Isaiah Wharton: Ironman

Just as the sun rises on each Rutgers football game day, you can be absolutely sure of one other thing. Isaiah Wharton is suiting up in scarlet.

And he doesn't just wear the uniform; he wears it out. The redshirt senior cornerback has not missed a game since making his collegiate debut in 2015, and has been in the starting lineup in each of those contests for a streak of 45 straight games. Over that span, he's added tackles, interceptions, pass breakups and forced fumbles to the stat sheet, but his legacy "On the Banks" will be his iron-clad consistency and leadership.

Starting 45 straight games on a Big Ten football team has two prerequisites. You have to earn the spot, and you need a little luck on your side. The former was clear after Wharton's redshirt rookie year, when his team-high 10 pass breakups and secondary-best 57 tackles led to a Big Ten Network All-Freshman Team honor. The latter, well, Wharton believes he made his own luck.

"I have been blessed," Wharton said. "But I also do the small things. I am detail oriented, I pay attention to the nutritionists, my trainers, my strength coaches. That has been the secret. The people in [the Hale Center] are experts in their field and have kept me healthy over the years. I've played in a lot of games and I do not take it for granted. I am fortunate to be there and I know there are so many people that want to be in my shoes, so I just make the most of it."

The streak started with when opportunities arose in the secondary in 2015. Wharton stepped up, getting the starting nod at cornerback against Norfolk State in the season opener. Over the next three-plus years, his resiliency and experience instilled trust throughout the program, and he was selected to serve as a team captain in 2018.

The leadership role was put to work right away. A familiar situation took shape early in the 2018 season as injuries again mandated a shakeup in the secondary two-deep. True freshman Avery Young was the one to step up and made his collegiate debut week two this season at cornerback. Young had Wharton to show him the ropes.

"I can relate to him so much because I know he kind of feels like he is thrown into the fire," Wharton said. "I always remind him that he obviously has the talent, he has the size and the ability. He would not be here if that were not the case, so it's just a matter of confidence and the next-play mentality."

Young is not the only football player to learn from Wharton's unique understanding of the game. He takes the captain role seriously and strives to be the model of a Scarlet Knight, working hard, taking care of business on and off the field, loving the game and sacrificing self for the team. In fact, his impact reaches far beyond the Banks of the Old Raritan, and all the way to his hometown in Kissimmee, Florida and his Gateway High School community.

Wharton wasn't supposed to be here. No Gateway High player ever went on to play Division I football. Wharton wasn't supposed to start as a freshman. The secondary was loaded. But ask him, he'll tell you he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

"I was an underdog, but I worked for everything that I got," he said. "I'm proud of my hometown and I'm proud of how many people I've been able to influence. Now people believe that it can happen to them, so I've tried to lead by example because this is bigger than me; the next generation looks up to me."

Wharton was there once. He began playing football at the age of four and had meaningful mentors from pee-wee all the way to college. When it was time to choose a school, his network of advisors had a consensus question. What do you want out of college?

"I want to play big-time college football," Wharton said years ago. "I've had the opportunity to play against the nation's best teams, the most historic programs, in the most iconic stadiums in front of a hundred thousand people on TV every week. And I received the best education possible."

Wharton is set to graduate with a degree in communication and has an eye on becoming an entrepreneur, blending business with a passion for the fashion industry. He will also be graduating with a degree in something unteachable. His longevity playing the game on the big stage, he hopes, will be attractive at the NFL Draft in 2019. Regardless of his professional prospects, Wharton won't be done with football for a long time.

"I love the game so much," he said. "I want to help others and I want to coach one day at the college level. I have a lot to give back."

The pride of Gateway High School is now proud of his home away from home. Wharton admits learning about "Jersey Grit" was another ingredient in his ironman run of starting games. He'll also have a strong network of lifelong brothers and friends as he prepares for the next step.

So while the games played streak is sure to be broken once his eligibility is used up, the streak of earning everything and being the hardest worker in the room will live on wherever Isaiah Wharton goes.

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Players Mentioned

Isaiah Wharton

Avery Young

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