Akrum Wadley (born March 13, 1995) is an American former football running back. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was signed by the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2018.
Early life Akrum was born on March 13, 1995, in Newark, New Jersey, to Sheronda Phelps and John Wadley. Akrum is one of five sons. Wadley attended Weequahic High School in Newark, New Jersey. He committed to the University of Iowa to play college football.Akrum Wadley of Weequahic signs with Iowa on National Signing Day
College career Wadley played at Iowa from 2014 to 2017. In his final collegiate game, he was named the MVP of the 2017 Pinstripe Bowl after rushing for 88 yards with a touchdown. During his career, he rushed for 2,872 yards over 536 carries with 28 touchdowns. While at Iowa, Wadley was a communications major
Statistics YearTeamGRushingReceiving Att Yards Avg Long TD Rec Yards Avg Long TD 2014 Iowa 5 33 186 5.6 26 1 1 −1 −1.0 −1.0 0 2015 Iowa 8 83 496 6.0 65 7 6 94 15.7 31 1 2016 Iowa 13 168 1,081 6.4 75 10 36 315 8.8 30 3 2017 Iowa 13 252 1,109 4.4 35 10 28 353 12.6 70 3Totals 39 536 2,872 5.4 75 28 71 761 10.7 70 7
Professional career
Tennessee Titans Wadley signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent on May 11, 2018. He was waived by the Titans as a part of final roster cuts on September 1.
Atlanta Legends In 2019, Wadley signed with the Atlanta Legends of the Alliance of American Football. He was placed on injured reserve on March 6, 2019. The league ceased operations in April 2019.
Houston Roughnecks In October 2019, Wadley was picked by the Houston Roughnecks during the 2020 XFL draft. He was waived by the Roughnecks on January 5, 2020.
Personal life In a report published on June 29, 2020, Wadley made allegations against Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, and former strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle. The allegations included mistreatment and racial disparities. A lawsuit ensued, where Wadley was a plaintiff. The suit ultimately settled out of court in 2023.
References
External links Iowa Hawkeyes bio