Tyrone Watley ended up missing his first two years of football due to a heart ailment. But because he has heart, he is attempting to acquire one more year of eligibility here at Iowa State University.

“It’s all up in the air right now,” Watley said about being able to play in 1997. “It will be up to the NCAA after the season.”

Watley received a medical redshirt for his heart problem during his freshman year at the University of Pacific, and then sat out his entire sophomore year. “I was cleared to play in the spring of my sophomore year,” Watley said.

Now that Watley has established himself as a productive player in the Cyclone offense, he is hoping to continue to do so next season. Through three games, Watley has eight receptions for 101 yards and a 23-yard touchdown catch. Those numbers are good for second in receptions and receiving yards on the team behind junior Ed Williams (12-186-1).

“I attribute my contributions to the fact that I was here in the spring, learning the offense and getting to know my teammates,” Watley said.

Watley made the trip to Ames after Pacific dropped their football program. “The coaches and the players were really shocked; it came as a huge surprise,” Watley said.

ISU head coach Dan McCarney said that his secondary coach, Paul Rhoads, was instrumental in bringing Watley into the Cyclone program. “I asked Coach Rhoads who from Pacific could make a real contribution to this team, and Watley was one of the two men he mentioned,” McCarney said. Rhoads was the secondary coach at Pacific from 1992 until 1994. He is in his second year here at ISU.

Watley had 388 receiving yards on 37 receptions and three touchdowns during his junior year.

Regardless of the NCAA’s decision on Watley’s playing career, he still plans to graduate this spring. It will not be an easy road to meet that goal, however. “I’m carrying 18 credits this semester and I’ll have 19 credits in the spring,” Watley said.

A double major in history and sociology with a minor in political science, Watley intends to go to graduate school, which would also allow him to participate next year if he is granted another season of eligibility.

“I was looking at graduate school from the beginning,” Watley said. “I knew coming in that we were going to try and get this extra year of eligibility, so I planned on continuing my education after this year.”

Watley will not know the outcome of the NCAA’s decision until after the season is over, as that is the earliest that he can petition the league for another year of eligibility. “Once my eligibility runs out, that is when I can formally petition the league,” Watley said. “We have been getting the paperwork ready so that we can send it in right away.”

McCarney voiced his feelings about his wide receiver. “Ty definitely wants to come and play another year,” McCarney said. “He’s a real class kid.”