.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  46. ^ Melendez, Beckley (August 27, 2023). "Beanie Wells: A Running Back's Journey". Beckley Boutique. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  47. ^ Crouse, Karen (January 9, 2010). "Hauling the Rock: Arizona's Wells Gets a Grip on His Game". The New York Times. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
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